How to Customize the Author Name on Your Shopify Blog

Ever found yourself wondering how to make your Shopify blog feel a bit more personal? Maybe you want your posts to reflect the actual people behind your brand, instead of some generic 'Admin' or 'Author'. Customizing the author name on your Shopify blog can add that personal touch and make your content more engaging for readers.

In this article, we're going to explore how you can change the author name on your Shopify blog. We'll walk through the steps, offer some practical tips, and share examples that bring these changes to life. Ready to make your Shopify blog reflect your unique voice? Let's get started!

Understanding Shopify's Structure

Before we jump into the nitty-gritty of author customization, it's important to get a handle on how Shopify structures its blogging feature. Unlike platforms that are purely designed for blogging, Shopify integrates its blog functionality into its ecommerce platform. This means the primary focus is on selling, but there's a robust system for sharing content too.

Every Shopify store comes with a built-in blogging engine. You’ll find it under the "Online Store" section in your Shopify admin panel. Here, you can create and manage your blog posts, which can be a powerful tool for driving traffic and engaging your audience. But, by default, Shopify doesn’t provide a straightforward way to change the author name. Why? Well, Shopify is more geared towards ecommerce functionalities and less towards providing a full-fledged blogging experience.

But don’t worry! With a bit of tweaking, you can still customize the author names on your posts. It's just a matter of understanding where and how to make these changes. Think of it as adding a personal signature to your work, something that readers can connect with on a deeper level.

Editing Author Information in Shopify

Now, let's roll up our sleeves and start editing that author information. First off, it's important to know that Shopify automatically assigns the blog post author based on the account that was used to create the post. This means if you're logged in as 'Admin', that's the name that will show up as the author.

To change the author name, you have a couple of options. The most straightforward method is to create a separate staff account in Shopify with the desired author name. Here’s how you can do it:

• Navigate to your Shopify Admin panel and go to the "Settings".
• Select "Users and Permissions".
• Click "Add staff" and fill in the necessary details. Use the author name you want to appear on your blog posts as the first and last name.
• Assign the appropriate permissions to this new account. You’ll need to allow access to the "Online Store" section.
• Once the staff account is created, use it to log in and create or edit your blog posts.

This method is simple and effective. It allows you to have multiple staff accounts with different author names, which is great if you have a team of writers contributing to your blog.

Using Shopify's Theme Editor

If you’re a bit more adventurous and comfortable with code, Shopify’s theme editor provides another way to customize author names. This method involves editing the Liquid templates that Shopify uses to display your content.

Here’s a quick guide on how to do it:

• From your Shopify admin, go to "Online Store" and then "Themes".
• Click "Actions" and then "Edit code" next to the theme you want to edit.
• Look for the template file named article.liquid under the "Templates" or "Sections" folder. This is the file that controls how your blog posts are displayed.
• In the article.liquid file, locate the code that displays the author name. It typically looks something like {{ article.author }}.
• You can replace this code with a custom author name by hardcoding it, or by adding a new field in the Shopify admin where you can input the author name for each post.

This approach requires a bit of coding know-how, but it's incredibly flexible. It lets you customize how the author name is shown and even add additional information like a bio or profile picture.

Leveraging Third-Party Apps

For those who prefer not to tinker with code, third-party apps can be a lifesaver. Shopify's app store offers a variety of plugins that can help customize your blog’s author names without delving into Liquid templates.

Some popular apps include:

• Blog Studio: This app offers a variety of customization options for your Shopify blog, including the ability to change author names and add author bios.
• Shogun Page Builder: While primarily a page builder, it also provides tools to customize blog elements, including authorship details.
• Bloggle: Known for its user-friendly interface, Bloggle allows you to customize blog templates, including author information, with ease.

Using an app can simplify the process significantly, especially if you're not comfortable editing code. Plus, many of these apps come with additional features that can enhance your blog’s overall appearance and functionality.

Creating a Custom Author Field

Another way to ensure your author names come out just right is by creating a custom field specifically for author information. This involves adding a metafield to your Shopify store that holds the author name for each blog post.

Here’s a brief overview of how to set this up:

• First, find an app that lets you create custom fields, such as "Metafields Guru" or "Custom Fields by Bonify".
• Install the app and set up a new metafield for your blog posts.
• Use this metafield to store the author name for each post. You can update it directly from the blog post editor.
• Modify your theme’s article.liquid template to display this metafield instead of the default author name.

This method provides a high level of control and allows you to manage author names directly from the Shopify admin interface. It’s perfect for stores that have multiple contributors and require dynamic author details.

SEO Considerations for Author Names

While customizing author names is primarily about branding and engagement, it’s also worth considering the SEO implications. Google and other search engines use author information as part of their ranking algorithms, especially for content that requires a high level of trust, like health or financial advice.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Ensure consistency in author names across different platforms. This helps build a recognizable online presence.
• If possible, use real names instead of pseudonyms. This adds authenticity and can improve your blog’s credibility.
• Consider adding author bios and linking them to social media profiles. This enhances your content’s authority and can lead to better rankings.

Remember, the goal is to make your blog posts not just informative, but also trustworthy. A well-thought-out author name strategy can contribute to this and potentially improve your site's SEO performance.

Maintaining Brand Consistency

Customizing your Shopify blog’s author name is not just about displaying the right name. It’s also about maintaining brand consistency across all your content. When you decide on an author name, consider how it fits into your brand’s overall voice and identity.

Here are a few pointers:

• Choose an author name that aligns with your brand’s tone. If your brand is casual and friendly, the author name should reflect that.
• Keep author names consistent across different channels. This helps in building a cohesive brand identity.
• If you have multiple authors, ensure each one has a distinct voice that complements the brand as a whole.

Brand consistency helps in reinforcing your business’s identity, making it easier for customers to remember and relate to your content. So, while customizing author names, consider how each name fits into the larger brand narrative.

Testing and Tweaking

Once you have set up your author names, it's time to test and tweak. Monitor how your audience responds to these changes. Are readers engaging more with your content? Is there an increase in comments or shares?

Here are a few things to consider during this phase:

• Analyze your blog’s analytics to see if there is any noticeable change in traffic or engagement.
• Solicit feedback from your audience. Ask them what they think about the new author names and whether they find the content more relatable.
• Be open to making adjustments. If something isn’t working, don’t hesitate to tweak the author names or the overall presentation.

Remember, customization is an ongoing process. What works today might need to be adjusted tomorrow. The key is to stay flexible and responsive to your audience’s needs and preferences.

Final Thoughts

Summing it all up, customizing the author name on your Shopify blog is a great way to add a personal touch to your content. Whether you opt for creating new staff accounts, tweaking your theme’s code, or using third-party apps, there’s a method that fits your skill level and needs. And while you’re at it, consider the SEO benefits and how these changes can enhance your brand’s consistency.

Now, if you're looking to take your Shopify store to the next level, Pattern can help. We specialize in driving more traffic and turning visitors into paying customers. Unlike most SEO agencies, we're results-driven and integrate SEO into a broader growth strategy. By crafting programmatic landing pages and conversion-focused content, we ensure that every dollar you invest delivers real ROI. Let us make SEO a growth channel for you, helping to lower acquisition costs and boost sales.