Is it important to have real person photo in profile picture on Google plus?

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

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  Alex Walia: Hello to all my SEO frdZ.. please tell me is it important to have real person photo in profile picture on Google plus? No logos are allowed?? Please ans me soon ... thank you in advance. 
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  Richard Malone: It is recommended by most of the so called experts to have a head shot. If it's your brand page or business page then use a logo +Alex Walia 
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  Alex Walia: Thanks sir, but what happening , +Arpit Goel is the profile for which i m promoting berkowits clinic. And i have page named +Berkowits Skin and Hair Clinic , and in both page and profile im using logos, will it effect us in some way, because same as you i m hearing a lot about head shot photo is really important for the profile picture on G+... +Richard Malone ;
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  Richard Malone: If +Arpit Goel is a peron use the head shot.
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  Alex Walia: +Richard Malone he is a person but berkowits in not a single person business. Others will object when in SERP only arpit goel head shot photo will be highlighted. ;
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  Tony McCreath: If it is not a clear headshot you are unlikely to get the profile image showing in the search results when you make the profile the author of a web page.
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  Alex Walia: But +Tony McCreath than it good right ?
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  Tony McCreath: Google wants profiles to be people and states in their authorship requirements that headshots are needed. Not following that lead may mean that your profile is not considered in as high a regard. 
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  Alex Walia: hmmm thanks alot +Tony McCreath ;
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  SKI USA INC: I think even people like Matt Cutts, Aleyda Solis and Max Minzer have never used their business logo to promote their business so I think even we should use our head shots if it's a personal profile.
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  Alex Walia: but +SKI USA INC what if the business is not of a single person, ; its joint venture then what to do in that case ?
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  Simon Fryer: Google use image scanning technology to ensure that only headshots show up for authorship. For a business page you need to use rel="publisher", which will establish business authorship, however this isn't displayed in search results (yet).
  
  You won't be able to have a logo show up in search results as a rich snippet at present.
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  Matt Raynes: What if I wrote the name of my business across my massive shiny forehead?
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  Alex Walia: +Simon Fryer And if i don't go for authorship, or i won't use rel='publisher , will it effect my website ranking as well ???? Because i have seen slight downfall in ranking of few keywords as well
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  Richard Malone: +Matt Raynes that's not a forehead, it's an eighthead. I should know, I have one too.
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  Matt Raynes: Room for the strapline!
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  Simon Fryer: +Alex Walia ;Neither authorship or publisher status will have a noticeable effect on your rankings. ;
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  Alex Walia: thanks +Simon Fryer ;