Google Discover is a valuable tool that can help you significantly increase your website traffic. Google Discover was introduced on September 24, 2018, as an updated version of Google Feed (which was replaced by Discover a year after its introduction). Google decided to rename the Google Feed feature as Discover because the new name better suited its goal of discovering interesting and relevant content for its users. Google Discover is very user-friendly, and despite having the same features as Google Feed, it has some unique updates. As a result, Google Discover helps you come across things you haven’t even started looking for that! Stay with Smart Strategy Blog to learn more about this Google feature.
What is Google Discover?
Google Discover is one of the newest and most updated versions of Google. The working method of Discover is different from the traditional method and has been very interesting for users. For example, the conventional Google search method required users to enter the query manually. But Google Discover takes a different approach and predicts user behavior based entirely on users’ primary interests. In other words, Google Discover recommends content to users that Google’s automated systems believe best matches the user’s interests. This process of discovering fresh and exciting content, personalized to your needs, encourages people to consume more content.
Content SEO for Google Discover
Since 2018, Google Discover has significantly impacted the social world. Google Discover is the newest member of the Google family, and content SEO is a given. So how to optimize content for Google Discover? Now that you know what Discover is, let’s explore the different tactics marketers and content publishers can use for SEO:
Content and website suitable for mobile
One of the most important things to remember is that Google Discover works on mobile devices and is only available on tablets and smartphones. So all the traffic you get from Discover comes from mobile devices.
Google has emphasized mobile traffic for years. As a result, mobile traffic has become a vital aspect of internet marketing and traffic, surpassing desktop traffic. Considering that almost 100% of Discover traffic comes from mobile devices, it makes sense that websites that are not mobile-friendly or not easily accessible and navigable for mobile users will not be ranked.
Here are some tips to help with SEO and content for mobile devices:
- First, make sure your website is free of annoying ads and pop-ups.
- Make sure your website is free of clutter. Due to the smaller mobile screen, a minimalistic design approach is often preferred.
- Your website content should be easy to read on smaller screens.
- Website navigation can be a challenge on mobile devices, so pay special attention when designing your website for mobile.
- Structure your content, so visitors don’t have to scroll down multiple times to get the most critical information.
- Mobile users generally want to consume information as quickly as possible. Therefore, it is crucial that your site loads within seconds. Check how long your website takes to load and improve it accordingly.
Types of content
Google Discover offers a variety of content regularly. So if you want your content to rank on Discover, it’s best to know what kind of content can be featured. For example, case studies, white papers, and PDFs are unlikely to appear in the Discover feed. On the other hand, how-to articles, news content, and videos are featured more. So plan your content strategy accordingly.
Movies
Depending on the preferences of your target audience and niche, you may need to create more videos. As you can see in the example above, Google Discover ranks text-based content as well as videos in the feed. A guitar tutorial video is more appropriate than a guitar tutorial blog post. Knowing your content, audience and the most appropriate media for information transfer is the primary key to producing applicable content.
SEO images
One of the most significant factors in Google Discover ranking and getting a high CTR is using high-quality images in the content. Google recommends using larger images instead of smaller ones. According to Google, content creators and publishers who use large photos instead of small ones experience a 5% bump. Google recommends using images with a width of at least 1200 pixels. Large images may need to be enabled in Discover results. By using AMP, you can ensure that Google has the right to display your photos to users.
Content relevance and the Google Discover algorithm
If your goal is to rank on Discover, understanding who your audience is and what kind of content they want can be very helpful. After all, content relevance is an integral aspect of Google Discover. So you start by understanding your target audience and what they want. To improve this understanding, start with buyer personas. You can also review your Google Analytics audience and behavior reports to learn more about your audience and how they interact with your content.
Conclusion
While Google Discover may not be your primary traffic source, it may complement your traffic generation efforts. Almost all traffic generation methods require a reference (which is usually a keyword or keyword phrase that the user is searching for). But Discover is different and doesn’t require an origin. Rather than relying on the user to initiate a query, Discover provides exciting and relevant content that matches the user’s interests and preferences.
Besides bringing additional traffic to your site, Google Discover can also help you discover more about your audience and website content. This can help you identify the type of content and images that are popular among your audience and learn about the range of click-through rate (CTR). You can use this information to reverse engineer and create more content for your website that meets the needs of your audience in a more effective way.
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