Google launches People Cards in Africa

Google yesterday introduced a new mobile-only feature that makes people more discoverable on Google Search.  People Cards allow people to create their presence on Search in the form of a card (like a Google Search Knowledge Panel) that includes all the details they want other people to have about them.  

“For many people, whether they’re content creators, business professionals, or just wanting to stand out from the crowd — having an online presence is important,” says Olumide Balogun, head of consumer apps for sub-Saharan Africa at Google. 

“For those without a formal website, or for people who share a name with many others, this is an easy way to create or distinguish their presence on Search. Google’s mission has always been to organise information and make it useful and accessible, and we’re now providing a new way – for people who want to be found – to organise information about themselves, right on Search, on their mobile phones.”  

Anyone with a Google Account can create a People Card by searching for their name and tapping the “add me to Search” prompt. This will lead them through the process to add a photo, description, links to social profiles and other information that they would like others to know about them.  

For the initial card creation, a unique phone number is required. One profile card is allowed per Google account and phone number. Additionally, people can report abusive content and impersonation claims through a feedback link directly from the product. 

“In the last few years, we have been working with people across the region to better understand how Africans see Search,” says Olumide. “We built this feature for the millions of influencers, content creators, entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, freelancers, or anyone else out there who wants to be discovered.”