Google Introduces Search Profiles: How to Create Yours

Google has quietly rolled out one of its most significant visibility tools in recent years. The new feature, called Search Profiles, arrives amid growing concern from website operators and creators that Google’s AI summaries have eroded the volume of referral traffic coming from the search portal. Whether you’re a content publisher, a brand-building authority, or a creator with an established audience, this development has direct implications for how you show up across Google Search and Discover — and how much control you have over that presence.

Here is everything you need to know.

What Are Google Search Profiles?

Google describes Search Profiles as a “dedicated, shareable space to highlight content across platforms, and help audiences find accurate, up-to-date information about sources on Search.” The feature gives publishers and creators a central place to showcase their latest articles, videos, and social posts, with people able to follow sources from their profile, making them more likely to see that content on Discover.

These are new information panels that appear in Search relating to key brands and individuals — and they can be customised and tailored by those brands and individuals. They give creators a way to promote and highlight their latest content, while also providing an easy way for searchers to follow accounts and stay up to date.

Think of it as your verified digital footprint inside Google itself. Rather than relying solely on what third-party sources say about you, a Search Profile lets you shape your own narrative — directly within the world’s most-used search engine.

What Does a Search Profile Display?

A Search Profile can display your latest articles and blog posts, YouTube videos, social media updates, personal website, creator bio and profile image, and links to supported platforms. Once set up, users can view Search Profiles by clicking a creator’s or publisher’s info panel on Google Search, opening them from Google Discover, or using a direct link to the profile.

For eligible creators with a sizable following on YouTube or another video or social media platform, setting up a profile can trigger or enhance a Knowledge Panel, providing a professional visual snapshot when people search for your name. You can customise your profile to reflect your personal brand — from a tailored bio and avatar to pinning videos and essential links.

Who Is Eligible?

This is where many creators and publishers will need to do a quick check. To be eligible for a profile, you must have a public profile with at least 100,000 followers on a single supported platform — Instagram, YouTube, or X. If you only have a public profile on TikTok, you must have at least 300,000 followers.

Users must also be 18 years or older to create a Search Profile. That means this feature is squarely aimed at established creators, not those just starting. Smaller creators will have to wait, either for their following to grow or for Google to lower the threshold over time.

The feature is initially launching in the United States and is currently available to eligible creators aged 18 years and older who meet the specific follower requirements across supported social media platforms. Global expansion has been confirmed, though no firm dates have been announced for Australia or other markets yet.

How to Create Your Google Search Profile?

Creators who meet the eligibility requirements can set up a profile by following these steps:

Step 1: Go to profile.google.com/claim

Step 2: Sign in with your Google account

Step 3: Link at least one supported social account that meets the follower threshold

Step 4: Hit the Create Profile button

If you’re a YouTube creator, Google recommends using the same account connected to your channel. You’ll need to sign in to at least one eligible platform account that meets Google’s follower requirements.

Once active, content from linked platforms will sync and be live on your Search Profile, usually within 24 hours.

Already have a Knowledge Panel? Eligible creators who already have a Knowledge Panel may find that Google has already created a Search Profile based on their existing online presence. You can check by visiting profile.google.com while signed into the Google account linked to your creator activities, or by searching for your name on Google and looking for a “View Search Profile” option in the Knowledge Panel.

Managing multiple brands? Create a separate Search Profile for each brand or identity you manage — such as a personal brand, podcast, or personality. You need a separate Google Account for each profile, though you can link the same content platform account to multiple profiles.

Why This Matters for Your Brand and SEO Strategy?

The timing of this launch is not incidental. Google is rolling out Search Profiles precisely because the rise of AI Overviews and generative search has changed the dynamics of how content is surfaced and credited. For creators and brands, this is a meaningful recalibration of control.

Brand visibility in Search and Discover

The Follow button is the most important feature of the whole update in terms of visibility. When someone follows your profile, they’re more likely to see your content in Discover. For publishers who have seen referral traffic fluctuate due to AI summaries, this Discover connection is a meaningful alternative channel.

E-E-A-T and author authority

Google’s quality evaluator guidelines place significant weight on Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. A verified Search Profile that aggregates your published work, social presence, and website into a single Google-hosted page is a strong E-E-A-T signal — one that was previously difficult to establish through on-page signals alone. This is especially relevant given how closely on-page SEO and author credibility are linked in Google’s ranking considerations.

AI search visibility

By bringing content, social platforms, and identity information together in a single profile, Search Profiles aims to help creators build stronger audiences while giving users a more streamlined way to discover and follow creators across the web. As AI-powered search increasingly draws from verified, authoritative sources, having a consolidated, Google-verified presence is increasingly important. Our detailed post on how to optimise content for AI search using Google’s own guide covers complementary strategies worth reading alongside this.

Content not getting cited in AI answers?

One of the underlying challenges Search Profiles addresses is discoverability and source credibility. If your content isn’t showing up in AI-generated answers, a verified Search Profile strengthens your brand’s signal as a legitimate, authoritative source. Our post on why your content isn’t showing in AI answers — and how to fix it explores the practical side of this in more detail.

What If You Don’t Meet the Eligibility Threshold Yet?

For the majority of Australian businesses and publishers who haven’t yet reached 100,000 followers on a single platform, this feature isn’t immediately accessible — but the strategic direction it signals is worth acting on now.

Build your content authority. Keep your presence consistent across platforms, so you’re ready when access opens. That means publishing regularly, maintaining accurate author bios, linking your social accounts to your website, and building a coherent content identity.

Strengthen your technical foundations. Structured data, clean internal architecture, and crawlable content make it easier for Google to understand and attribute your work correctly. Our technical SEO services are designed to ensure your site is structured in a way that Google can reliably read and index.

Prioritise content quality over volume. Google’s direction across every recent update — from the March 2026 Core Update to the May 2026 rollout — has been consistent: original, expert-driven content wins. Our content writing services are built around that exact standard.

Invest in off-page signals. Authority isn’t built on your site alone. A strong backlink profile from credible sources is still one of the clearest signals Google uses to evaluate publisher credibility. Our link building services and off-page SEO services are designed to build that authority sustainably.

Conclusion

Google Search Profiles is part of a broader pattern: Google is giving verified, established sources more tools to control their presence — and more visibility — while simultaneously reducing the discoverability of content that can’t demonstrate clear authorship, expertise, or audience trust. The businesses and creators that invest in genuine authority now, whether or not they qualify for a Search Profile today, are the ones best positioned as these features expand globally.

Google says additional capabilities are already in development, and the company plans to expand Search Profiles to more creators, publishers, and markets over time. Australian creators and publishers should prepare now rather than wait for local access to arrive.

To check your eligibility and set up your profile if you qualify, visit creators.google/profile.