Just when everyone begins to get used to Google Authorship profile photos, it announces that it’s not going to display them anymore in search results pages. In a bid to “clean up” the design of its results pages, Google has removed profile photos and the Google+ circle count where authorship is assigned to a web page. While some content publishers and marketers are concerned about how this will affect their visibility, others aren’t so troubled by the change. But could this affect click-through rates, and how should you react to this tweak to Google Authorship?
Do You Need to Change Your Content Strategy?
Fortunately for authors and content marketers, there’s actually nothing you need to change about the way you produce content. Your authorship still remains in place and all of the Google+ author profile structure stays the same. There’s no need to delete your profile picture, and it should still help strengthen your credibility in the eyes of Google. Before, if you were an author on a higher ranking website, you would get your profile picture displayed in Google’s search results pages. Now, just your profile name and the date of the post will be shown. Writers that produce new content less than once per week on a website with a lower domain authority could get their profile name removed completely. To a certain extent, the new format levels out the playing field, in that none of the search results will have profile images next to them. But if you want to see your profile name displayed, you still need to regularly publish content on a high-ranking website. Consistently writing informative SEO content also remains the best way to gain higher search engine rankings.
Will This Change Click-Through Rates (CTRs)?
Although Google experts claim that after tests, CTRs are similar in the new format, most people know that in reality this is likely to have a negative impact on the number of people that click on your content. Without an image, your listing simply doesn’t stand out as much on the page. The best way to improve click-through rates is to continue to use compelling titles that are intriguing, surprising, or revealing.
You should definitely continue to use Google Authorship to verify your content. Google may decide to make more use of Author Rank data in the future, so doing everything you can now to improve your credibility could help you in the long term. Besides, having your profile name listed in the search results is still a boost to your online visibility and should still influence the click-through rate. Ultimately, if you develop a content strategy that informs, educates, and entertains your audience, you don’t have to worry about whether a picture of your face appears in search results pages.
The Take-Away
When it comes to Google, you can be sure that its algorithms and the way it displays search results will continue to change from one year to the next. However, one thing is likely to remain the same: Google will reward high-quality, unique content. As long as you continue to publish great content that engages your target audience, you will continue to increase your credibility with the search engines and your readers. The profile picture was a good way to attract attention to your content, but it didn’t actually improve your search rankings directly. While your Google Authorship profile picture will disappear from search results pages, it doesn’t stop your voice from being heard.