Google is testing a new way to help brands and creators maximize their search presence, via social media-style profiles within Google Search listings. These profiles will offer custom collections of brand or creator content, sourced from existing profiles on social and video online platforms.
As explained by Google: “Search profiles give publishers and creators a central place to showcase their latest articles, videos and social posts. People can easily follow sources from their profile, so they’re more likely to see that content on Discover, found on the home screen of the Google app.”
So aside from providing a central home within Google Search for each brand or creator, these new profiles may also help to negate the impact of Google’s AI search updates, including the company’s AI Overviews, which summarize key information.
With Search profiles, Google is making it easier to establish more direct connection with searchers, which could help brands and creators build their own audiences, while also helping to customize search listings to feature them more prominently in future.
Though the qualification requirements are steep. Google is initially limiting its Search profiles to publishers and creators “with a sizable following on at least one major social or video platform.” Sizeable, in this context, is 100,000 followers on YouTube, IG or X, or 300,000 followers on TikTok.
That’ll make this a somewhat exclusive feature, at least at this stage. In addition, it’s only available to U.S. users at launch.
“Search profiles can be accessed on mobile via a creator or publisher’s knowledge panel (the information box on Search for notable people, places and things), by tapping the name of a publisher or creator on Discover, or through a direct URL,” Google said.
In essence, these are much like Google’s business profiles, which are displayed in Search at the right-hand side of the SERP, and include a range of brand links and posts.
Search profiles are like an expansion of this, which are also reminiscent of Google’s repeated attempts to create its own social network, ultimately to no avail.
With the demise of Google+, maybe these Search Profiles are its replacement, combining the elements of other social networks into its own custom presence.
