This article is about setting up your Global Voices WordPress profile to integrate with your Google+ account if you have one. If you don't use Google+ there's no obligation to do so, but if you do then setting up integration can have positive results!

Why you should set up Google+

Adding your Google+ account into your Global Voices (WordPress) user profile will make a link to it show in your author box on posts you publish. This might help some people find your profile, but there is a more important reason: If you set up the connection properly, your photo and name will show in Google search results next to your post!

This will make your stories stand out among the crowd and get more traffic for you and for Global Voices. Here's how it will look:

Setting up Google+ connection

Step 1: Add your Google+ URL in your author profile

• Log in to the /wp-admin/ backend of the Global Voices site.
• Visit the “Edit my profile”/”Your Profile” link (e.g. this url on the English GV site)
• Save your Google+ Profile URL setting.

To make sure it's working, visit a post you've published and make sure the g+ icon shows below your name and that clicking it leads to your profile.

Step 2: Add the Global Voices site to your Google+ “Links” settings

Google+ Links with contributor to Global Voices set up

• Go to your Google+ profile and edit the “Links” (this URL should take you there)
• Scroll to the Contributor to section and click Add custom link.
• Set the label to what you want (preferably the title of the site!) and for the URL enter the homepage address for the site, like https://ar.globalvoicesonline.org or Arabic GV, or https://globalvoicesonline.org for English GV.
• Save.

To test this, visit the About section of your Google+ profile and make sure the link leads to the homepage of the Global Voices site you contribute to.

Step 3: Wait Patiently

Unfortunately this system can take a long time to kick in, so you won't see your photo in Google search results right away. Check back later and maybe it will be working.

Thank you for taking the time to set this up! If you think something is wrong with your setup or you need help contact webmaster (at) globalvoicesonline.org by email and we will try to help figure out what's wrong.