This translation has not been editorially reviewed yet. The German version is authoritative. Deutsche Fassung →
Naming author and publisher: who stands behind a statement
Statements with a named author carry more weight than anonymous ones. The check verifies whether a page makes clear who's responsible for it — in the text, and machine-readably in the structured data.
- For most company websites, the organisation as publisher is enough. For technical content, a named person carries more weight, especially when their role is clear.
- Consistency matters: what's stated in the text should also be in the markup. Two different attributions are worse than one.
FAQ
Does every text need a named author?
No. Where the organisation bears the responsibility, it's the right attribution. Named authors are worth it where personal expertise is what gives the content its value.
Does the legal notice count as a publisher attribution?
It meets the legal requirement, but it isn't page-specific. Attributing an individual page needs the information on the page itself, or in its structured data.