How Google Discover Works and How to Appear in It

Google Discover is the feed of articles and videos Google shows people without them searching: in the Google app, on google.com on phones, and on Chrome's new tab page on mobile. It's based on each person's interests. You can't target it the way you target a keyword, but you can make your pages eligible and more likely to be picked.

How Discover chooses content

• Interests. Discover uses what Google knows from a person's activity in Google products (searches, sites visited, things they follow) to pick topics.
• Freshness and quality. It favors timely articles and content Google considers helpful and trustworthy, using the same quality systems as Search.
• Engagement. People can follow topics and sites, or tell Discover they don't want to see something, and those signals shape what appears.

Discover traffic tends to come in bursts. A page can get a lot of visits for a few days and then very few.

What makes a page eligible

• The page is indexed by Google and follows Google's content policies for Discover. No special tags or sign-up are needed.
• It has a large, high-quality image: at least 1,200 pixels wide, with large previews enabled by the max-image-preview:large robots setting (or by using AMP).
• Its title describes the content accurately. Google says it discourages clickbait and titles that exaggerate or withhold key details.

How to improve your chances

• Write for interests, not keywords. Timely stories, clear explainers and original reporting do best.
• Use a strong image that relates to the story, not your logo.
• Show who wrote it. Clear bylines, an about page and contact details help Google trust the site.
• Keep the page fast and mobile-friendly, since nearly all Discover use is on phones.
• Publish consistently on a topic. Sites with a clear focus build a following among people interested in it.

Tracking Discover traffic

Google Search Console has a Discover report once your site gets enough Discover impressions. It shows clicks, impressions and the pages that appeared. In Google Analytics, Discover visits are mixed in with other Google traffic, so Search Console is the place to look.

For readers: controlling your feed

Tap the three dots on any card to hide a story, stop seeing a source, or show less of a topic. Discover is shaped by your Google activity, so pausing Web & App Activity also changes it. See how to opt out of Google personalization.

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