Google Search & Updates
Google Authorship
A discontinued Google feature that displayed author photos and names in search results.
HistoricalLast updated: 2026-09-16
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Definition
Google Search & UpdatesGoogle Authorship was a feature that displayed author photos and names next to content in search results, linked to a Google+ profile. It was discontinued in 2014. While Authorship no longer exists, establishing author identity through structured data and author entities remains important for E-E-A-T.
Common misconceptions
- Google Authorship still exists — it was discontinued in 2014. Author identity is still important but through different signals.
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