As I delved into Google’s exclusive Discover profiles program, I discovered an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at what 54 publishers did with their newfound control.
Google Discover’s publisher profiles are housed at profile.google.com/cp/ and appear when a user interacts with a publisher name on a Discover card. While these profiles have been around since August 2025, it was only recently that Google secretly offered enhanced profile capabilities to a select few. This privilege includes customizable banner images, an optional link shelf, and the ability to pin posts for better content engagement.
While most of the over 47,000 monitored pages remain auto-generated with basic information and a label stating “Profile generated by Google,” the select few who’ve gained this access enjoy advanced control over their profiles.
Google’s approach appears highly selective; no public documentation or application process exists to apply for this feature. Throughout our monitoring, 54 U.S.-based, English-speaking publishers were identified as part of this exclusive cohort.
Our analysis of profile features is comprehensive, tracking 46,926 publishers across various languages. From this dataset, we narrowed down those displaying enhanced features, offering clues into Google’s intentions and priorities.
The skew toward local news and community publishers is evident, with nearly half of these publishers being regional newspapers and local TV stations. This focus is consistent with Google’s commitment to supporting local journalism.
Google operates under a two-tier profile system. Most publishers have standard profiles automatically generated, while the lucky few have claimed profiles with enhanced control over elements like social media links and content prioritization.
Through our investigation, we uncovered the actions of these privileged publishers, offering insights that could direct future adopters when Google decides to roll out this feature more broadly.
The use of professional banner images was a common thread, with participants investing in high-quality design to enhance their branding. From brand-patterns to local landmarks, each choice reflects deliberate design strategies to communicate their identity.
When exploring the links feature, local TV stations actively used this for site navigation, while national publishers were less engaged, suggesting differing strategic priorities.
Interestingly, many within the cohort failed to track profile link performance through UTM parameters, indicating an opportunity most have yet to seize.
Ultimately, this special program allows publishers to fine-tune their brand presence on a Google-owned platform, a tool for presence rather than ranking influence. The strategic implications for publishers are significant as they prepare for potential future rollout.
In considering methodology, insights were derived from the 1492.vision Profile Features Monitor, underscoring that the cohort’s composition reflects Google’s selection preferences rather than a random sample, highlighting important trends for those in the publishing industry to watch closely.
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
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