Google Plus recently announced two new features that point to the importance of Authorship and sharing web content on the social network.

Google+ recently added two features that make it easier for writers to get credit for the web content they publish online.

  • The new Author attribution feature automatically connects writers’ Google+ profiles with the articles and documents they post on content management sites integrated with Google+ login, like WordPress.

What does this mean? It makes it extremely easy (and perhaps almost mandatory) for brands to credit Authorship with contributors’ G+ account if they operate with one of the partnering content systems that uses Google accounts for login (WordPress and TypePad).

  • Embedded posts enable marketers to share public Google+ content on external websites so their updates get more reach. 

What does this mean? Google suggests companies can now use Google+ posts as primary sources. In reality, it may be a means of driving more Google+ activity – and a key to getting more network engagement that will make Authorship work. If third-party brands embed posts, their readers will be able to interact with and follow the original post Author from across the web.

These updates are yet another indicator of Google’s plans to become more deeply ingrained in the content creation process, and it’s a sign that Authorship is moving off the backburner and could become more important for SEO success moving forward.

Authorship is moving off the backburner and could become more important for SEO success moving forward.

An official announcement on the Google+ Developers Blog reports integrated Authorship sign-ins might soon be expanded to other publication forums such as the Examiner, WikiHow and About.com as well.

Widespread Authorship adoption could vastly change the content marketing game, as it would lend transparency and credibility to writing published online. This helps valuable information stand out in the sea of content produced every day, and also exposes contributors publishing spammy or untrustworthy materials. Authors may not want their names attached to articles that are poorly written or purely promotional, which might force sites to reevaluate their content marketing strategies.

To learn more, check out Brafton’s recently published resource detailing the rise of Authorship, how it currently impacts search rankings and easy steps for set-up.

Lauren Kaye is a Marketing Editor at Brafton Inc. She studied creative and technical writing at Virginia Tech before pursuing the digital frontier and finding content marketing was the best place to put her passions to work. Lauren also writes creative short fiction, hikes in New England and appreciates a good book recommendation.