Hey Reader,
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If you open up the Google app on your store right now, what do you see beneath the search bar?

For me, I see enticing article about the Superbowl, the Olympics, dolphins appearing on the coast of Savannah, a giant owl species, and the aurora borealis.

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These are the articles in my Discover feed, and if you're anything like me, you often find yourself on your way to Google something and distracted by these highly clickable items.

That's the point of Discover. It's content curated based on your interests that's meant to pull you in—but not in a cheap, sensational way. It's genuinely relevant, timely stuff that you actually want to read.

And right now, for the first time ever, Google has released a Core Algorithm update specifically targeting the Discover feed.

Google is updating its rules for what kind of content appears in the Discover feed, and that matters for those of us who care about SEO.

Getting your content featured in Discover can be a MAJOR driver of traffic, especially in a time when it's getting harder and harder to get people to click through to your content.

So here's my full breakdown of this latest update and what I recommend you do about it.

What Google wants from Discover content

Google says this update is designed to make the Discover feed better by:

📍 Showing more locally relevant content – Content that's timely and tied to what's happening in your area or region.

♨️ Reducing sensational content and clickbait – No more misleading headlines or images designed to manipulate clicks.

🔬 Prioritizing in-depth, original, and timely content – Stories that are well-told, provide unique insights, or are relevant to current interests.

Honestly, none of this is earth-shattering. It's always been good practice for SEO in general.

But Google also released specific guidance on how to increase your chances of getting featured in Discover.

How to optimize for Discover

1. Use headlines and titles that capture the essence of your content

Don't withhold crucial information or exaggerate details just to get clicks. Your title should clearly communicate what the content is about, otherwise it will be flagged as clickbait. Hopefully I don't have to tell you this, but headlines like "X Ways to Write Content -- #7 will shock you!" shouldn't exist on your site.

2. Tell a good story

Discover loves content that's timely, tells a story well, or provides unique insights. Think: "This is happening right now and here's why it matters" or "Here's something you didn't know about X." Expert insights and thought leadership, written in a compelling way that's genuinely unique (not AI regurgitation) is the key here.

3. Use large, high-quality images

This one's interesting. Google specifically says that large images are more likely to generate visits from Discover. They recommend images that are at least 1200px wide.

The caveat here is that you need to balance this with keeping your site fast and functional. Large images can slow down load times, which hurts user experience and SEO overall. So test carefully, optimize your images, and make sure your site still runs smoothly.

4. Provide a great page experience

This means fast load times, mobile-friendliness, no intrusive interstitials, and secure browsing (HTTPS). Google has been banging this drum for years, and it applies to Discover as well. Here's my article on all of that.

5. Avoid content that doesn't fit the feed

Discover filters out things like job applications, petitions, forms, code repositories, or satirical content without context. You can still write all of that stuff, of course, but don't expect it to show up in Discover. If you're targeting Discover, stick to articles, videos, and other interest-based content.

How to track your Discover performance

Here's something a lot of people don't know: You can monitor your Discover performance directly in Google Search Console.

If your content has appeared in Discover and meets a minimum threshold of impressions, you'll see a dedicated "Discover" section in your Performance report. It shows impressions, clicks, and CTR for the last 16 months.

I check this constantly—both for my own site and for my clients. It's one of the first places I look when I'm doing an audit, because it shows you exactly how your content is performing in this high-traffic feed and where you might have opportunities to optimize.

A lot of times, clients don't even realize they're getting Discover traffic, or they don't know how to interpret what they're seeing. That's where a technical or AI visibility audit comes in handy.

Want to see what's happening in your GSC?

If you're curious about how your content is performing in Discover (or anywhere else in Google Search), I'd be happy to take a look.

Let's have a quick 30-minute chat. I can pull up your GSC and show you some data, and we can talk through what else you might need to make your site more visible. You can book time with me right here (at no cost).

You can also book an AI Visibility Audit here, which includes a deep dive into your Discover performance, AI Overview presence, and overall search visibility.

Keep an eye on that Discover feed. There's opportunity there.

– Liam

​The Search Evolution Strategy​ 👆 My gameplan for the new age of AI ​ 🙋‍♂️ Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here. ​ ​Content Strategy & Consultation | Content & SEO Training​ ​Freelance Community​

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