How Author Bios Can Help Engagement & SEO

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Content author bios are seldom discussed but they can get important and the content game goes on.  With the rise of automated-generated content, it’s becoming more difficult to determine whether the information you’re consuming was written by an algorithm or an actual person who cares what the topic is about and how it affects the reader.

How Google Sees Content Authors

Back in December, Google’s popular “EAT” acronym (Expertise, Authority, Trust) received an additional “E” for “Experience.”  They now consider the author’s or creator’s experience when evaluating the content’s quality.  This means that more websites will need to spotlight who the content creators are and the topics they focus on.  Here are some of the key factors that Google considers:

Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T): Google evaluates the expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness of the author, as well as the website where the content is published. This involves analyzing factors such as the author’s credentials, the website’s quality, and the website’s reputation in the relevant field.

This means that when an author who typically creates content relating to “making your radio station website better” suddenly introduces recipe posts, it will send a signal to search, saying something is wrong.

Authorship markup: This is the code behind the scenes that search engines use to associate content with specific authors. This markup can include the author’s name, profile picture, and other relevant details. Search engines can evaluate the author’s expertise and authority on a particular topic by associating content with specific authors.

Social signals: Google also considers social signals related to the author, such as the author’s social media presence and engagement with their audience. This can help Google evaluate the author’s influence and popularity, which can be an indication of their expertise and authority.

User engagement metrics: You thought only your content was being graded?  Google evaluates user engagement metrics such as bounce rate, time on page, and click-through rate to determine the relevance and usefulness of content. If users engage positively with the content, Google is more likely to consider it relevant and valuable.  When an author’s markup is attached to that, the author gets points also.

Displaying Author Bio Information

If you currently do not have your content author’s short bio information, image, and social media channels at the bottom of the post they create, there are some reasons why you should.

1) Credibility: By providing information about the author’s credentials, experience, and background, readers can assess the credibility and expertise of the writer. If your author has been providing local news for the past 40 years, ensure it is included. This can help build trust with the readers and make the content more convincing.

2) Context: Understanding the author’s background and perspective can provide context for their written content. This can help readers better understand and interpret the information presented in the blog post.

3) Connection: Including a bio can help readers connect with the author on a more personal level, and make the content feel more relatable and engaging.

4) Promotion: Including a bio can help any author promote their personal brand, and provide opportunities for networking and collaboration.

Providing author bio information in blog posts can enhance the reader’s experience and make the content more valuable and engaging.  It can also help your SEO.  Google’s revised search algorithm evaluates factors related to the author’s experience to ensure that high-quality and relevant content is prioritized in search results. Authors can improve their visibility and reputation in search results by providing valuable and authoritative content.

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