15 Proven Tips to Drive Traffic With Google Discover

If you run a website, blog, or online platform, you know that getting traffic is one of the biggest challenges. What if I told you there’s a way to get visitors without them searching for your content? That’s where Google Discover comes in.

Google Discover is a feed that shows users content before they even type a query. It’s personalized, visual, and very powerful. Some publishers are seeing more traffic from Discover than from Google Search or even Facebook. But many people don’t realize how to make it work for them.

In this article, you’ll learn 15 proven tips to grow your Google Discover traffic, including real data, simple steps, things to avoid, and how to measure success. By the end, you’ll have a clear, actionable plan — even if you’ve never tried Discover optimization before.

What Is Google Discover & How It Works

Before diving into tips, it helps to clearly understand what Google Discover is, and how it’s different from Google Search or Google News.

What it is: 

Google Discover is a personalized content feed that shows users articles, videos, images, and stories based on their interests, search history, location, language settings, and app usage. It doesn’t require a search query.

How it’s shown: 

On mobile devices (Android, iOS), in the Google app, Chrome app, or Google’s home screen (on some devices). Google is testing desktop Discover in a few places. 

Why it matters: 

Because it delivers traffic passively. Users see content you publish even when they’re not actively searching. For many publishers, that means a big, new source of traffic. The challenge: visibility in Discover is fickle — content can appear, gain traction, then drop off. Expect volatility.

Why is Discover Traffic Often Underestimated?

Many site owners don’t realize how much traffic they get from Discover. Here’s why:

1. Analytics mis-tagging — Google Analytics often counts Discover traffic as “Direct” rather than a separate “Discover” source. That hides real data.
2. Short lifespan of visibility — Most Discover hits happen in the first few days after content goes live. After that, impressions and clicks drop.
3. Edge cases — Even non-news or evergreen content can appear, but irregularly. Many assume only breaking news works. That’s not true. A good evergreen article, refreshed, can surface again.
4. Not every piece of content is eligible — For example, if your site has weak visuals, slow speed, or violates Discover content policies, Google may reduce or stop showing your content.
   

Understanding these helps you set realistic expectations and work intelligently.

Technical Requirements & Eligibility for Google Discover

Before trying advanced tips, make sure your site meets the essential technical and content requirements. Without these, other tips may not help.

• Indexed & Verified by Google: Your site must be indexed properly in Google Search, and you should verify ownership in Google Search Console.
• Mobile-Friendly & Fast: Discover is mostly mobile. Pages should load quickly, have good page speed, and good Core Web Vitals metrics (LCP, FID, CLS).
• High-Quality Images: Use images that are at least 1200 pixels wide. Enable large image previews via the max-image-preview: large meta tag or use AMP. Avoid using logos as featured images.
• Useful Structured Data: Use schema markup (Article, NewsArticle, VideoObject) so Google better understands your content.
• Follow Google’s Discover & News Policies: Avoid misleading content, sensationalism without substance, NSFW or disallowed content, and clickbait manipulation.
• Editorial freshness or relevance: Timely content, trending topics, or content updated recently often perform better.
  

Once these basics are in place, implement the following 15 tips to grow your traffic.

15 Proven Tips to Drive Traffic With Google Discover

Here are 15 specific, proven tips with examples and actionable advice to help you improve your chances of getting more traffic from Google Discover.

Tip 1: Use Large, High-Quality Images & Meta Tags for Previews

• Google recommends images at least 1200px wide for Discover. Small images or logos often do not perform well.
• Use the meta tag <meta name=”robots” content=”max-image-preview:large”> in your page header to allow Google to show larger, more prominent image previews. This has led to traffic increases of up to 300-333% in case studies.
• Avoid using your site logo as the main image. It tends to look generic and gets less engagement. Choose images with emotion or human faces where possible.
  

Tip 2: Craft Engaging but Honest Headlines

• Headlines are your first impression. Use emotional or curiosity-driven words, but don’t mislead. If you promise something in the headline, deliver it in the content.
• Avoid clickbait that violates Google’s content policy. Titles that mislead users can lead to drops in traffic or manual actions.
• Test headline variants (A/B testing) if possible. See which variations get more clicks via Search Console or via social sharing.

Tip 3: Focus on Content Freshness & Trends

• Trending topics often get more Discover visibility. For example, current events, trending news, viral topics.
  Keep evergreen content updated. If an older article is relevant again due to a trend, update its content, image, date (if appropriate), and promotion. This can cause it to resurface.
  

Tip 4: Optimize for Mobile & Page Speed

• Ensure pages are mobile-friendly: responsive design, no intrusive popups, images scale well.
• Improve page load times. Compress images, lazy-load offscreen images, minimize JavaScript/CSS, use caching, fast server/CDN.

• Pay attention to Core Web Vitals. These are three key measurements Google uses to check if your website is fast and user-friendly:

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): how quickly the main part of your page loads.

  • First Input Delay (FID): how fast your page reacts when someone clicks or taps.

  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): how stable your page layout is (no jumping text or images).

  Google gives you free tools like PageSpeed Insights and Search Console to test these scores. Aim for good scores on all three so your site loads faster, feels smooth, and has a better chance of showing up in Google Discover.

Tip 5: Use Web Stories, Video & Other Visual Formats

• Web Stories are visually immersive and sometimes get special carousel placement in Discover feeds. They can help new traffic.
• Video content is rewarded by Google; if your site includes quality video (or embeds YouTube), there’s extra potential.
  
• Also consider infographics or “explainer visuals” as featured images when relevant.

Tip 6: Build Authority & Trust

• Use E-E-A-T principles: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness.
• Show author bios, About Us pages, and contact info. Transparent content helps.
• Good backlink profile: if other reputable sites cite you, it helps non-search visibility.

Tip 7: Use Structured Data & Entity-Based SEO

• Implement schema markup (e.g., Article, NewsArticle, VideoObject). Helps Google classify content.
• Use “entities” (people, places, topics) in your content. Write with topics, subtopics, context so Google understands relationships. This helps personalize recommendations.

Tip 8: Use Google Publisher Center & Follow Features

• If you publish news content, register and submit your publication via Google Publisher Center. It helps Google understand your content sections & brand.
• Encourage users to use the “Follow” button on your content (if available) or follow topics/interests. Having followers improves repeat visibility.

Tip 9: Optimize Meta Tags, OG Tags & Previews

• Ensure your Open Graph (OG) tags (title, image) are set properly and match your headline/image choices. These tags often feed into Discover’s preview.
• Set correct meta descriptions, though descriptions are less visible; but good preview content helps trust and CTR.

Tip 10: Publish Consistently & Monitor Performance

• Regular content updates keep Google noticing your site. Fresh content + predictable cadence helps.
• Use Google Search Console’s Discover tab daily or weekly to see which content is appearing, impressions, and clicks.
  

Tip 11: Avoid Policy Violations & Disallowed Content

• Don’t use misleading or clickbait headlines that break Google’s policy.
• Avoid NSFW content, hateful content, and graphic violence — these may harm your domain’s eligibility.
• Follow Google Discover / News guidelines carefully.

Tip 12: Use Strong Visuals That Evoke Emotion

• Images with human faces or expressive emotions tend to get higher click-through.
• Use featured images edited to stand out: color overlays, text, interesting layouts.
• A/B test to determine which images work best on your site.

Tip 13: Choose Topics Based on Audience Interests & Affinities

• Look at what topics in your niche resonate with your current readers; what they search for or interact with.
• Check your top Discover pages in GSC to see patterns.
  Use tools (social listening, Google Trends) to see rising topics.

Tip 14: Refresh Evergreen Content

• Revisit older content that once did well (or has potential) and update: new insights, updated facts, improved images.
• After refreshing, promote the content again (e.g. via internal linking or social sharing) to give Google signals.

Tip 15: Promote Engagement & Social Signals

• Encourage comments, shares, user interaction. High engagement can be a signal Google uses in some way.
• Use social media, newsletters, or community promotion to help content get seen, shared, and pick up momentum.

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Even small mistakes can stop your content from appearing in Google Discover — or push it out after it starts performing. Beginners often focus only on creating content but forget the rules that keep Discover traffic stable. Knowing what to avoid will save you time and frustration.

1. Using misleading headlines or clickbait that doesn’t deliver.
2. Relying only on Discover — since traffic is volatile, you should diversify your traffic sources.
3. Ignoring speed or mobile usability — poor UX causes drop in both ranking and engagement.
4. Using low-quality or generic images.
5. Having sitewide content issues (too much spam or policy-violating content) that reduce overall domain trust.

By avoiding these mistakes, you protect your website’s credibility and improve your chances of consistently showing up in Google Discover. Think of these points as guardrails — following them keeps your traffic steady and your reputation strong.

Tools & Resources That Help with Google Discover

Optimizing for Google Discover becomes much easier when you use the right tools. These resources help you check your site’s eligibility, improve speed, track performance, and understand your audience. Think of them as your “toolbox” for every stage of Discover optimization:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Q1: How long does it take to see traffic from Google Discover?

 A: Usually, a few days to a week after publishing, if the content meets guidelines and gets good visuals. Some articles get impressions immediately; others take time if Google needs to “learn” they are relevant.

Q2: Do non-news websites benefit from Google Discover?

A: Yes. Although news/publication sites tend to see more traffic, blogs, lifestyle, educational, travel, and e-commerce sites all have seen success, especially with “how-to” guides or helpful content.

Q3: Will clickbait titles help me get more clicks?

A: They might raise clicks in the short term — but risk harming trust, violating Google policy, and causing penalties. It’s better to use engaging but honest headlines.

Q4: What metrics matter most in Discover?

A: Impressions, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), and how long people stay on your page. Also, monitor which content loses visibility and why.

Q5: Can I force Google to show my content in Discover?

A: No. Google uses algorithmic and user signals. You can maximize your chances by following best practices, but there’s no “submit to Discover” button for most.

Q6: How do I know if my images meet the Discover requirements?

A: Make sure they are at least 1200px wide, high resolution, compelling, and that your pages include the max-image-preview:large meta tag (or use AMP). Also test via Search Console or image inspector tools.

Conclusion:

Google Discover is an excellent opportunity to get traffic that doesn’t depend on search queries or ads. If you follow the right steps — using large, high-quality images, crafting headlines that are honest and engaging, optimizing for mobile and speed, publishing content people care about, and staying within Google’s policies — you can grow a steady stream of visitors.

Keep in mind: Discover traffic can fluctuate. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. But with time and consistent effort, these 15 tips can make a big difference.

If you want to get started, audit a few recent articles on your site. Fix their images, update their content, test headline variations, and watch your Discover tab in Search Console. Even small improvements can stack up into big growth over time.

Here’s to your growing traffic!