Author Authority has become an increasingly vital part of demonstrating the quality, trust, and expertise behind your websiteās content. It signals to both users and search engines that your content is credible, well-researched, and written by qualified individuals.
š§ What Is Author Authority?
š§ What Is Author Authority?
Author Authority measures the credibility and expertise of an author on a particular topic.
Example:
If you read an article about health advice but discover the author works in real estate, youād likely doubt the contentās reliability.
This is why Author Authority is crucial in high-stakes industries like:
Healthcare
Law
Finance
Technical or specialized fields
When it comes to important topics, both search engines and readers want to hear from true experts.
š Is Author Authority a Google Ranking Factor?
š Is Author Authority a Google Ranking Factor?
Technically, no ā Author Authority is not a direct ranking factor in Googleās algorithm.
However, Googleās Search Quality Rater Guidelines emphasize evaluating author reputation as part of assessing content quality:
āAn important part of the PQ rating is understanding the reputation of the website. If the creator of the MC [main content] is different from the creator of the website,
itās important to understand the reputation of the creator as well.ā ā Google, Section 2.6
So while itās not an algorithmic signal, Author Authority helps Google assess E-E-A-T ā Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness ā which influences content rankings.
š How Does Google Measure Author Authority?
š How Does Google Measure Author Authority?
Search engines look for trust indicators that verify an authorās expertise and credibility.
Here are four ways to demonstrate strong Author Authority:
1ļøā£ Author Bylines and Bios on Every Piece of Content
1ļøā£ Author Bylines and Bios on Every Piece of Content
Each blog post or long-form article should include:
An author byline (name + credentials)
A short bio summarizing their qualifications
š” Tip: Even though service or product pages donāt need bylines, educational or thought leadership content should always include them to show subject matter expertise.
2ļøā£ Author āAboutā or Bio Pages
2ļøā£ Author āAboutā or Bio Pages
Each content creator should have a dedicated author page that includes:
Job title and role
Education and certifications
Areas of expertise
Links to other publications or trusted websites
A list of articles written for your site
These pages signal to Google that your siteās authors are legitimate experts and make it easier for readers to verify their background.
3ļøā£ Links to Social Media Profiles
3ļøā£ Links to Social Media Profiles
Author pages should include links to verified or professional social media accounts (LinkedIn, X/Twitter, etc.).
Benefits:
Helps users and quality raters cross-reference expertise
Increases the chance of earning Google Author Panels
Builds both the authorās and websiteās authority
4ļøā£ Author Schema Markup
4ļøā£ Author Schema Markup
Schema markup makes it easier for Google to recognize and display author details in search results.
Use the Schema Creator tool in your dashboard to generate structured data:
Select Person
Complete all required JSON-LD fields (name, job title, social links, etc.)
Paste the markup into the HTML header of each author page
This improves how your author info appears in rich results and boosts content credibility.
š¬ Final Thoughts on Author Authority
š¬ Final Thoughts on Author Authority
As your site grows, consistently demonstrating expert authorship becomes more important.
Establishing Author Authority:
Builds reader trust
Reinforces your brandās expertise
Helps search engines recognize your content as high quality
If your site covers multiple topics, strong Author Authority ensures your audience always knows theyāre reading reliable, trustworthy information.
ā
Key Takeaway:
Invest in verified, expert authorship ā it enhances both your SEO performance and your credibility in the eyes of users and Google alike.