Picture of article author in Google SERPS

[nomis5]

If I type a search into Google for "by Amit Agarwal Google AdSense Reports in Analytics" I see a picture of the article''s author (I assume) to the right of the SERPS entry.

Anyone seen this before? Is this the author feature of Rich Snippets suddenly surfacing or something quite different?

[tedster]

Yes, this is the rapidly developing "authorship mark-up" that Google introduced. I'm seeing more and more author photos just over the past week or so.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

The push is on by Google to get REAL identities attached to all online content, be it on your own website, syndicated articles or through any social network.

I don't think it impacts rankings, yet. When it does I'll gladly watch google toss my content because my privacy is more important to me than Google's bottom line.

I stand behind what I put online but I don't feel the need to create a billboard with my mug on it, sorry G.

[Planet13]

I noticed that too, but I didn't see how the info was being conveyed to google. I didn't see any open graph or other tags to signify who the author was - nor did I see an "author-photo" tag.

so i am cuirous as to how google is determining who the author is and how they are selecting the photo (probably from their google profile page, if they have one?)

[tedster]

I'm hoping this helps Google get a better handle on the scraper/syndication issue. Seems like the potential is there, at least.

For readers who need to get up to speed on authorship mark-up, here are some references:

Google blog introduction [googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com]
Video tutorial [youtube.com]

[lucy24]

Owner of site assumed to be author of article?

Those who have taken care to prevent their photographs from appearing online* might like to search for themselves by name. I found one site where the mandatory "picture" slot was occupied by-- don't everyone gasp at once-- a longago painting of rats. I don't think the picture even appears on my own site.

Can g###'s computer tell the difference between a photograph of a human, and other types of picture? Other random image-search results from my logs suggest that they have no idea.


* Allowing readers to picture you as younger, slimmer, better housed and more fashionably dressed than you are in real life.

[nomis5]

If G actually persuade people to link their content to a picture via Rich Snippets (or any other means), the SERPS are going to look absurd. Already many sites, mine included, have pictures in the SERPS relating to the subject matter.

But the big concern is that Rich Snippets are seriously taking off and very soon, I think, they will affect your position in the SERPS. Already, a Rich Snippets picture draws huge attention to those entries that have them.

I'm all for G trying to prove correct ownership of content but surely this is not the way to achieve it.

[almighty monkey]

My first instinct is to see how many pictures of genetalia I can sneak into the natural Google serps.

I bet I'm not the first person to have this thought.

Seriously. The Grownup/moron like me ratio on the internet is not on Google's favour. I give it a month.

Some poor shmuck is going to have to write a #*$! identification algorithm.

[HuskyPup]

I stand behind what I put online but I don't feel the need to create a billboard with my mug on it, sorry G.

From the very start of this worldwidewebbythingy.com I created a pseudonym for myself with appropriate photo, I know where you're coming from Sgt_Kickaxe.

[Planet13]

Thanks for the link to the video tutorial.

While it didn't immediately answer my questions, watching Matt Cutts and Othar Hansson spend 9 minutes discussing the rel=author tag DID make me realize that I am a lot more handsome than I give myself credit for.