Google is lowering the follower threshold for Search profiles to 10,000. Media companies also get one login for several brands, and articles on a profile get a new look.
Ibrahim Badr, Product Manager for Search, announced the changes today. Search profiles, claimable pages that pull a source’s articles and social posts together, launched in June with a follower bar at least ten times higher.
Eligibility Drops To 10,000
The count is per account, so 10,000 followers on any one of YouTube, Instagram, X, or TikTok qualifies. Badr wrote:
“More U.S. publishers and creators are now eligible for Search profiles. We’ve lowered the eligibility threshold to 10,000 followers across YouTube, Instagram, X, or TikTok.”
That makes three thresholds for YouTube, Instagram, and X in 15 weeks. On June 4, a profile required 100,000 followers on YouTube, Instagram, or X, or 300,000 on TikTok. On Aug. 12, Robby Stein, VP of Product for Google Search, said on X that Google was lowering the thresholds. As of this morning, Google’s help page listed 35,000 for all four platforms.
The same page says profiles are only open in the United States.
One Login For Multiple Brands
Before today’s update, Google’s help page called for a separate Google Account per profile. As of early Sept. 16, it said:
“Create a separate Search profile for each brand or identity you manage, like personal brand, podcast, or personality. You need a separate Google Account for each profile.”
The update drops that rule for companies with more than one publication. Badr wrote:
“With new multi-account support, you can now claim and manage Search profiles for all of your sub-brands from a single login, so you can access and update your profiles, without having to juggle multiple accounts.”
Badr’s post describes media companies and their sub-brands. It doesn’t say whether a solo creator with more than one profile gets the same option.
Updated Article Display
Articles on a profile now show longer headlines and updated thumbnails. Badr added:
“Image thumbnails are now optimized to help your articles look their best, and we’ve increased the length of headlines, improving readability and helping your latest work stand out.”
The post gives no thumbnail sizes or headline length.
Why This Matters
A U.S. publication with 12,000 YouTube subscribers couldn’t claim a profile in June and can today.
Google’s own documentation says creating a Search profile “doesn’t directly affect your content’s ranking on Google Search.” A profile’s payoff is in Discover, where people who follow a profile may see more of that source’s content in their feed.
For a company with several brands, one login removes a setup chore that grew with every brand it added.
Looking Ahead
The threshold has moved twice in 15 weeks. Check Google’s help page for the current number before deciding you don’t qualify.
Search profiles remain U.S. only. Google’s Robby Stein wrote in his Aug. 12 X post, “We’ll also expand them to more countries soon.” Today’s announcement doesn’t mention other countries.
Featured Image: Teodora ART/Shutterstock; Source: Google.
