All Writers (Even Freelancers!) Need a Byline

It’s common for companies to hire expert writers and publish their stories without a byline. In the age of AI, that’s a mistake. Your writer’s expertise, prior publications, and general credibility will elevate your content. In some cases, that content will perform better than it would when published anonymously.

What Do You Mean By Byline?

A byline is a journalism term referring to the author’s name printed before the story begins. On the web, bylines can also look like names printed before a story’s body, but they often link to a biography that’s posted elsewhere on the site.

An effective writer’s byline remains the same from one format to another. That means a writer won’t include a middle initial in some places and omit it elsewhere. It should be consistent everywhere that person publishes content.

A writer’s biography should include a short statement about where this person has published before, just to reinforce that any links the AI might find truly connect to the site it’s analyzing now.

Why Do Bylines Matter to Businesses?

AI tools like to verify authority, and they do so by cross-checking information. Just as an AI tool might confirm a statistic by seeking it in more than two places, it might confirm an author’s authority by ensuring the writer has worked in the industry previously.

Businesses hiring skilled, reputable writers can leverage their authority by publishing their stories with that respected name. If the AI knows the writer is respected, it’s more likely to surface the content that person has written.

For example, I’ve written extensively about reputation management, and I’ve been published in high-profile sites like Search Engine Journal and Marketing Profs. If I’m hired to write reputation management content and the company opts to publish it without a byline, that company is missing a chance to draw on the work I’ve done for others.

Why Do Bylines Matter to Writers and Freelancers?

Writers can’t build the authority AI tools search for when they’re never allowed to publish under their byline. A lack of byline can also hinder writers from connecting with new clients.

It’s unethical to suggest that writers should work for opportunity alone. Writers are humans, and they deserve to be paid. We’re already subject to freelance scammers. We don’t need legitimate companies to pile on the abuse.

But if companies want to hire freelancers with strong reputations, they have to participate in building them. That means paying them and allowing them to publish under their own names.

Looking for content that moves the needle? Let’s talk.