what is Google Discover?
Google Discover serves as a knowledgeable companion residing within your phone. It assembles a unique feed curated with content aligned with your interests, such as SEO news or the latest golf updates. How does it achieve this feat? By analyzing your online behavior and meticulously tailoring the feed exclusively for your preferences. Pretty impressive, wouldn't you say?
Unraveling Google Discover: Your Personalized Internet Companion
Imagine Google Discover as your virtual social guru rather than just another search engine. It thrives on your browsing history to curate a tailored selection of content exclusively for you.
Since its inception in 2018, Google Discover has become a bustling hub for users navigating their personalized feeds. This feature has significantly bolstered website traffic, particularly benefiting news and media platforms, which often witness a substantial influx of visitors courtesy of Discover.
Even our humble SEO blog witnessed an impressive surge, garnering nearly 150k clicks in the past six months. A testament to its effectiveness, right?
Cracking the Code of Your Google Discover Feed
Understanding the mechanics behind how Google Discover concocts your personalized feed holds the key to mastering SEO. It's akin to deciphering the intricacies of a close friend – you need to comprehend their thought process.
Google unveils the factors shaping your feed:
- Your Google Activities: Every search query, YouTube indulgence, and your interactions with Discover results play a pivotal role.
- Your Tracked Locations: Your journey mapped through location history and settings.
- Your Preferences: Your interests and the subjects you follow.
Notice the social network-esque vibe? Your feed reflects your hobbies, current interests, and everything significant in your realm. It's remarkably personal, even tailoring content based on your expertise in particular topics.
Consider my feed, where nearly half of the content revolves around SEO, my go-to fascination. Moreover, you can actively "follow" topics, similar to my approach with SEO.
Inquisitive about how Google organizes this trove of information? There's a neat way to investigate. Valentin Pletzer divulged a method: navigate to Send Feedback > System Logs > Card Category.
Valentin's discoveries are quite intriguing. Take a look at these categories and their potential implications:
- A special nod to Valentin Pletzer for the insights shared.
For instance, securing a spot on Google News holds immense value for Discover, marked under the category "NEWS_HEADLINES." If this rings a bell, delve into John's guide on optimizing content for Google News.
The crux of the matter is, if your content resonates and aligns with Google's criteria, you'll attract Discover clicks from users already interested in your offerings. A more targeted approach compared to the hit-and-miss nature of social media, wouldn't you agree?
Navigating the Path to Google Discover Traffic
Before plunging headlong into the realm of Discover clicks, here's a nugget of wisdom: if your SEO game isn't robust, focus on organic traffic initially. News sites stand out as exceptions, but that's hardly news for those entrenched in that domain.
Optimizing for Google Discover is akin to chasing an enigmatic creature – it's intricate. The breadcrumbs leading you are found within your Google Search Console, limiting your research scope.
Predicting your content's performance on Discover? A challenging task. In our B2B SaaS pursuits, we've noticed a surge in traffic lasting 3-5 days after publishing new content. Unpredictable, yes, but that's the essence of the Discover game!
The SEO Reality Check for Google Discover
Here's the crux: even with a flawless strategy, not all content earns the coveted spot in Discover. SEO is akin to a roll of the dice – there's no guarantee that action X will always yield result Y. It's about tipping the odds in your favor.
But fret not! There are official guidelines to heighten your chances of gaining entry into Discover. Let's break them down alongside our insider insights. Remember, your content must adhere to policies and be indexed before these tips can amplify your chances of shining in the spotlight.
Unveiling the Mobile-Friendly Enchantment of Google Discover
Attention, website owners! In the world of Google Discover, mobile optimization reigns supreme. Your site's mobile functionality holds significant weight.
The golden rule: prioritize a responsive, swift website. Bid farewell or limit intrusive elements like ads, pop-ups, and interstitials. Plus, circle May 2021 on your calendar – Core Web Vitals are entering the ranking fray, with Cumulative Layout Shift emerging as the fresh speed metric.
Yearning to excel? Consider adopting AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages). According to insights from John, over 60% of Discover articles leverage AMP. While opinions on its usage in the SEO sphere vary, Discover appears to favor it.
Crucial Tips for Picture-Perfect Discovery
In the realm of Google Discover, emphasis is placed on visuals. Therefore, load your pages with high-quality, captivating images.
Google's image guidelines suggest aiming big – 1200px wide is the magic number. Ensure your participation by using the max-image-preview:large robots meta tag or AMP. This isn't solely for Discover but stands as the gold standard in image SEO. Handy plugins like Yoast can assist in this aspect.
Feeling adventurous? Introduce the schema image property – it's akin to offering Google additional details to chew on. More data translates to more love from Discover.
Crafting Irresistible Content for Discovery
The lowdown: your title tags and meta descriptions must be precise, summarizing your page while enticing users for that sought-after click. However, steer clear of clickbait and deceptive practices. Google frowns upon these and maintains guidelines against them.
Here's an intriguing tidbit: Open Graph meta tags matter to Discover. We stumbled upon this unexpectedly. A minor typo in one of our og:title tags slipped into the Discover feed, altering the game despite the correct title tag. Hence, attention to detail is imperative!
Revealing the Essence of Popular Topics in Discovery
Discover exhibits a penchant for trending topics, especially news-related content, which dominates the feed.
However, evergreen content holds its ground remarkably well. Take our blog, for instance. While not chasing trends, Discover consistently directs tens of thousands of clicks our way monthly. Whether breaking news or timeless narratives, Discover embraces them all!
The Inside Story on Evergreen Content in Discover
Consider Discover your personalized tour guide, revealing what's novel to you, not just newly surfacing on the web. Imagine delving into the stock market domain – voila! Your Discover feed presents articles on investing tips, broker comparisons, and beginner-friendly content, perhaps published months prior.To tap into the evergreen essence, begin with keyword exploration. Input broad topics into a keyword research tool like Keywords Explorer. Keep an eye on the trending topics section; that's your gateway to evergreen excellence. Simple, isn't it?
Enhancing Your Online Reputation: The E-A-T Strategy
According to Google, they favor content from websites that exude expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness – the E-A-T trio.
To fortify your E-A-T, follow these steps:
- Transparency: Include dates, bylines, author information, publication details, and company contact information. It's a trust-building exercise.
- Structured Data: Utilize structured data to provide Google with a roadmap to your content's greatness.
- Affinity Categories: Explore Google's Affinity categories to position yourself as an authority in your niche. These align with the "CORE" interests in the logs. Pro tip: find it in Google Analytics under Audience > Interests > Affinity Categories.
- Establish Thought Leadership: Strive to become the go-to expert in your industry. Consider it the red carpet to E-A-T success.
Focused on Entities: A Deep Dive into Discover Performance
When examining how the Ahrefs blog fared on Discover, it became evident that certain topics outperformed others. In the realm of SEO, it all revolves around entities and their interconnectedness in shaping specific subjects.
Our contributors underscored the significance of entities; it's a pivotal aspect.
Visualize this: a Knowledge Graph layer known as the Topic Layer. It operates as a map, tracking the evolution of user interests and expertise within any given topic over time. This layer is formulated by analyzing all content pertaining to a topic and its subtopics, skillfully connecting the dots.
Here's the twist – some dots transition into Discover interests without officially being Knowledge Graph entities. For instance, conduct a "meta description" search in the Knowledge Graph API, and you'll draw a blank. Yet, in Discover, it appears as an interest you can follow.
Entities serve as the unsung heroes in the Discover landscape, much like the secret ingredient adding flavor to the mix!
In essence, while delving into the Topic Layer might be intricate, mastery over higher-level entities holds the key.
Unlocking Google Discover Success: Your Comprehensive Guide
- Consistency Matters: Stay within your niche. Websites thrive when focused on their forte—whether it's coffee, laptops, SEO, or any other specialization. Avoid straying too far from your core subject. Shifting between disparate topics can confuse both your audience and Google. Unless you're a massive media conglomerate covering a broad spectrum, maintain your focus.
- Hunt for Entities: Identify your brand's sweet spots. Dive into your Discover reports, even manually if necessary. However, this method primarily works for main entities and isn't easily scalable. For extensive content in Discover, consider a method similar to John's. Use Google's Natural Language Tool to blend entities based on importance, uncovering what drives the most Discover traffic for you.
- Google Images Insight: Here's a handy trick from Dan. Head to Google Images, input your primary keyword, and explore the related entity tags. It provides a glimpse into how Google associates entities with your topic. Alternatively, tools like Entity Explorer can serve the purpose efficiently.
Armed with these insights, sprinkle related entities into your content. Dan's success story showcases an enhanced Discover performance and an expanded keyword pool. It's akin to unlocking a hidden level!
Becoming a Knowledge Graph Luminary: Unveiling the Secrets Behind Discover
Dreaming of VIP status on Discover? Begin by checking if your brand appears in the Knowledge Graph. A simple search can confirm your entry into the club:
However, being part of the Knowledge Graph doesn't guarantee your content will feature in someone's Discover feed, as Kevin and I discovered. Despite my affiliation with Team MailChimp on Discover for months, their content remained elusive.
So, why focus on the Knowledge Graph?
It signifies Google's recognition of your brand's significance. It establishes that your online presence is robust, providing Google with insights into the entities and interests affiliated with your brand, potentially showcasing your content to those interested in these aspects.
It's akin to securing a golden ticket to the Discover spotlight!
Creating Buzz: Elevating Discover Love through Content Dissemination
Here's the revelation—Discover craves engaging content. Posts attracting more Discover clicks usually boast a high Click-Through Rate (CTR) within Discover.
But here's the intriguing part—social media amplifies this effect. The startling correlation between Discover performance and Twitter engagement in the US, as John discovered, highlights the potency of creating buzz around your content.
However, the 'buzz factor' might vary in different countries. Tailoring content distribution to local preferences becomes crucial for success elsewhere, as evidenced by our experience at Ahrefs.
Refreshing Content: The Power of Periodic Updates
If your page remains elusive on Discover, don't lose hope. Take a leaf from our experience—updating an article from 2017 led to newfound Discover attention after a makeover and republishing:
Content rejuvenation isn't just about Discover clicks. It strategically bolsters rankings and organic traffic in regular searches, with Discover clicks serving as a delightful bonus.
YouTube Integration: Elevating Your Discover Presence
Here's the deal—YouTube videos are Discover favorites, often appearing prominently:
The hack? Embed these videos into your content. They might independently make their way into Discover, leading to substantial clicks. The added advantage? No schema markup required, as Kevin astutely points out.
Our experience showcases articles with modest clicks transformed by embedded videos into Discover heavyweights. Leveraging both video and written content through repurposing amplified our Discover traffic.
Web Stories: Google's Discover Delight
Ever heard of Web Stories? Google's equivalent to the engaging stories seen on Instagram and other social platforms.
Surprisingly, Google now welcomes Web Stories into the Discover feed, a VIP pass for your content. As of now, it's part of the English content party in the US.
Our experiment revealed that embracing Web Stories led to Discover features. If these concise narratives align with your content style, it's worth a shot. Discover might be eagerly waiting for your story!
In Conclusion: Unleashing Google Discover Magic
Google Discover traffic is a gem, irrespective of your business. While it might not be the spotlight-stealer unless you're a news giant, these optimization tricks are simply everyday SEO maneuvers—no rocket science.
Implementing these tips isn't just about Discover; it's a ripple effect. Expect an overall SEO upgrade, refined content distribution, and diversified traffic sources.
The beauty of Google Discover? It's a traffic wizard that works even when your primary keywords are on vacation. While content should align with people's interests, it's a green light to publish beyond the realm of search traffic.
Embrace Google Discover—the not-so-secret weapon for clicks, SEO success, and a sprinkle of content adventure. Here's to optimizing your way to the pinnacle!