Google announced earlier this week that logged-in searchers will be able to add their favorite web writers to their Google+ Circles from Google News pages with the addition of a link to the writer’s account directly on News SERPs. This change also adds a social layer to News results that may encourage clicks for pieces written by niche authorities.
According to Eric Weigle, Google News software engineer, content writers who connect their Google+ profiles to their articles in Google News will automatically be featured alongside their results. Publishers are be well-advised to promote the writers behind their industry content and leverage authors’ industry expertise to add credibility to their brands. Brafton reported earlier this year that a strong authority and reputation within a certain industry is a critical ranking factor in Google News.
“Knowing who wrote an article can help readers understand the article’s context and quality,” Weigle wrote on the blog. As he suggests, insight on who wrote an article gives News searchers an added reason to click a certain site above others.
Moreover, this update serves as a reminder that News searchers can also +1 News articles direclty from SERPs. Businesses should remember to add social sharing buttons to their news content marketing pages (and every page of their websites). Thirty-nine percent of marketers believe social media marketing campaigns are more successful when users share content with their own friends or followers, Brafton reported. Making this process simpler will likely result in greater sharing of social media content.
