Google Discover Vs Google Search

Google Discover shows on mobile devices on new tabs in Chrome. It shows topics that people have been browsing recently. 

In Google Search keyword phrases are the main ranking factor, whereas Discover is about topics people have recently looked at. 

One study found 46% of the pages in Discover are on news websites and 44% eCommerce. I have personally found the pages I see are usually recently made ones. Therefore, we probably won't see existing content on Discover. New blog posts should be written with Discover in mind. 

Tracking Performance on Google Discover

In Google Search Console on the left of the page you will see "Discover". In here you can see recent statistics. 

How to get more traffic from Google Discover 

Discover is based on topics. Therefore, it would be prudent to use a thesaurus to include variations on keywords to cover different words used for different topics. This can also be done by typing a keyword into Google and looking at the text in titles for the different pages. Also at the bottom of the search results you can look at "Related searches". 

Add the max image preview code for better visibility in Discover: 

Pages with this code show a larger image in Google Discover. This results in 3 times the number of clicks, which will be a factor on whether Google shows the page in Discover. To get it showing you could show your web developer this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qbXAk7FAAo . Featured images on new content should be at least 1200 pixels wide. 

Google Ads for Google Discover: 

You can try running Google Ads for Discover. This is done in the Google Discovery ad campaigns, which also target YouTube and Gmail. 

Should you rely on Google Discover in 2026?

Looking at client's performances, only the ones actively blogging are getting traffic from Discover and it is in very small amounts. It has traditionally been a traffic source for publishers and has been a lifeline in the AI zero click ere for informational websites. For small businessses the doors appear to be opening in 2026, with more localised sites preferred (so you will see sites from your country more often). 

It is worth writing some posts for anything which could count as news e.g. factual, non-promotional content. Keep in mind relevant keywords so that the post counts as one catering to topics people are searching for. Stay in your lane is important to keep your topical authority in line with how Google views your site. You can do this by checking the AI Overviews for your brand.

If you have multiple authors on the site it is definiltly worth considering in 2026 and beyond. It should open up more as organic search becaomes more of a directory and resource area for AI. 

Channel: The Edward Show

Title: Google Discover Secrets: How One Article Can Drive 5M+ Daily Clicks

Date: 24 April 2026

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3Z8jArf2es

Creator: Edward Sturm