Implementing Google Authorship

[Bojo]

Here's where I'm at so far with this.
I sent an email to support that said:

I am trying to implement Google authorship, but when I use the test Google
authorship tool, I get the errors below:
Error: Missing required field "updated". Error: Missing required hCard "author".
I understand editing the single.php file works in some themes, but don't
believe it's the way to go for genesis. How do I fix this?

I received this great response, but don't know how to implement it 🙂

I took a look at your site and it looks like you've removed the post info, which contains the author information.

The updated field is not required for correct indexing or authorship for your site. It is an optional field despite the Rich Snippets Tool indicating that it is required. Under most scenarios, the date published and the last updated date for posts are identical. In addition, static page content that does not change frequently, is not normally dated.

If you wish to address this notice, you will need to include custom code to modify the post info (http://my.studiopress.com/snippets/post-info/). You will need to use the get_the_modified_date() function to retrieve the date the post was last updated and set that in a class="updated" span. You could also use this plugin to generate the updated date: http://wordpress.org/plugins/last-updated-shortcode/

I installed the plugin, but have no idea what to do next.

Need really simple step-by-step instructions on this.

Thanks.

[AnitaC]

What is the URL to your website? The Post Info is what is attached to each blog that states the Author Name, Date, etc., etc.

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[Bojo]

http://skinfabulous.org

[AnitaC]

Okay, you removed all the post info from your blogs - so the there's no way to tell who wrote it and when it was written. Google Authorship works by the link of the Author and that author tag needs to be attached to each of the blogs. Without it, I doubt it will work just as SP wrote you back.

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[Bojo]

I understand what was written, I just have no idea how to implement it.
I have both simple hooks, and simple edits plugins installed, but NO IDEA how to actually do that.
"modify the post info (http://my.studiopress.com/snippets/post-info/).? No idea how to do that.
You will need to use the get_the_modified_date() function to retrieve the date the post was last updated and set that in a class=”updated” span.Again, no idea how to actually do that.

[Bojo]

Okay, I figured out how to put the author tag back on the posts.
I'm still trying to figure out how to do the last piece - retrieve the date the post was updated.

[AnitaC]

So how did you get the author tag back on there? Did you use the hooks or the main code inside Genesis, or a snippet?

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[Bojo]

I unchecked a hook in Simple hooks. Just keep poking around till I found something that looked like it might be the trick.

[Bojo]

If I add this

function get_the_modified_date($d = '') {
if ( '' == $d )
$the_time = get_post_modified_time(get_option('date_format'), null, null, true);
else
$the_time = get_post_modified_time($d, null, null, true);
return apply_filters('get_the_modified_date', $the_time, $d);
}

in functions.php - will that work? I don't know where or what to do with the part about "class=”updated” span."

[AnitaC]

No, go to your Genesis Simple Edits. Look at the top row and look to see if all of this is in there.

[post_date] By [post_author_posts_link] [post_comments] [post_edit]

I hope the code I have above this sentence shows up.

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[AnitaC]

I see the date on your site now. So the link you should be using for your author profile is this:

http://skinfabulous.org/author/sf/

You have your Disclosure set up as a blog post. You should consider using that as a page and adding navigation to your website.

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[Bojo]

Yes, it's all in the Genesis Simple Edits.

[AnitaC]

So you are good now. Just make sure you have everything linked up correctly on Google+, etc. Run the tool again.

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[Bojo]

I changed the Disclosure to a post.

Don't know what you mean exactly by :

link you should be using for your author profile is this:

I ran the tool again, and it said

Cannot verify that rel=author markup has established authorship for this webpage.
First rel=author link from webpage: http://skinfabulous.org/author/sf/
Link (direct or indirect) from website to Google+ profile: No

I'm getting closer, thanks to you, but no cigar for me quite yet 🙂

[AnitaC]

The error is this - Link (direct or indirect) from website to Google+ profile: No

You haven't connected the Author profile link from the blog to your Google+ profile. Do you have a Google+Profile?

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[Bojo]

I do have a Google+ profile. I have done the email verification step.

To connect the two, I went into users>my profile>Google+ and pasted my Google+ URL. Thought this would work okay, but I must be missing something? I'm using Yoast SEO, if that sheds any light on anything.

Should I have put it in the head section of Simple Hooks? Just guessing.

[AnitaC]

No, leave the hooks alone. That's not going to help you. What is your Google+ profile link? Let me see your profile.

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[Bojo]

https://plus.google.com/108199250477400011674

[AnitaC]

Edit your Google+ Profile. Look for an area that says "Contributor To:" - add the author link to the Contributor To area, save it and re-run the tool.

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[Bojo]

I'm truly appreciating the painstaking help for this problem.
I've done the above and re-run the tool.
Here's the error I'm getting:

Email verification has not established authorship for this webpage.
Email address on the skinfabulous.org domain has been verified on this profile: Yes
Public contributor-to link from Google+ profile to skinfabulous.org: Yes
Automatically detected author name on webpage: Not Found.

So I'm guessing I'm still not doing something correct on website settings? Any suggestions what I'm still doing wrong?

Thanks.

[Author]

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