Author Score : Relevant or Irrelevant?

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Apart from this, is there any other benefit?

I am new at Wizzley (at this time, 3 weeks into the rest of my life) and have not been in the forums very often, so cannot say that there is similarity with Hubpages. But what I do know is that you should question EVERYTHING that anybody says that relates to the internet in any way whatsoever.

I have seen and heard the aforementioned comments, from those whose judgement I respect, over and over again.

"Author Score" most definitely has a role to play; positively influences; and significantly increases your earnings capabilities (or hurts them if it is low).

I will tell you why; speculate the reasons with circumstantial evidence; and reason with what I see for myself.

Why do writing sites like Hubpages and Wizzley create computer program algorithms to calculate author score?

                                                             It helps, believe me!

And what do you think happens to the authors when they are shown in the positions they achieve?

Do you know anything about SERPs?

If not, you should read up about them (try > Oh, there is not one on Wizzley that relates the relevance of your position in SERPs, I'll have to write that one. In the meantime try > What's wrong with Google SERPs [by me, I'm afraid]).

If you do know, then you will be familiar with the fact that the higher the rank you achieve, the greater the number of visitors you are likely to attract to your offering. A number one spot can mean around 40% of visitors will click and trundle your way. What do you think happens to an author who shows first on the page above?

Those in positions 2 to 10 receive gradually lower click-through's. Those on pages 2 downward gradually diminish into insignificant click-through's. The higher you get, the better the perks. Just like being the best in any job, you get commensurate rewards.

Now think about it. You have accessed the "Authors" from the "Explore" drop-down menu. You are not looking for any particular author. You click it. You are presented with the "Best Author" page. You see 'JoHarrington' at the top (who, I might add, is an excellent author) [or whomsoever might be in position one, at the time]. What is your first impression?

Mine is = she must be a good writer if she is at the top of the pile. What's yours?

My next instinct is to go look at what she has written - 

my consciousness has fired and I now have the impression that 'Jo' is someone whose articles would give me pleasure in reading. Her moniker (name) will stay with me for some time.

                                                         Is that relevant?

                                                      Be assured that it is.

As long as what I find when I get to the articles, has some relevance to me.

                                           What do you think the search engines see?

                                                                       Correct! 

But think more deeply. What do you think will happen when someone goes to Google (or whatever) and types in "....... Excellent Author"? Correct! What about some search query with "...author..." in it? Well, this is a little more difficult to ascertain, but, you can be sure that the search engine result pages algorithm will be influenced by the word 'excellent' and the 'rank = 100'.

                            Who they gonna call? .....  JoHarrington (not the Ghostbusters)!

If a person is rated highly at a writing site, and receives a following because of it, it is more likely that more of his/her offerings will be:

and generally shared around the social media and social bookmarking scene.

This will, in turn, increase their following (and yours, if you are seen to offer links to quality articles - but that's another article to be written) wherever the links are housed.

                                                         Is this a bonus?

                                                      A bonus and a half!

The more the author is seen, the more the author will be seen. At each viewing of any content from them, there is a chance that their profile will be viewed. What is available there that will improve their chance of increasing their readership, and making money?

This opens up more places where introductions to your articles can be seen; links to the articles followed; the chance to impress new audience members begins; and the opportunity to gain more fans occurs (see below).

                                                       Does this have relevance?

                                                                You bet it does.

What do I do when the articles I find are of interest to me?

I join the fan club. If you are a Twit (sorry, Tweep) then here you can read, 'I become a "Follower"').

                                            How does that potentially help the author?

From Wizzley and Hubpages, fans receive regular e-mails with a list of articles 'from their favorite authors'. Have you ever tried to build an e-mail list of readers to whom you can market? I have. It takes yonk's (a long time; forever). Your writing site has done it for you, thanks Wizzley!.

As your fan club increases, so too does the number of people your articles are placed in front of. Most top internetpreneurs state that the best way to make money is to harness the power of your e-mail list. Being at the top of the leaderboard, or anywhere close, increases your marketing opportunities - keep your fan base happy, write lots of articles for them.

                                                                 Is that a benefit?

                                                                     You bet it is.

I think you will be able to see, from what I have outlined above, that there are many ways that audience numbers will be increased from the simple effect of an increase in author score. Do not take notice of anyone that tells you different, unless they can prove it with hard facts.

It is common sense; experience of the psychology of human beings; and the working of the internet, that tell me that anything that enhances the kudos of anyone has a positive knock-on effect.

An increase in kudos can have an immediate and profound effect on audience numbers.

                                                 Is that a reasonable assumption?

                                                                   I think it is.

What we are all (or at least the vast majority of us) trying to achieve is an increasing income that will satisfy our needs. Although it is true that our writing must be aimed at obtaining a reaction to something other than that which we write (an Adsense click, an Amazon purchase, an affiliate click-through, etc. etc.), and that we have limited control over, it is equally true that the more visitors to what we offer (our articles) begets more chances for those actions to take place.

The more kudos we have; the more influence we gain; the more fans that follow; the more audience we gain; the more reader actions ensue; the more income is potentially available to us.

Rinse and repeat.

                                                   Is that a recipe for fulfilling our goals?

                                                              Rinse and repeat, again.

Now you may think - oh dear, I am never going to knock the "best" authors off their perch, so this is all an irrelevance. And, to some extent, you are correct. But, think for a moment how another's fortune may rub off on the rest of us. Here are some examples:

• They attract more visitors to the site, and these may visit you after visiting them.
• When outside sources link to their offerings this increases the kudos of the site, with the knock-on effect of influencing our potential to rank higher for each keyword that appears in our articles.
• If they comment (positively) on your article, some kudos rubs off on you.
• If they become a fan, the same thing happens.
• If they tweet, or like, or whatever, your offerings to social media, then a portion of their fan base can become yours also.
• And, as I found out today (Feb 11^th 2012) if one likes what you have written, so much that they feel compelled to use the forums to promote it, you can benefit from their standing in the community (thanks "Katiem2" - it is appreciated).

                                                   Are those benefits of use to us all?

                                                  You bet your bottom dollar they are.