Professional Titles in Content: When and How to Display Credentials

Professional titles strengthen Expertise in EEAT when they're relevant to your content topic. Format them correctly (Dr. Jane Smith, MD vs. MD Dr. Jane Smith), place them in bylines and bios, and match the credential to your subject matter. A CPA credential strengthens tax content; an MD credential on cooking content is irrelevant.

When to Display Professional Titles #

Display Titles When: #

• The credential is relevant: MD for health content, CPA for tax content
• The topic is YMYL: Health, finance, legal, safety content
• It differentiates you: In competitive niches where credentials matter
• Readers expect it: Medical blogs, legal advice, financial planning

Skip Titles When: #

• Irrelevant to topic: A PhD in Literature doesn't help tech tutorials
• Casual content: Lifestyle blogs, entertainment, personal opinions
• It feels forced: Not every piece needs credential signaling

Title Formatting Rules #

Prefix Titles (Before Name) #

• Dr. - For medical doctors and PhDs
• Prof. - For professors

Example: “Dr. Jane Smith” or “Prof. John Doe”

Suffix Titles (After Name) #

Degree and certification abbreviations follow the name:

Combined Prefix and Suffix #

When using both Dr. prefix and degree suffix:

• Avoid redundancy: Don't write “Dr. Jane Smith, MD” in formal contexts—use one or the other
• Blog exception: In casual blog bylines, “Dr. Jane Smith, MD” is commonly accepted for clarity

Where to Place Professional Titles #

1. Byline #

The most visible location. Keep it concise:

• “By Dr. Jane Smith, MD”
• “By John Doe, CPA”
• “By Sarah Chen, Senior Software Engineer”

2. Author Bio #

Expand on credentials with context:

“Dr. Jane Smith is a board-certified internist with 15 years of clinical experience. She completed her residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and specializes in preventive medicine and diabetes management.”

3. Schema Markup #

Include in structured data for AI recognition:

{
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Jane Smith",
  "jobTitle": "Board-Certified Internist",
  "hasCredential": {
    "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential",
    "credentialCategory": "Medical Degree",
    "name": "MD"
  }
}

Handling Multiple Credentials #

When you have multiple relevant credentials:

• 1Byline: List top 2-3 most relevant, separated by commas
• 2Bio: Full list with context for each
• 3Order: Highest degree first, then certifications

Example: “John Doe, CPA, CFP, MBA” in byline, with full explanation of each in bio.

Using Experience as a Title #

Job titles and experience statements work as credentials too:

• “By Jane Smith, Senior Software Engineer at Google”
• “By John Doe, 15-Year Marketing Veteran”
• “By Sarah Chen, Founder of [Company]”

These establish expertise through role and experience rather than formal degrees. They're especially effective for non-YMYL content where credentials aren't required.

Common Title Mistakes #

Displaying Irrelevant Credentials #

An MD on a gardening blog doesn't help—it might even hurt by seeming off-topic. Match credentials to content.

Inconsistent Formatting #

“Dr. Smith” in one article and “Jane Smith MD” in another looks unprofessional. Establish a style and stick to it.

Inflating or Inventing Credentials #

Never claim credentials you don't have. It's unethical, discoverable, and destroys trust permanently.

Hiding Valid Credentials #

If you have relevant credentials, display them. Many experts undersell themselves—don't hide qualifications that would build trust.

Summary #

Display professional titles when:

• They're relevant to your content topic
• The content is YMYL or competitive
• They differentiate your expertise

Format correctly, place in bylines and bios, add to Schema markup, and maintain consistency across your content.

Related: Credentials and Qualifications: Do You Need a PhD to Rank?

About the Author

Yue Zhu@Seenos.ai

Product Manager at Seenos.ai. Pioneer in AEO research since 2024, exploring the convergence of SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). Led multiple AI-powered content optimization projects that achieved 300%+ citation increases in ChatGPT and Perplexity.