Google Discover is a great way to get free traffic to your website.
Do you want to know how it works?
This guide will introduce Google Discover and will offer nine hacks that you can use to optimize your content for it.
Contents:
- What Is Google Discover?
- Google News vs. Google Discover
- How Does Google Discover Work?
- How to Optimize Your Content for Google Discover
- Google Discover FAQ
What Is Google Discover?
It was introduced in late 2018, replacing Google Feed.
Google Discover is only available on mobile devices and counts more than 800 million active users each month.
Google News vs. Google Discover
Google News is a different product from Google Discover, although they share some similarities.
Both are designed to show users personalized content, but with few differences.
Let me explain.
Google News focuses on news stories happening globally or regionally, while Google Discover is more personalized and shows content based on the user’s individual interests.
Google News stories are also generally more timely than those in Google Discover. This is because Google News includes a “breaking news” section which includes stories that are happening right now.
Google Discover offers a wider range of personalized content including articles, videos, and more.
Even better, users can follow topics to consume information based on specific subjects.
How Does Google Discover Work?
It uses a combination of factors to show personalized content to each user.
These algorithms consider many things, including:
- The user’s location
- Their search history
- Websites they’ve visited
- Topics they’re interested in
With this information, Google can show content that is more relevant to each individual.
This is why you may see different content in your Discover feed than what appears in someone else’s.
Users can also follow topics, which will show more content related to that subject in their feed.
To follow a topic, simply click on the “Follow” button underneath the topic name:
You can also unfollow a topic by clicking the “Following” button and then selecting “Unfollow.”
Now that you know how Google Discover works, let’s talk about how you can optimize your content to appear in it.
How to Optimize Your Content for Google Discover
To get your content included in the Discover feed, it should:
- Be indexed in Google
- Meets Discover’s content policies
Now that you know these two basic conditions, let’s jump into the nine hacks you should know to optimize your content for Google Discover:
- Improve Your E-E-A-T
- Write Great Titles (Not Clickbait)
- Include Compelling Images
- Optimize for Mobile
- Strengthen Your Content Quality
- Focus on Evergreen and Trendy Content
- Follow SEO Best Practices
- Create Exciting Videos
- Research your competitors
Improve Your E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T stands for “Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.”
It was first introduced in Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, which are used by humans who rate the quality of search results.
While E-E-A-T is not an explicit ranking factor in Google Discover, it’s still important to consider because it can influence whether or not your content will be included in the feed.
To improve your E-E-A-T, make sure your content is:
- Written by experts on the topic or subject matter (who can demonstrate their experience and expertise)
- Has a clear author byline with author bio included (or a detailed About page)
- Published on a website that is known to be trustworthy
To learn more about E-E-A-T, check out this guide.
Write Great Titles (Not Clickbait)
Your title is one of the first things Google looks at when determining whether or not to include your content in Discover.
Make sure your titles are:
- Descriptive
- Accurate
- Compelling – but not clickbaity!
Including a number in your title can also help make it more discoverable.
For example, “SERP Features: +30 Different Google SERP Elements for Better SEO.”
Include Compelling Images
Images can also help your content get included in Google Discover.
Be sure to include at least one image in your post and make sure it’s:
- Relevant to the topic of your article
- High-quality
- Optimized for mobile
You can learn more about how to optimize your images for SEO here.
Optimize for Mobile
Since Google Discover is a mobile-first platform, it’s important to make sure your content is optimized for mobile devices.
This means that your website should be responsive (meaning it adjusts to fit any screen size) and fast loading.
You can use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to test the speed of your site and get recommendations on how to improve it.
Strengthen Your Content Quality
You want to become an authority in your niche. Your goal should be to become the “go-to” resource for your industry.
In addition to being well-written and accurate, your content should also be high-quality.
This means it should be comprehensive, in-depth, and offer value to the reader.
It’s also important to make sure your content is free of grammatical errors and typos.
If you want to learn more about how to write high-quality articles, check out this post.
Focus on Evergreen and Trendy Content
When deciding what topics to write about, focus on evergreen topics (topics that are always relevant) as well as trends.
This will help ensure that your content has a longer shelf life and is more likely to be included in the Discover feeds.
To see what’s trending, you can use Google Trends or BuzzSumo.
Follow SEO Best Practices
In addition to following the tips above, you should also follow general SEO best practices.
This includes:
- Using keyword-rich titles and descriptions
- Including keywords throughout your content
- Adding alt text to your images
- Creating internal links to other relevant pages on your site
- Optimizing your website for speed and mobile devices
You can learn more about SEO best practices here.
Create Exciting Videos
Videos are a great way to get included in Discover feeds.
To increase your chances of being featured, make sure your videos are:
- High-quality
- Optimized for mobile devices (under two minutes long)
- Relevant to the topic of your article
Including a transcript of the video can also help Google understand what your video is about and make it more likely to be included in the feed.
Research your competitors
To get an idea of what’s working well for other websites in your space, take a look at what content is being included in Google Discover for your competitors.
You can use a tool like SEMrush to see what keywords they’re ranking for in Discover.
You can also use Google Search Console to see what pages on your website are being included in Discover.
To do this, go to Search Console and click on the “Search Results” tab. Then, click on the “Discover” filter:
You can also use a tool like Ahrefs to see how the content from your competitors is performing.
Google Discover FAQ
Q1: How to enable Discover in Search Console?
A1: There is no way to directly activate Discover data in Search Console. As soon as your content starts appearing in Discover results, you will begin collecting data. If Google can index your content and it meets the policies, then it is automatically eligible to appear in Discover.
Q2: Why Did Google Discover Traffic Drop?
A2: There are several possible reasons why your Discover traffic could have dropped. Firstly, your content may not be meeting the policies and standards which Google has set for Discover. Additionally, changes in user interests or preferences may affect how often your content appears in Discover results. Finally, changes in the algorithm of the platform can also push some types of content out in favor of others. It is important to keep up with the latest trends and changes to maximize your Discover traffic.
Q3: Why can’t I connect to Google Discover?
A3: In order to connect to Google Discover, you need to have a valid account with Google. If your app on your smartphone is not updated, you may not be able to access it. In other words, if you are using an older version of the app, it may not be compatible with the latest version of Discover. You can also check if there are any network or server issues that might be preventing you from connecting to the service.
Q4: How to Optimize Content for Discover?
A4: To optimize your content for Discover, you should focus on making it relevant and engaging. Make sure to include relevant images and videos, as well as a catchy headline and unique content. Additionally, you should use structured data so that Google can parse your content accurately. Finally, you should link to other pages on your website where possible, as this will help Google recommend more of your content on Discover.
Q5: How do I succeed on Google Discover?
A5: The best way to succeed is to create quality content that follows the policies and standards of the platform. You should also pay attention to trends and changes in user interests, as this will help you stay relevant. Additionally, optimizing your content for Discover using structured data, images, videos, and other content will help Google recommend your content more often. Be sure to use large, high-quality images that are at least 1,200 pixels wide.
Q6: How many people use Google Discover?
A6: According to Google, more than 800 million people actively use Discover each month. They are consistently engaging with content on the platform, so it is important to create content that will meet their needs and interests. This will help you get the best possible reach for your content on Discover.
Q7: Is Google Discover only on mobile?
A7: Yes, it is available only on mobile devices. You can not use it on a desktop computer. Download the app to access it on your phone. Find the App on Android and iOS devices.
Q8: Discover not working on Google. How to fix it?
A8: In order to fix this issue, make sure that the Google App is up-to-date. If it’s not, update it and try again. Additionally, check your device settings to make sure that you have been granted access to Discover. You can also try to clear the data cache from the App and restart your device. none of these solutions work, may need to contact Google to troubleshoot the issue further.
Before You Go
Google Discover is a great way to get free traffic to your website.
By following the tips in this guide, you can increase your chances of having your content included in the Discover feed.
But wait! Before you go, try this way to earn more traffic:
Now, it’s your turn.
Have you had success with this Google service?
Let me know in the comments below.
This is such a good breakdown Erik. No one dropped the 411 on Google Discovery and its difference from Google News. I thought both were the same. Good to know we can drive blog traffic through this feature too. Excellent blog post bro.
Ryan
Just open Chrome on mobile and you can test Google Discover yourself.
I already follow some topics like SEO, marketing, and some local news.
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Ryan.
Thanks brother. Always my pleasure.
Another unique article! Very insightful and straightforward. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Thanks, Jayteerth. 🙂
Thanks Erik. i need this knowledge for my blog.
Hope it helps!
Every article from you is phenomenal. I have learnt a lot from this to help my blogging journey that I abandoned for some months. Great job
That’s great to hear, Allen.
I’m glad you are taking from my content new energy and inspiration to dedicate to your blog.
Hi Erik,
I just wanted to say thank you for writing this informative guide on optimizing for Google Discover. As a new blogger, I’ve been struggling to drive traffic to my website and this guide has been incredibly helpful in understanding how Google Discover works and the various hacks I can use to optimize my content for it.
I particularly appreciated the explanations on the differences between Google News and Google Discover, as well as the tips on improving E-E-A-T and creating compelling titles and images.
I’ll definitely be implementing these strategies on my website and I look forward to seeing an increase in traffic. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!
Hi Winfred,
I’m glad you liked this guide.
I hope it could help increase your blog traffic, thanks to Google Discover.
Hi Erik,
Thanks for this guide on Google Discover and how to be seen and get free traffic. Easy to follow as usual and great advice. Will be following up on these things for sure. Thanks again
Hey Barrie,
thanks for the awesome feedback and glad to hear you learned something new from this Google Discover guide.
Hi Erik,
Thank you for providing this guide on Google Discover and the valuable tips on gaining visibility and driving free traffic. Your instructions are easy to follow, as always, and the advice is excellent. I will definitely be taking action on these recommendations. Once again, thank you!
I appreciate the positive comment, Jatin. 😀