Google Discover allows users to find interesting material that suits their own interests and preferences without the need for a search query. Based on previous search activity and interactions with the Google Discover app, it learns what users enjoy and makes recommendations for new content.
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Google Feed was Discover’s prior name, which some users might remember. The function was renamed Discover, and its quality was improved as it attracted 800 million monthly active users. Naturally, Google has made other changes since announcing its new name and design in 2018. The makeover is not the only one.
What is the Google Discover Feed?
When conducting a Google search using a mobile browser or the Google mobile app, the Google Discover feed is displayed. Below the search box, users receive a well-curated feed of articles before they even start to search.
A carefully chosen assortment of information is presented to users, taking into account their search history, interests, and level of interaction with Google services. Google Discover’s name gives away what it does. Its goal is to assist you in finding online information related to your interests.
Everybody has a customized Google Discover feed based on their interests. It’s not necessary to curate your own RSS feeds or visit a variety of websites in succession. Google does the legwork for you by compiling articles from websites that it believes you’ll find interesting. All you need to do to access an abundance of stuff is launch the Google app.
In relation to the app, Google Discover is currently only available on mobile devices. It works with Android phones and tablets, as well as iPhones and iPads. The Google mobile website does not have it either. It is exclusive to the Google app, which is offered in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
How does Google Discover know what I like?
You can customize Google Discover, but how does that exactly work? Google is, first and foremost, using the data you have previously provided. This can include search searches, YouTube history, online activity, and more. Ultimately, what matters most is how you customize Discover.
Consider the Discover stream to be an algorithm. The more you assist it, the better it becomes, because it is only as good as the knowledge it has. You might initially uncover things that don’t interest you. You are not a superfan who has to know everything about the Detroit Pistons just because you once looked up the team’s score.
Starategies to Optimize for Google discover
Make sure your content is interesting, high-quality, and aligns with the interests of your visitors to help you make your content discoverable on Google Discover. The difference in the optimization activities involved in Google Discover and normal SEO is that it tries to focus more on what interests the user than on what the user is searching for.
#1. Create evergreen content
The first step to Google Discover optimization must be evergreen content. Evergreen content remains “fresh,” even if it was published months ago. It is written with the idea that it will still be relevant over time and will only need an update here and there if some information has changed.
Evergreen content does not contain trends or current events; it does not deteriorate with time. On the contrary, evergreen material never goes out of style. Its durability and sustainability make it possible for the viewer to watch immediately upon publication or six months later, and the information will still be correct and beneficial.
Creating evergreen content ensures it keeps appearing in this feed even months after its first publication. Although Google shows news in the Discover Feed, it does so only when it is discovered. New stories always replace older ones.
#2. Make sure to have quality content
Even before creating sustainable content, writing quality content is crucial for optimization on Google Discover. The main idea is to present quality content to an audience, and Google Discover is no exception. You should provide valuable materials to engage your audience.
Good content provides the information that is needed and explains answers to questions in detail. It is always to be kept in mind that material included should only be relevant to the user’s needs. The quality of your essay is measured by the quality of material you use—not by the length of your essay or the number of facts you include.
#3. Include images in your articles
One of the optimization factors for Google Discover is adding pictures to your content. In SEO, adding an image to a post is nice to create a good user experience and keep the user on your page. The same holds true for Google Discover.
Pictures help break apart the content on a page, making it easier to digest. Google Discover pulls an image from your page to feature as a thumbnail within the Google Discover feed, making images equally important.
Ensure that images are clear and high-quality before placing them in your content. Using distorted, fuzzy photos can lose you a lot of credibility. You can also use the following to break up content along with graphics:
- Motion graphics
- Infographics
- Clips
#4. Encourage followers for your company
Next on our list of Google Discover optimization is increasing the visibility of your content. Encourage people to follow your brand on Google, and you’ll have better chances of having the latest material visible to customers on their Discover feed.
Your audience will come across a box when they’re searching for your brand, as well as a follow button. Users are notified that the topics they have opted to follow will get updates in their feed. Encourage more followers through email and social media on your company website.
End your post with a message asking readers to follow your business on Google. Look up your business on Google and click the “Follow” link.
#5. Have a fast loading page
Need I say more? Google definitely wouldn’t list your page if it loads very slowly because they want their users to have the optimum experience. They say two seconds is your load time before a customer goes away. Use a program—say, Google PageSpeed Insights—to check your site’s load time.
#6. Make your website responsive
The other key part of SEO is designing a website for mobile. Seventy percent of internet usage is on mobile, so you don’t want to miss out. You should also go to where consumers are already spending their time: Google Discover is mobile-only.
Design and develop a mobile-friendly website. Design responsiveness is essential, as it helps to create optimized viewing on devices.
#7. Secure your pages
Security is crucial. Users will want assurance that the time they spend browsing the web is safe. This is because users will always be looking for an assurance that their information is safe as they surf your website.
You can guarantee this by obtaining a secure socket layer (SSL) certificate. This certification makes the web platform user-friendly and assures visitors of its security. This cert shows a padlock at the start of your firm’s address and the prefix “https,” indicating that your site is secure.
#8. Add Structured Data
Structured data types such as Article, NewsArticle, VideoObject, and Breadcrumb will collectively help Google understand your content and its ever-growing authority on any topic.
Adhere to the requirements your structured data should meet so that the markup will format correctly and be implemented correctly on Google. Use schema testing tools for testing and fixing issues.
#9. Experiment with Google Web Stories
Discover is built for mobile, offering a stream of content to find anything you weren’t thinking about. Web Stories are a new tool to reach these users. A web narrative is the epitome of a mobile visual interface, similar to social media stories on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, but accessible through Google Discover and search.
Discover is very supportive of Web Stories. The format is designed to be short, easy to read on mobile, and easily discoverable. Creating stories for your content may help you hook people’s attention sooner within the Discover feed. Google displays them within the Visual Stories carousel on mobile devices.
#10. Performance and Analytics
The most effective method of keeping track of your traffic from Google Discover is by using Google Search Console. By looking at Search Console, you can detect the volume of traffic credited to your website daily within Google Discover and compare that traffic to other traffic generated through Google Search.
GSC can be applied in the following cases:
- Performance Report: Visit the Performance Report to find out how Discover is performing for your site’s content. You can drill down into your data as much as you want, and slice, dice, filter, or compare to your heart’s content. Remember that your property needs to reach a certain amount of impressions to be eligible for Discover.
- Measure Key Metrics: Monitor data points such as impressions, clicks, average click-through rate (CTR), and the content categories with the most activity.
- Track Traffic Changes: Monitor how changes in traffic evolve over time to evaluate both the performance and what is or isn’t outstanding with respect to your content.
- Identify Best Performing Topics and Formats: Understand which topics, content types, or combinations of formats work well on Google Discover. Use this information to guide your content strategy.
- Regularly Monitor Statistics: Track your statistics for regular patterns and trends that may show seasonality.
Conclusion
Optimizing content performance for the Google Discover Feed can sharply boost your digital footprint and pull in substantial traffic to your site. The unique mechanics of Google Discover allow you to finely tune content according to audience interests.
Applying these ten strategies—from providing valuable and engaging content, showing compelling images, mobile optimization, and applying E-A-T principles—can position your content well within Google Discover. Crafting effective titles and meta descriptions, keeping content fresh and timely, using structured data markup, and sharing content on social media are essential practices. Continuously monitoring performance and adjusting your strategies based on analytics ensures your efforts remain effective and aligned with changes in user behavior and algorithmic adjustments.
By using these strategies, you can fully leverage Google Discover, ensuring your content stands out, reaches a broader audience, and fosters greater engagement. Stay proactive, keep your content dynamic, and refine your approach to maintain and enhance your visibility on Google Discover.
Komal is a dynamic and results-driven digital marketing professional with a passion for leveraging innovative strategies to drive business growth. Her expertise spans across social media marketing, content creation, SEO optimization, and data analytics, making her a valuable asset in the ever-evolving digital landscape.