RG-SCF-011 checks whether a page’s body HTML carries the Microformats2 p-author property, returning 1 when the exact double-quoted string class="p-author" is present and 0 when it is not. It confirms only that the marker exists — not that the author it names is correct, nor that the surrounding Microformats item is valid.
| Factor ID | RG-SCF-011 |
|---|---|
| Family | Structured Data – MicroFormat |
| Measurement | Binary presence (0 / 1) |
| Measured zone | Body HTML without scripts |
What it measures
This factor detects the p-author Microformats2 property in the rendered body HTML. In Microformats2, p-author is the property that names the author of a piece of content within a parent item such as h-entry or h-card. The check reports a single yes/no: is that authorship property marked up on the page at all?
How RankGear measures it
RankGear searches the body HTML (scripts excluded) case-insensitively for the exact double-quoted value class="p-author". If that literal string is found, the factor returns 1; otherwise it returns 0. The match is on the quoted attribute value as written — there is no parsing of the Microformats tree and no validation of the author name behind it.
What RankGear looks for
<span class="p-author">Jane Doe</span>
<a class="p-author h-card" href="/about">Jane Doe</a> ← may be missed (multi-class value)| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | The literal class="p-author" string appears in the body HTML — the authorship property is present. |
| 0 | The string is absent — no p-author marker was detected (it may still exist inside a multi-class value the check does not catch). |
How to optimize it
Use p-author to identify the truthful author property within a compatible Microformats2 item, so the markup names the person who actually wrote the content. Treat this factor as an observation about your markup rather than a target to chase: adding the class only helps if it sits inside valid, honest Microformats structure. Because RankGear matches the exact double-quoted value, keep class="p-author" as its own quoted attribute where you want the check to register it reliably.
Important considerations
- Multi-class values can be missed — a value like
class="p-author h-card"may not match the exact double-quoted string the check looks for. - Presence does not validate the author or the parent item; a match means the marker exists, not that the authorship or the surrounding Microformats item is correct.
- Visible, human-readable authorship should remain clear on the page regardless of the markup.
- Do not use
p-authoras a substitute for full author information. - This is a prioritization signal that relates to position within a measured result set, not a cause of ranking. Presence of the marker does not make a page rank or guarantee any position.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.