Regardless of how one feels about it, effective use of Google Plus is the defacto standard for getting found in search:

“Within search results, information tied to verified online profiles will be ranked higher than content without such verification, which will result in most users naturally clicking on the top (verified) results. The true cost of remaining anonymous, then, might be irrelevance.”

When Google introduced authorship markup in 2011, Google did note that they were “looking closely at ways this markup could help us highlight authors and rank search results.”

Now Schmidt has made it explicit: in the future, you can boost your rankings by using Google authorship, and as we’ve reported before, Google+ has been designed to be an identity verification network.

via Eric Schmidt: Google Will Give Higher Rankings to Content Tied to Verified Profiles – SEW.

You WILL be assimilated…

Related articles

• Google authorship matters for SEO (onemanandhisblog.com)
• What Authorship Can Do For You (hubshout.com)
• Author Rank, Authorship, Search Rankings & That Eric Schmidt Book Quote (searchengineland.com)
• How to Optimize Your Content for Authorship Success (problogger.net)

Get the data here: 35 Experts Reveal Their Top 3 Tools To Increase Blog Traffic – Chatty Post | A Blog By A Stupid Computer Addict!.

Google semantic search should be on your radar if you’re at all interested in getting found in search. If you’re unfamiliar with this term, may I suggest that you read David Amerland’s book Google Semantic Search: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Techniques That Get Your Company More Traffic, Increase Brand Impact, and Amplify Your Online Presence. I think my favorite quote from the book is this one…

Something I cannot stress enough is that the fundamental change in the transition from good old-fashioned Boolean search to semantic search lies in creating transparency in your company or brand data to Google’s search. Rather than “telling” search what you think it needs to get you in front of those looking for your services, show it who you are and what you do. This is a change in mindset that transforms Google from an “adversary” of sorts that had to be managed, coerced, and somehow convinced to rank your website and serve it in search to an ally interested in the same things you are: giving the right answer to those who ask a question through search.

Amerland, David (2013-06-27). Google Semantic Search: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Techniques That Get Your Company More Traffic, Increase Brand Impact, and Amplify Your Online Presence (Que Biz-Tech) (Kindle Locations 3816-3821). Pearson Education. Kindle Edition.

If you want to get found when people are looking for solutions, get David’s book and stay on top of your craft…