On August 11, 2020 Google began testing a new Search feature called people cards that gives users the celebrity-like ability to display information about themselves in search results.
According to Search Engine Journal, these “virtual visiting cards” are meant to highlight information about individuals as well as display their website and social media profile links when their names are searched for.
Currently, this feature is on mobile devices only (Androids, iPhones, iPads, and tablets) and it’s exclusively being tested in India for users that have their language set to English.
What does the people cards feature do?
Google says they hope the people cards feature will make it easier for users to find those who want to be discovered.
The format in which people cards are displayed on Google was inspired by the well-organized search results users see when Googling celebrities. The people card feature mimics this layout and provides straightforward results to those searching for everyday people.
This tool conveniently houses all your relevant details in one easily accessible place. Users can choose to display their image, description, website links, social media links, email address, and phone number in their people card.
It’s not required to display everything, but Google claims that listing more information helps users find your profile. Your details will also help users identify you in a scenario where other people with the same name as you show up in the search results.
Why should you care?
While you could, just for fun, Google your name to see your card displayed like a celebrity, it’s also possible this tool could be used to benefit individuals within specific industries.
If you’re a social media influencer, entrepreneur, freelancer, or someone who’s business depends on self-promoting, this new feature will likely be useful to you when trying to build your online presence.
The people cards feature is set up to provide an easy user experience. It’s designed to quickly and clearly inform users about what you do, and since users can conveniently find your website and social profiles, it’s possible that your traffic could be positively impacted.
How do you create a people card?
Please note that Google’s people cards feature is only available in India and not available to everyone around the globe just yet, but it’s important to keep an eye on how the testing goes and prepare for future implementation in the United States and other parts of the world.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to create a people card, the steps for creating one can still be found in Google Search’s Help Center.
Those who can create a people card now can start by entering their name, “add me to search”, or “edit my people card” to Google’s search engine.
You should see a get started button at the top of the search results page. Then, click the button to add the information you want to display and finally, click the submit button.