How to Change Authors (Email) for Google Authorship

[Julian Thomas]

Linda, et al:

Have you ever changed the author information associated with Google authorship? How'd it go? Any suggestions?

I was first in our area to get authorship showing a photo in SERP (Julian Thomas: Google+ Plus Integration with Google Places Improved and Works Now - Google Places Optimization Blog). Too early in fact. I wasn't even using an email at my domain, julianthomasdmd.com yet then... and set it up under @gmail.com. =(

I've avoided changing it ever since but now feel it is too important to not have it associated with my real, primary email, at my domain... where I have reviews, photos, followers, etc (I never use my @gmail.com address - it's an empty shell just for the authorship).

Steps I took:

1. Set different photos for each old and new profiles (red, green shirt, respectively) so I could see which was triggering
2. Guest posted elsewhere using the new author email and waited for it to show up with photo in the SERP (green shirt).
3. Made the switch (11/25/13)
4. Tested using Google Structured Data Testing Tool - all good.
5. Test daily and monitor Google Webmaster Tools / Labs / Author Stats

Until 11/30, I still noticed my old photo. However, today I noticed a result with no photo at all. But since, still my old photo shows. Getting nervous about the old disappearing and it taking months/years to get the new profile to work. Maybe should switch back. Thoughts?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Julian,

I'm not an expert in authorship - it takes all my effort to just keep up with all the Places and G+ problems and updates.

We have a lot of really smart authorship guys here on the forum, but most take weekends off and don't hang out here then. So if you don't get an answer by tomorrow afternoon, please bump your post to bring it back to the top where some of our week day warriors will see it.

 

[Margaret Ornsby]

This thread and searchengineland post might shed some light for you -
http://localsearchforum.catalystemarketing.com/google-local/12482-authorship-gone.html

 

[Julian Thomas]

UPDATE: Working! Was about to pull the plug (switch back) but noticed my new profile photo showing today! Took 8 days.

Another way to test, is is the Labs Author Stats tool in Google Webmaster Tools. It does not yet show me as the author of my site (just 2 tests I setup). I'll continue to monitor this.