What is Google Discover and how to get there

Google Discover is a service that allows mobile users to get new content without having to configure or search for anything. It was originally called “Google Now” and was created in 2012 to show news throughout the day. It was later renamed “Google Feed” and in 2018 it was named “Google Discover”.

It works automatically: instead of waiting for your requests, it automatically selects content based on your interests. The Service may display news, articles, videos and other materials that may be of interest to you, even if you have not yet searched for such content.

Thanks to its ability to select content based on your online activities, it provides an opportunity to quickly and easily learn about news, new trends or events in the world. Using Google Discover, you can find interesting articles, learn about the latest news, or watch videos that you may find useful or entertaining.

How Google Discover works

Google Discover works on the principle of automatic selection of content, based on the interests and actions of the user on the Internet. Similar to how TikTok or Facebook recommend videos based on artificial intelligence, this service uses a complex algorithm to create a custom feed for each user. This algorithm analyzes search history, browser views, app activity, and even location (if you’ve enabled it in your privacy settings) to determine interests.

Imagine that you often look for recipes for healthy meals and read about sports. Google Discover will show you articles, videos, and news about these topics, even if you haven’t made specific requests. The algorithm is constantly being improved to better understand what you are interested in and offer you even more relevant content.

Technically, this is how it works: Google first indexes content from around the web, then filters out content that meets quality standards and doesn’t violate the rules. After that, the algorithm chooses the most interesting news and content for your feed.

What does this mean for SEO professionals? That high-quality and useful content has a high chance of getting into the feed and attracting more visitors to the site, increasing its visibility on the Internet.

Why do businesses need Google Discover?

Let’s take a closer look at why you should use this platform for your business. There are many reasons, but we have highlighted 4 main ones.

1. Access to a large audience of more than 800 million users

With over 800 million active users worldwide, the platform is an important channel for attracting potential customers. Users receive personalized content that matches their interests, making this tool particularly effective for businesses looking to find their target audience.

Thanks to Google algorithms that analyze the search history and preferences of users, your content can be shown to those people who have already shown interest in your products or services. In this way, the business can not only increase its reach, but also get more conversions, as information reaches people ready to make a purchase or order. Users are often looking for articles and news that are relevant to their interests, so being in the feed is something worth working on.

2. An additional source of traffic

Unlike traditional searches, where users search for information themselves, the service customizes content for them based on their previous actions and interests. This means that users may come across your content by accident, but there is a high probability that they will be interested in it because it is relevant to their interests.

For a business, this is an opportunity to attract a new audience that otherwise might not know about you at all. With the increase in traffic to the site, the probability that some of these users will become your customers also increases. Google Discovery is an important addition to those marketing channels that are already in use and contributes to the growth of the business. Regular adjustments and optimization of content for Google will help to use Google Discovery as efficiently as possible and attract new visitors to your site.

3. Ability to cover highly specialized niches

With personalized recommendations based on user interests, you can show yourself to the people who are most interested in your products or services.

This is relevant for companies that offer products or services for specific audiences. Usually, they cannot be reached through the usual marketing channels. For example, if your business specializes in the production of professional equipment for artists, Google Discover will help you find people who are actively interested in art and are looking for new tools to work with. Using Google Discover, you can more effectively attract new customers and increase your market share.

4. Strengthening brand loyalty

When users of the service regularly see your brand’s content in their recommendations, it helps to create a positive image and cement it in their minds. They begin to perceive your brand as authoritative, as a reliable source of information or services in your industry.

A constant presence in the Google Discover feed allows you to keep in touch with loyal customers, reminding them about your brand and new offers. This helps build an audience that is more likely to return to you for repeat purchases or orders. Loyal customers often become brand ambassadors, spreading positive reviews and recommendations among their acquaintances, which further increases your audience and promotes business development.

Google Discovery is not only a channel for attracting new customers, but also a powerful tool for strengthening relations with regular customers.

Considering even these 4 advantages, we can conclude that Google Discovery is a key element for an effective promotion strategy in today’s market. Correct SEO settings and a responsible approach to creation content— the key to success.

What is the difference between Google News and Discover?

Google News and Google Discovery are two different Google products with unique features.

News is a news aggregator that collects articles from various sources and categorizes them by topics such as Top News, World, Business, etc. This service aims to provide users with a comprehensive overview of the current events of the day. Articles are selected and published by relevant experts.

Google Discover is a personalized content feed that suggests articles, videos, blog posts and other content to users based on their interests and online activity. Using machine learning, it brings relevant content directly to the user’s home screen. This ensures constant access to interesting articles without actively searching.

The key differences between these products are their focus and approaches to content.

Features of content for generating traffic from Google Discover

The Google Discovery ribbon is quite diverse and any content does not get there. Analyzing thousands of articles, algorithms select exactly what will be relevant for each individual audience. So, understanding who yours is target audience in Discover and for what purpose you plan to publish, consider other content criteria as well.

1. Popular topics and news
   Google Discover shows users relevant and interesting articles, so choosing popular topics is key. Articles that highlight seasonal events, trends, or important news have a higher chance of appearing in the Google Discover feed. For example, research shows that articles about the latest technology, AI, mass events or cultural phenomena have a high percentage of reach among users.
2. Adaptation for mobile devices
   Google Discover is only available on mobile devices. That’s why it’s important that your content is optimized for different screen sizes and loads quickly. This improves the user experience and increases the likelihood that your article will appear in the Discover feed.
3. Quality images
   Google Discover prefers content with high-quality images. Use attractive and relevant images that help illustrate the point of your article. For example, bright, clear and high-resolution images attract attention and increase the likelihood of your content being opened.
4. Focus on the essence
   Create content that uses key entities and terms relevant to your topic. This helps algorithms better understand the topic of your content and show it in the appropriate contexts in the Discover feed.
5. Add YouTube videos
   Video content attracts attention and increases engagement with your content. For example, reviews, tutorials or expert comments can greatly increase the appeal of your articles to your audience.
6. Use meta tags correctly
   Optimize and customize your meta tags such as titles, descriptions and keywords. This helps Google better understand information about your content and increases the likelihood of inclusion in the feed. Use relevant keywords that users often search for.
7. Update content regularly
   If you regularly publish new materials and update information in old ones, it means to algorithms that your content is valuable to users. This increases the likelihood that it will be shown in the feed, especially if the topic does not lose its relevance over time.
8. Write according to E-E-AT
   E-E-AT(Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) are important factors for Google. Prove your expertise and authority in your industry through content. This will help improve your ranking in search engines, including Discover.
9. Configure the Google Knowledge Graph
   Data from the Google Knowledge Graph will help increase the informativeness of your content. Using the Google Knowledge Graph when creating content for Google Discover helps you understand which topics and objects are popular among users. This allows you to create more targeted and relevant content, which increases the likelihood that it will appear in Google Discover recommendations.
   
10. Set up Web Stories
    Create and publish Web Stories — interactive stories that grab users’ attention and increase your chances of landing on the Google Discover feed. Web Stories load quickly and allow interaction with content in a new format that is interesting for the audience.

Another important tip is to create content that will provoke discussions, reposts and other reactions. As in social networks, so there is important “noise” about certain posts, but don’t forget the rules and ethics. In no case do not raise topics that may cause negativity towards your brand or business.

Ways to track traffic

Google provides several tools for tracking traffic from Google Discovery and evaluating the effectiveness of content. One of the key tools is Google Search Console (GSC). Set it up, because you can get a report that shows the number of impressions and clicks on your content in the feed of the service. Additionally, you can create your own statistics using filters to select the country, devices, time period, and others.

To set up and download this report from GSC, your content must have a minimum number of feed impressions.

To check traffic from Google Search Console:

1. Sign in to your account in Search Console
2. Select your website.
3. Go to the Productivity section.
4. View data in the Referrals tab, where you’ll see the search queries that drove traffic to your site.
5. Look for mentions of the domain google.com, which may indicate traffic from Google Discover.

Keep in mind that not all traffic can be accurately identified in Search Console.

It is important to set up analytics services and collect them regularly, as this helps to understand how content is perceived by the platform’s algorithms and how it can be optimized to achieve better results.

If you entrusted the creation of content to specialists who have experience in this field, they will precisely configure everything necessary and will collect the main metrics, analyze them and improve the promotion strategy in Google Discovery.

To summarize

Google Discover is constantly evolving, and this opens up new opportunities for users and business owners. What could be better than being in the audience search results before entering a query? Write useful, relevant and interesting content, optimize your resource for mobile devices and follow other recommendations, thanks to which your publications can get into the Google Discover feed, and over time Google will help you promote your site.

Olha Tyshchenko

Editor

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