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Google Authorship is Officially Dead, WordPress Authorship Plugins are Now Obsolete

by Noctilus
29 replies
After reading I had most feelings of frustration.. Google announced discontinuing its support for authorship in search results.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JohnMue...ts/HZf3KDP1Dm8

And I quote "We've gotten lots of useful feedback from all kinds of webmasters and users, and we've tweaked, updated, and honed recognition and displaying of authorship information. Unfortunately, we've also observed that this information isn't as useful to our users as we'd hoped, and can even distract from those results. With this in mind, we've made the difficult decision to stop showing authorship in search results."

Ok so after all that fuss and learning how to do it perfectly for us and our clients it just....well...I don't know...vanishes! How annoying. We are Google's experimental lab animals. And this is just one of the many things Google annoys me with.

Authorship was an experiment that Google had been running for the past three years. Mueller reported that their tests showed that removing authorship generally does not seem to reduce traffic to sites, nor does it make it more likely that users will click on ads. The change was allegedly implemented to improve users' experience.

Google is well known for experimenting with features and products and killing them off as soon as tests show that they are no longer valuable. It's not clear whether or not authorship will be reincarnated in some other form down the road. If you're using a WordPress plugin that adds authorship to your site for SEO purposes, you are safe to disable it, as Google is no longer interested in that data.
#authorship #dead #google #obsolete #officially #plugins #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
    I saw this coming for some time. Saying that, I'm sorry to hear about your frustration.
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    I Coach: Learn More | My Latest WF Thread: Dead Domains/ Passive Traffic

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    • Profile picture of the author robertpjenkins
      Banned
      [DELETED]
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      • Profile picture of the author lerxtjr
        Google finally realized one day a while back that "people" make websites, not companies. Author rank was a worthy attempt. But the truth is, people don't care about authors or authenticity. They only care about who will give the best answer that costs the least amount of money to fix. If that comes from a 10 year old or a fortune 500 company or a spammer, apparently that just doesn't matter to google anymore.
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  • Profile picture of the author artflair
    This is just one more proof that you can't rely on SEO and Google as your only income stream... Keep your eggs in different baskets!
    Art
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    • Profile picture of the author dana67
      Yahoo has killed its own products too. It happens. I agree with artflair: Get your traffic from different "baskets"
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      Working online for over 10 years
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    • Profile picture of the author mojojuju
      Originally Posted by artflair View Post

      This is just one more proof that you can't rely on SEO and Google as your only income stream... Keep your eggs in different baskets!
      Art
      Not really.
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      :)

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  • Profile picture of the author vishwa
    Yes! I have also seen this in my search result. All my Author links are disappeared in search result. This is really a bad decision I think.
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    Techbizmasters.com- Blogging, Technology, and Digital Marketing
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  • Profile picture of the author Noctilus
    Yes I definitely agree it is a bad decision. I don't mind it so much on my own portfolio but when clients start bugging my team about it, that's when I have to try really hard to keep my cool.

    Does anyone else have clients who are more than likely to go "hey what happened to my picture? what did you do to make that picture disappear on the first page of Google."

    Time to write a long standard template for all clients! Argh!
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  • Profile picture of the author smjconet
    I always would set up authorship for my pen name sites, but always keep my main site out of Google's reach. I've never trust SEO much for long term traffic. It certainly isn't passive.

    The only thing I can say is either be tweaking your SEO all the time, or build a list. That's the only place you'll find control of your traffic.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gh0zt
    Thanks for the update - fortunately for me I famously don't take credit for my work under my real name anyway (not that it's the point here, lol, I'm just making a point from an authors perspective - and from a SEO point of few: I've got better tricks in the sleeve anyway).

    This is exactly why I recommend newbies to do high standards of SEO on thier content BUT search engine traffic should be thier LAST focus when building traffic sources - to me, search engine traffic is an added bonus - but solid traffic from other sources needs to remain a priority.
    (I bring this up because some person [held back the urge to call names] recommended to a complete newbie that they focus on SE traffic, like they wanted the newbie to fail at making money and give up)

    Anyway - thanks for reporting the news, great post.

    Peace,
    Gh0zt
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by Noctilus View Post

      Yes I definitely agree it is a bad decision. I don't mind it so much on my own portfolio but when clients start bugging my team about it, that's when I have to try really hard to keep my cool.

      Does anyone else have clients who are more than likely to go "hey what happened to my picture? what did you do to make that picture disappear on the first page of Google."
      Is it a bad decision because it inconveniences you?

      Originally Posted by Noctilus View Post

      Time to write a long standard template for all clients! Argh!
      Why not be proactive and notify your clients before they "start bugging you"?

      Why does it have to be long? Just tell them that after offering this feature for several years, Google has stopped supporting it. The result is that the little picture in the SERPs no longer shows. Two sentences, clients informed before they have to contact you about it.
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  • Profile picture of the author UBotBuddy
    Authorship NEVER worked for me. I followed their instructions to the letter. My website would show up and their testing page said it was working but when it came to showing the little pic.

    NOPE...it NEVER worked.

    Thank goodness my SERP rankings never changed.

    Buddy
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  • Profile picture of the author wahmjennie
    Stick a fork in it and move on
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    ~ Jen P :}
    a.k.a. "The I.M. Sweetie"

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  • Profile picture of the author @tjr
    OP, I get you're frustrated. But it is more than a little amusing that you took a tone like Google owes you something. They're a business too, they can add and remove features at will.
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  • Profile picture of the author jasonthewebmaster
    Banned
    I spent the last 2 years at work helping client setup their authorship etc. so agreed, this is very frustrating. I also think google has a habit of canning shit RIGHT WHEN EVERYONE FINALLY STARTS USING IT LOL which is also very annoying.

    whats also wierd is that they have left publisher in place so not sure if rel=:publisher still helps or not
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  • Profile picture of the author Noctilus
    Originally Posted by jasonthewebmaster View Post

    I spent the last 2 years at work helping client setup their authorship etc. so agreed, this is very frustrating. I also think google has a habit of canning shit RIGHT WHEN EVERYONE FINALLY STARTS USING IT LOL which is also very annoying.

    whats also wierd is that they have left publisher in place so not sure if rel=:publisher still helps or not
    You stole the words out of my mouth. That is EXACTLY what I feel. Google cans stuff JUST after we get the hang of it, after we have to put up with their endless tweaks.

    I can't give you an answer about published either.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Nothing new here. Google has a history of social fails.

    That G+ so many are dependant on will be the next social blunder.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnZ
    I've heard about this. This was the worst moment to discontinue Google Authorship. Many people were just starting to use it and discover its benefits. Fortunately, we still have WordPress Authorship Plugins.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Blades
    This is what happens when you rely on Google, when are people going to learn? How many times does Google have to let you down before you realize that you can't put all your eggs in the Google basket?

    The bottom line is that Google Authorship took clicks away from Google ads. Any one of us would do the same, even the ones who are heart broke over it.
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    " I knew that if I failed, I wouldn't regret that.
    But I knew the one thing I might regret is not ever having tried. "

    ~ Jeff Bezos

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  • Profile picture of the author nicholasb
    I don't know how many times I have said this in 8 years of marketing but forget SEO forget google unless you are using their paid stuff

    SEO is one of the worst ways to build a business
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  • Profile picture of the author robhuw
    It didn't surprise me at all that Google finally pulled the plug.
    Authorship was failing after only 12 months of launching with a massive 70% of authors saying that they made no effort in connecting their content! Yes a MASSIVE 70%!!
    With that many authors not bothered about Authorship, I really don't blame Google.
    However, the big question is, why were authors so against it? You could say that it was a big effort with little return.
    If Google does relaunch it (which they probably will) under a different name, then they need to entice authors to really want to take part. They need to make it bigger, better and stronger than before.
    I have a full article about the issue on my blog.
    Hope this helps.
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    • Profile picture of the author WareTime
      Originally Posted by robhuw View Post

      It didn't surprise me at all that Google finally pulled the plug.
      Authorship was failing after only 12 months of launching with a massive 70% of authors saying that they made no effort in connecting their content.
      Personally if I find someone whose writing interests me, I have no problem finding more of it because either they state on their site what else they write, or a search turns up what else they write. Seemed like a feature with no real benefit to me and not Google thinks that as well.

      That some SEO types glommed onto the fact that their customers would be tickled pink to see their photo on Google and sold them help to make it happen is ironic. Their 15 minutes of fame is up at least in one aspect.
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  • Profile picture of the author saulmaraney
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author robhuw
      Originally Posted by saulmaraney View Post

      great post robhuw! thanks
      No Problem Saul!
      Feel free to 'Thanks' me
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  • Profile picture of the author JensSteyaert
    Well i'm not surprised, i feel bad for those who have put so many time in it but well, that's the internet world...

    PS: don't rely on google ever
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  • Profile picture of the author Humbee360
    This is the main reason why people do not trust Google, they are always out there creating new shiney objects, then when they tire of them they throw you and everyone else that has invested time and energy under the google bus. I realized a while back that depending on Google for anything is like handing a loaded weapon to the guy in the alley with the black mask, (its just not smart)

    Google may have an edge in search results but the more they play with toys like a kid with ice cream stains all over them they are going to be less respected, the average person does not really see the google playbook, but more people are beginning to see the truth.

    You cant count on google
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    "Everything goes where attention flows..."
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    • Profile picture of the author QuoteUS
      Large companies invested serious cash in building up Google Authorship. It's not just smaller website owners. I know a lot of quality content companies that offered higher pay were looking for writers who also had solid Google accounts. I wonder what the next big thing will be.
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    • Profile picture of the author Chris Worner
      Originally Posted by Humbee360 View Post

      This is the main reason why people do not trust Google, they are always out there creating new shiney objects, then when they tire of them they throw you and everyone else that has invested time and energy under the google bus. I realized a while back that depending on Google for anything is like handing a loaded weapon to the guy in the alley with the black mask, (its just not smart)

      Google may have an edge in search results but the more they play with toys like a kid with ice cream stains all over them they are going to be less respected, the average person does not really see the google playbook, but more people are beginning to see the truth.

      You cant count on google
      Silliest thing I have read today.

      Those, 'new shiny objects,' Google creates, tests and scraps if they aren't that successful, are part of Googles long term business strategy to innovate and stay ahead of the rest of the pack, insuring it remains relevant and that it doesn't fade into oblivion like Yahoo and many other tech companies of the past who have failed to innovate.

      -Chris
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeannie Crabtree
    One thing I have learned is that you can count on Google making changes....

    You can be aware of what G wants, but change it up a bit. Do some sites one way,
    some sites another way. Some templates on some, other templates on others, etc.
    Do seo on some, get your traffic through social on others.

    Because after a while, old is new and new is old. You cannot count on Google. I have
    a few sites that G suddenly likes again after a long wait.
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    • Profile picture of the author grantveronica
      Heard this too. It's frustrating. It's like day by day Google's declaring things as dead. But what's good about ending things is it starts another one. In fact Google has made almost a thousand improvements over the past year. It's overwhelming. Imagine how many improvements were made each day.
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