What happened: On September 16, 2026, Google lowered the bar for Google Search profiles from 35,000 followers to 10,000 followers on YouTube, Instagram, X or TikTok. The feature launched with a 100,000 follower minimum, so this is the second cut. In the same announcement, Search product manager Ibrahim Badr added multi-account support, saying publishers can now “claim and manage Search profiles for all of your sub-brands from a single login”. Article cards inside profiles also got larger thumbnails and longer headlines. Eligibility is still limited to U.S. publishers and creators.
Source(s): Google’s announcement on The Keyword, the Search profiles documentation on Search Central, and Search Engine Roundtable’s coverage of the eligibility change and the new website badge.
Why Google Search profiles matter for SaaS sites
Google describes a Search profile as something that “brings together your content from across the web and social platforms into a single destination on Google”. It pulls in your site, YouTube, X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook posts, and people can follow it. Google’s documentation says a follow makes your content “more likely to appear for your audience on Google Discover”.
At 100,000 followers this was a media company feature. At 10,000 it is within reach of a lot of SaaS brands. Plenty of B2B software companies have a YouTube channel with 10,000 subscribers from tutorials and webinars, or a founder account on X past that number. If that is you, a claimed profile gives you a branded surface inside Google that you control, at a time when AI answers are taking clicks from ordinary blue links. We covered that shift in our piece on People Also Ask and AI Overviews.
There is a second reason to care. Google is building more of its publisher programs around identity. The AI contribution pilot we covered on Tuesday runs through Search Console, and Google Search profiles run through a claimed account. Brands that have verified who they are get access first.
What changed in Google Search profiles on September 16
| Item | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Follower minimum | 35,000 (100,000 at launch) | 10,000 on YouTube, Instagram, X or TikTok |
| Managing several brands | One login per profile | One login for multiple profiles; Search Engine Roundtable reports a cap of 10 |
| Article cards | Small thumbnail, short headline | Larger thumbnails, longer headlines |
| Profile handle | Fixed once claimed | Editable, per Search Engine Roundtable |
| Website badge | Not documented | Official badge linking to profile.google.com/@handle |
| Availability | U.S. only | Still U.S. only |
The badge is a plain link with an image. Google’s sample code looks like this:
<a href="https://profile.google.com/@handle" aria-label="Find us on Google Search">
<img src="/path/to/google-search-badge.svg" alt="Google Search">
</a>The guidelines ask for a tap target of at least 44 by 44 pixels on the web, no stretching or recolouring of the Google icon, and no mixing of the monochrome and colour versions on one page. There is also a text-only variant meant for author bylines and bios.
What to do
- Check your follower counts today. You need 10,000 on a single platform out of YouTube, Instagram, X or TikTok. LinkedIn does not count, which hurts B2B, so look at your YouTube channel first. If the company account falls short but a founder account qualifies, claim that one; Google Search profiles are open to creators as well as publishers.
- Claim the profile and connect every property. Add your main domain, docs site and active social accounts so the profile shows a full feed. Pick the handle carefully. It can be edited now, but the badge URL on your site will break if you change it later.
- Add the badge to your blog template and author pages. Footer or byline placement is enough. Follows feed Discover, so put it where returning readers will see it rather than on signup or pricing pages.
- Set a Discover baseline before you start. Note the last 28 days of Discover clicks in Search Console so you can see whether follows move anything. Our guide to measuring SaaS SEO in GA4 and GSC shows how to keep that segment separate from web search.
If you are outside the U.S., there is nothing to claim yet. Keep building the YouTube or X audience so you qualify on the day it opens in your country, and read our SERP features guide for the placements you can win now.
Quick recap: Google Search profiles
- Google Search profiles now require 10,000 followers, down from 35,000 and from 100,000 at launch.
- The count can come from YouTube, Instagram, X or TikTok; LinkedIn is not on the list.
- One Google login can manage several Search profiles, which suits SaaS companies with more than one product brand.
- A new official badge lets site visitors follow your Google Search profile, and follows influence Discover.
- Google Search profiles are still limited to U.S. publishers and creators.
- Claim the profile, add the badge to blog and author templates, and track Discover clicks before and after.
