What is Google Discover?
Google Discover is a Google Search feature that provides users with content Google thinks they may be interested in. Unlike traditional search, which requires the user to enter a search query, Discover proactively delivers content to users without needing them to perform any search.
Discover is part of Google Search and can be accessed using:
- The Google app on Android and iOS
- By swiping left on the home screen of some Android devices
- By navigating to google.com in the browser of Android and Apple devices
Google suggests content based on the user’s activity on Google Search and other Google web services and apps. Google reviews the user’s activities on these platforms and then shows them related content.
Google Discover is only available on mobile and cannot be accessed on desktop. If you run a website and want your content to feature in Google Discover, you should ensure that the content is indexable and meets Google Discover guidelines.
How to Get Your Content on Google Discover
Discover uses the same signals as Google Search. If your content appears on Google Search results, it is likely eligible for Discover. Any content can appear on Discover as long as it is:
- Crawled en indexed by Google
- Meets Discover’s content policies
However, you could also implement a few other things to improve your chances of appearing in Discover. These include:
- Use large, high-quality images that are at least 1200px
- Use catchy titles, but stay away from clickbait titles that do not deliver on what they promise
- Publish content people are interested in
- Publish content that tells a story or provides a unique outlook on a topic
- Publish content in article, video, or other formats users will be interested in
- Do not use a site logo as your content featured image
- Do not include misleading information in your title, snippet, or images
- Avoid morbid, sexual, or overtly controversial content that may cause outrage
Overall, you should ensure your content is helpful, your EEAT signals are top-notch, and your content is optimized for search results pages.
However, you should know that while Discover often features recent and trending articles, it could also show older content if it is relevant to users’ interests. That said, there is no guarantee that Google will include content in Discover even when it is eligible to appear.
Why Google Discover Traffic is Unpredictable
Traffic from Google Discover is unpredictable and can quickly go from thousands or millions to zero within days or weeks. Google even recommends that you consider Discover a supplemental source of traffic to your regular Google traffic.
Discover traffic is unpredictable due to a variety of factors, including:
1 Viewer’s Interest
Users do not search for content displayed on Discover. Instead, the content is displayed to them based on their current interests. Your content may gain lots of traffic as viewers develop interest. Similarly, it can quickly lose traffic once visitors are no longer interested.
2 Content Type
Google constantly switches the type of content it displays to Discover users. So, your traffic could decrease once Google stops displaying content in your niche. For example, if you post sports content, your Discover traffic may drop when Google switches to promoting tech content.
3 Google Algorithm Update
Google constantly releases updates to its Search algorithm. Discover is an extension of Google Search, and an update to the Google Search algorithm could affect the traffic you receive from Discover.