Voices of Search // Episode: The New Age Of Authorship In SEO

Introduction

In this insightful episode of "Voices of Search," hosted by Tyson Stockton from Previsible.io, the focus shifts to the evolving dynamics of authorship within Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Tyson engages in a compelling conversation with Michael Sumner, CEO and Founder of Score Detect, a company at the forefront of utilizing data analytics and machine learning for innovative credit scoring and risk assessment solutions. The discussion delves into the intersection of blockchain technology and authorship, exploring how these advancements can address the perennial challenges faced by search engines in establishing content trustworthiness and authenticity.

Traditional Challenges of Authorship in SEO

Tyson Stockton opens the dialogue by reflecting on the limitations of traditional authorship methods in the digital landscape. He highlights the persistent struggle search engines encounter in verifying the credibility and expertise of content authors, especially in an era increasingly dominated by generative AI content.

“Google has to find out the social media links of that author if it does have and if genuinely in the real world, or at least in the world that we see on the Internet, that that author is trustworthy, has the experience or is an expert in the topic that's being written.”
— Michael Sumner [03:47]

Michael Sumner expands on this by explaining that conventional practices—such as linking author bios or including social media profiles—are insufficient for Google’s stringent criteria. He emphasizes the need for more robust mechanisms that can unequivocally establish an author's credibility beyond mere affiliations.

Blockchain as a Solution for Enhanced Authorship Verification

Tyson posits that blockchain technology could revolutionize authorship verification, making it significantly easier for search engines to authenticate content creators. He suggests that blockchain's inherent qualities of trust and reliability align perfectly with the needs of modern SEO practices.

“That's the same challenge around content that search engines have, the solution can be there from a blockchain implementation.”
— Tyson Stockton [05:00]

Michael concurs, detailing how a blockchain-based authorship system can provide immutable records that link authors to their content through structured data. This integration would facilitate search engines in verifying the authenticity and authority of content more efficiently.

“It would help tie the knot between those two and connect the dots with what you have on the certificate URL that is on the Verified by badge.”
— Michael Sumner [06:24]

Implementation Pathways and Adoption Strategies

The conversation delves into practical strategies for implementing blockchain in authorship verification. Michael outlines the use of the "Verified by Score Detect" badge, which would link to blockchain certificates containing comprehensive structured data. This data would enable search engines to crawl and verify the authenticity of the content seamlessly.

“There is one and it's been proposed back I believe 2020. You can see it on the schema.org GitHub repository.”
— Michael Sumner [06:24]

Michael highlights the importance of achieving critical mass in adoption to make a significant impact on SEO practices. He explains that even partial implementation can enhance user trust and engagement, indirectly benefiting SEO performance.

“By allowing the users themselves to check out that this article has proven its content authenticity over time, that would indirectly influence better SEO for that page.”
— Michael Sumner [08:28]

The Role of Generative AI and Content Authenticity

As generative AI continues to advance, the line between human and AI-generated content becomes increasingly blurred. Michael addresses the future implications of this trend, asserting that content authenticity will emerge as a critical signal for search engines.

“What's left on the table would be content authenticity.”
— Michael Sumner [11:43]

He envisions a future where blockchain technology provides the necessary proofs to verify content origins, ensuring that authentic, trustworthy information prevails in SEO rankings.

Technical Considerations: Blockchain Agnosticism

Tyson raises a pertinent question about whether search engines would need to adopt specific blockchains or maintain an agnostic stance. Michael responds by comparing blockchain explorers to web browsers, suggesting that maintaining blockchain agnosticism is feasible and practical.

“It's like saying Chrome versus Firefox versus Safari. They're all different ways to show data coming from the blockchains.”
— Michael Sumner [13:26]

This approach would enable compatibility across multiple blockchain platforms, ensuring that the implementation remains flexible and inclusive of various blockchain technologies.

Barriers to Adoption and Future Outlook

Michael identifies the primary barrier to widespread adoption as the need for critical mass. He acknowledges that while blockchain timestamping for authorship is promising, it requires significant uptake and integration into existing frameworks like schema.org to influence SEO effectively.

“In an ideal world, we would have a search result with the author's link that is based on a blockchain.”
— Michael Sumner [17:00]

He also touches on the importance of eco-friendly blockchains that can handle real-time verification without incurring high costs or environmental drawbacks, positioning Score Detect as a pioneer in this space with their optimized blockchain solutions.

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a mutual understanding of the potential blockchain holds in redefining authorship within SEO. Michael underscores the importance of ongoing experimentation and real-world application to validate the effectiveness of blockchain-based authorship verification. Tyson shares optimism about the future of SEO practices enhanced by blockchain technology, highlighting schema.org's potential role as a foundational standard for adoption.

“If it does improve the user experience or trustworthiness by allowing the user to check out that this article has proven its content authenticity over time, I think that's a success.”
— Michael Sumner [20:07]

Final Thoughts

"Voices of Search" offers a forward-thinking exploration of how blockchain technology can address the critical challenges of authorship and content authenticity in SEO. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, integrating blockchain into SEO practices may well become a cornerstone for establishing trust and authority in content creation.

Notable Quotes:

• “Google has to find out the social media links of that author if it does have and if genuinely in the real world, or at least in the world that we see on the Internet, that that author is trustworthy...”
  — Michael Sumner [03:47]

• “It would help tie the knot between those two and connect the dots with what you have on the certificate URL that is on the Verified by badge.”
  — Michael Sumner [06:24]

• “What's left on the table would be content authenticity.”
  — Michael Sumner [11:43]

• “It's like saying Chrome versus Firefox versus Safari. They're all different ways to show data coming from the blockchains.”
  — Michael Sumner [13:26]

• “If it does improve the user experience or trustworthiness by allowing the user to check out that this article has proven its content authenticity over time, I think that's a success.”
  — Michael Sumner [20:07]

Resources Mentioned:

• Schema.org Proposal: For structured data integration, proposed in 2020 ([06:24] Michael Sumner)

• Score Detect: Visit score2tech.com for more information and to try their seven-day free trial.

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