In 2018, Google changed the name of Google Feed over to Google Discover, bringing in the help of AI to provide recommendations to users, which are based on their interactions around the web, including websites they have visited and topics that they searched to read about.
The Google feed feature had been predominantly text based in terms of layout, but Google Discover is much more visual, incorporating videos and images. As well as being more visually orientated, Google Discover was introduced with the intention of being more user-friendly than its predecessor./p>
Google Discover was designed with mobile users as the main priority, helping them to easily find content that they are interested in, without the need to use Search and therefore it's a great component of a successful Mobile SEO Strategy.
How Google Discover can help businesses
Google ranks content using an algorithm that they think will most interest a person, based on their specific interests and search history. There is a report in the Google Search Console that allows you to see which content is performing well in Discover and you can also compare how the content performs differently in Discover compared to search results. This report is only available if you have reached the minimum threshold of impressions in Discover.
How to optimise for Google Discover
1. Create enjoyable content
Google’s main piece of advice for content creators to get the most out of Google Discover is to simply create content that people will enjoy. However, there are some additional content creation techniques that will help performance in Google Discover.
2. Create and link content that relates to the same topic
One technique is to create content on similar topics and internally linking it, which will help users to view content of a similar nature.
3. High quality photos and video content
Choosing high-quality photos is another way to improve performance in Google Discover, with visually appealing photos being key to capturing attention and compelling the user to click on the content. Video content is also going to help your content to perform better, especially as content such as video demos and tutorials are getting more and more popular in terms of the type of content people want to find information out from.
4. Use a mix between trending and evergreen topics
Getting a balance between content that covers recent trends, as well as content that is evergreen is also a good content creation plan that should lead to higher traffic volumes.
5. Stick to the guidelines
You should also make sure you are adhering to the Google News guidelines, which includes requirements such as using original content, using good spelling and grammar and ensuring the content is transparent in terms of who has published the content and when.
6. Create mobile friendly content
One other factor to consider when you are looking to optimise your content for Google Discover is to make sure your content strategy also focuses on mobile users. It should be easy to read and view from all types of mobile devices, so your publishing website should be as mobile friendly as possible.
Getting started with Google Discover
If you want to start unleashing the power of Google Discover for your business, follow these tips and started on an effective content creation plan.