I have looked for a Joomla extension or plugin that would allow me to add the rel=author tag as well as a link to the Google plus profile. I was not able to find anything that looked good.
There were several that were a couple that were close and several forum posts about how modify Joomla templates. Modifying the Joomla templates could work but I worry about future upgrades and compatibility issues.
The Author Block would appear at the top of the content area and could have a look similar to the cnet author block:
Desired Features
- Author name links to external website (Most Likely Google Plus Profile
- Author name link contains rel=author (to make google happy)
- Author image can be pulled from Google Plus or other image location
- Ability to add Authors other social networks (Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Youtube, Linked in, etc...)
- The layout is fully customizable using a template, that the webmaster can style
- Author can include a few short sentences if they like
- Publish date is displayed
- Category can be optionally displayed
- Webmaster can select which categories or pages the Author block is displayed on
Advanced features could include
- ability to display the info at the top or bottom of the page
- Abilitiy to display limited info at the top of the page with a full author bio at the bottom of the page.
Similar Pages
http://demos.joomlanetprojects.com/index.php/jp-author.html
http://fastw3b.net/joomla-extensions/product/11-fw-author-space-plugin.html
How other blogs display author information
http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57408131-285/five-tips-for-cleaning-and-speeding-up-your-mac/
Here is a great post outlining the importance of linking your content with your Google Plus Profile: http://ww.quicksprout.com/2012/09/17/author-rank-a-step-by-step-guide-to-dominating-search-with-content-marketing/
If you found this helpful I would appreciate you adding me to your Google Plus Circles!
