Google is opening Search profiles to creators and publishers in India and Canada. Until today, the profiles were only open in the U.S., where they launched in June.
Robby Stein, VP of Product for Google Search, announced the expansion on X. Search profiles are claimable pages that pull a source’s articles and social posts together.
India And Canada Today, Brazil Soon
Stein’s X post opened with:
“One of our most requested updates for Search profiles is live today: expanding to new countries!”
He wrote that creators and publishers in India and Canada can now “set up their own dedicated home base on Google,” with Brazil “rolling out soon.”
In an Aug. 12 X post about lowering the follower thresholds, he wrote, “We’ll also expand them to more countries soon.” When Google cut the threshold again on Sept. 16, the announcement named only U.S. publishers and creators, as I reported then.
What Google’s Help Page Says
Google’s help page for creating a profile still listed only the U.S. at midday Oct. 6, after Stein’s post went up. It said:
“Search profiles are currently only available in the United States.”
The page required at least one platform, YouTube, Instagram, X, or TikTok, to have 10,000 followers, and the person creating the profile had to be at least 18. Stein’s post does not clarify whether this follower requirement applies in India and Canada.
The page’s setup involves visiting profile.google.com/claim, signing in with the desired Google Account, and linking at least one platform account that meets the follower minimum the page listed.
Why This Matters
A Canadian or Indian publication now has the opportunity to set up a Search profile, the page U.S. sources have had since June. Google’s help page explains that creating a profile doesn’t directly impact a source’s ranking in Google Search. However, followers of the profile may see more of that source’s content in Discover.
Looking Ahead
Brazil is upcoming for Search profiles, although Google’s Robby Stein didn’t provide a specific date. Stein’s announcement mentions that setup in India and Canada begins today, so you can try it out on the claim page.
Featured Image: Tetiana Yurchenko/Shutterstock. Source: Google.
