Google Lets People Customize Their Profile Cards For Search Results
Google is testing the ability for people to customize their own Knowledge Graph cards that are displayed in search results.
Three official support pages have been published by Google (which have since been taken down) with details on how customizing profile cards works.
Here’s some information I pulled from Google’s support pages before they were taken down:
“You can create your presence on Google Search by filling out a public profile card. You need to submit a profile card with your relevant info. People will then be able to search for you and discover your profile on Google Search results.”
Currently, this feature is only available in India, but that’s not to say the feature won’t eventually make its way stateside. So it’s at least worth being aware of even if you’re not able to take advantage of it right now.
Creating a profile card is as simple as entering the query “add me to Google” and tapping on the link to “Get started.” Users will have to provide at least their name, location, summary, and occupation.
What’s especially worth noting is that Google actually encourages the use of keywords in profile cards, especially if you share the name with another well-known person.
“If you share a name with someone famous, you might need to add a distinguishable term to your profile. This term will help other people in their search query. For example, “Aamir Khan food Blogger” or “Aamir Khan tutor.””
However, certain keywords are discouraged. For example, “Matt Southern SEO” would be acceptable, but something like “Matt Southern the best SEO in Canada” would probably get rejected.
Here’s what Google’s support document says:
“Should not contain solicitation or other forms of advertisement. Avoid subjective terms like “best”, “only”, and “cheapest.””
Once a profile card has been created, other people will see it when they search for your name. Google notes that profile cards are not guaranteed to show up, but the more information you provide the more likely it is that Google will surface the profile card you create.
Source: Android Police was first to discover the existence of profile cards.
