Google Authorship v Product Rich Snippets

[Johnny4B]

Hi Folks,

So ,we have a website that we have fully configured with Product Rich Snippets (its an e-Commerce Store), including product image and the usual.

We are considering verifying the Authorship of the website for the client as they will have an extensive blog.

My question is, if we verify the Authorship of the website, which will Google use in terms of the rich snippet photograph in the SERP, will it use the product image as detailed in the Product Rich Snippet or us the company logo we have on the Google Plus page (Verified Author)

Or is it a case we only add the rel:author tag to pages without products.

Would just like to verify before we continue on as

Thanks in advance

John

[WesleySmits]

In my experience Google uses the Rich snippet information above the Authorship(publishership).

One more thing though. You mention a **company **logo and the rel=author tag.
You should create a Google+ company page and use the rel=**publisher **tag.

Hope i have answered your question

[Chris.Menke]

To the best of my knowledge, Google isn't putting the thumbnail image in the results for those using the rel=publisher tag.  I'd go with product rich snippet.

[WesleySmits]

Chris, they do this in a lot of cases. If you have a Google+ company page try including the rel=publisher tag on a page where you did not use a rel=author tag. Use Google's structured data testing tool and you will see that they do show the publisher photo (which should be a company or brand logo.

[Chris.Menke]

I've tried that and everything shows up well with the tool but it never populated the search results with the publisher logo.  I asked the same question her in Q&A and was told that the rel=publisher markup doesn't yet product a thumbnail in the results.  Have you verified that it is actually working?

[WesleySmits]

I have seen company logo's in the search results from time to time. Can't think of an actual query right now where i found one though..

Unless it were people using it as an rel=author tag it should work (maybe google is still testing it and that's why we see them so rarily).

But that would be against Google's guidelines if i'm not mistaking. I'm not 100% sure that an author needs to be an individuel person. Can anyone confirm this?

[Christy-Correll]

Rel=publisher is for brands, rel=author is for individuals. Google pulls author information from individual Google+ profiles. WMT content guidelines state that each profile should have a clear, recognizable headshot of the author. Hope that helps.

[WesleySmits]

Thank you for confirming

[Christy-Correll]

Happy to help.

[Chris.Menke]

Still not verified whether rel=publisher displays a  thumbnail in the search results, though.

[WesleySmits]

I did some more research and seems that you are probably right. Publishership shows the big box on the right of the search results. Try googling Moz: https://www.google.com/#output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=moz&oq=moz&gs_l=hp.3..0l4.430.621.0.822.3.3.0.0.0.0.333.806.0j1j0j2.3.0...0.0.0..1c.1.15.psy-ab.u-o2krTtAw0&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.47244034,d.d2k&fp=c582336016c8cd9&biw=1745&bih=980

I can really remember seing brand logo's in the search results though. If i ever see one again i will verify whether a rel=author or rel=publisher tag was used.

[Johnny4B]

Thanks all. I meant rel=publisher , just really wanted to establish that Google verification didn't mess with Rich Snippets, and well that's seems to be the case ,as it doesn't.

Just had a look through a lot of sites with rel=publisher, and there is no image displayed to the best of my knowledge

Guess I'll find out for sure in a  few weeks hopefully

[WesleySmits]

Good luck!

[KraigWalker]

Right now rel=publisher is being emphasised when it comes to Google+ Direct Connect - where a Google+ profile overview badge is displayed in the search results for a brand.

It's a pretty cool addition to your search results, but right now it's handed out algorithmically. You can't just declare ownership and see it there, so you'll need to build up a bit of authority before it appears.