In the ever-changing digital world, Google Discover has risen as a key driver of organic traffic to websites. Unlike conventional search methods where users input queries, Google Discover proactively presents content based on users’ interests. This makes it a potent tool for marketers and SEO experts. This guide explores the nuances of Google Discover and offers practical tips on how to tailor your content for this platform.
Understanding Google Discover in Depth
Google Discover is a dynamic content feed that compiles articles and topics tailored to users’ interests. It utilizes a sophisticated algorithm that leverages signals of a user’s interests to present pertinent content. These signals might include search history, browsing history, location, and device type, among others. However, the specifics of these signals remain undisclosed, adding an element of unpredictability to the platform.
Google Discover is not static; it adapts to the shifting demands and habits of users. This means that traffic from Discover can vary, making it less predictable than traditional search traffic. It’s crucial to remember that any content indexed by Google and adhering to Google’s content guidelines can potentially appear in Discover. However, there’s no foolproof formula to consistently secure a spot in the Discover feed.
How Content Appears in Google Discover
The appearance of content in Google Discover is largely automated, based on Google’s indexing and content policies. If your content is indexed by Google and aligns with Discover’s content policies, it becomes automatically eligible to appear in Discover. However, eligibility doesn’t guarantee appearance.
If your site infringes on any of Discover’s content policies, you may receive Discover manual actions in your Google Search Console under the ‘Security and Manual actions’ section. These violations could range from misleading content to inappropriate use of structured data, among others. It’s crucial to comprehend these violations and take appropriate measures to rectify them.
Google Discover, being an extension of Google Search, uses many of the same signals and systems as Search to determine what constitutes helpful, user-focused content. This means that reliable, user-centric, and valuable content is more likely to thrive on Discover.
To increase the likelihood of your content appearing in Discover, Google recommends the following:
- Page Titles: Use page titles that accurately capture the essence of the content, but avoid clickbait tactics.
- High-Quality Images: Include compelling, high-quality images in your content. Large images, at least 1200 px wide, are more likely to generate visits from Discover. However, avoid using a site logo as your image.
- Avoid Misleading Tactics: Do not artificially inflate engagement by using misleading or exaggerated details in preview content (title, snippets, or images) or by withholding crucial information required to understand what the content is about.
- Avoid Sensationalism: Do not manipulate appeal by catering to morbid curiosity, titillation, or outrage.
- Timely and Insightful Content: Provide content that’s timely for current interests, tells a story well, or provides unique insights.
To deliver a good user experience, Discover aims to present content that’s suitable for interest-based feeds, such as articles and videos. It also filters out content that might not be desired or might confuse readers. For instance, Discover might not recommend job applications, petitions, forms, code repositories, or satirical content without any context. It also uses SafeSearch to filter out content that might be seen as shocking or unexpected.
Optimizing for Google Discover: Best Practices
While there’s no guaranteed way to ensure your content will appear in Google Discover, there are several best practices that can enhance your chances:
Focus on Topics, Not Keywords
In the realm of SEO, there’s a common misconception that focusing on keywords or semantics is the key to success. However, Google Discover emphasizes the importance of focusing on topics of interest. This means understanding what people are interested in at the moment and crafting content around these topics. This topic-focused approach can bring you closer to what Google Discover seeks and can potentially increase your visibility on the platform.
Fresh and Evergreen Content
Google Discover appreciates both fresh and evergreen content. It showcases relevant evergreen content that continues to be valuable over time. However, it also seeks fresh content on topics that require constant updates. These could include areas such as sports, technology, and entertainment where new developments are constantly emerging.
Quality and Clarity
Google Discover values high-quality content that clearly communicates the topic at hand. The platform encourages the use of compelling, high-quality images and page titles that capture the essence of the content. Misleading titles, exaggeration, and content that appeals to outrage are discouraged. Instead, content should be clear, accurate, and engaging to the reader.
User-Centric Approach
Google Discover uses many of the same signals and systems as Google Search to determine what constitutes helpful, people-first content. Therefore, creating content that provides unique insights, tells a story well, or is timely for current interests can increase the likelihood of your content appearing in Discover.
The Follow Feature in Detail
Google Discover also includes a Follow feature, which allows users to follow a website and receive the latest updates from that website in their Discover feed. This feature uses RSS or Atom feeds on your website. If you don’t have an RSS or Atom feed, Google automatically generates one based on its view of your site. This means that even if you don’t have a feed, your followers can still receive updates from your site in their Discover feed.
Monitoring Performance on Discover: A Closer Look
Google provides a Performance report for Discover, which shows impressions, clicks, and CTR for any of your content that has appeared on Discover in the last 16 months. This report includes traffic from Chrome and fully tracks a site’s Discover traffic across all surfaces where users interact with Discover. This data can be invaluable in understanding how your content is performing on Discover and can guide your content strategy moving forward.
Conclusion
Google Discover can be a potent source of organic traffic. By focusing on topics of interest, creating high-quality and clear content, and keeping up with current trends, you can increase your chances of appearing in the Discover feed. However, it’s crucial to remember that Discover traffic is supplemental to your Search traffic and can fluctuate due to its highly personalized and dynamic nature.