The mighty intuitive Google Discover displays personalized results based on what users searched for before and what's trending in their area or around the world. Google Discover aims to provide users with relevant content based on where they are and what they're looking for at that moment in time.
But if you've been following the latest developments in Google's tablet efforts, you'll know that the company has been teasing its new Pixel slate for some time now. The UI redesign is official, and it appears that Google has been testing a new three-column Discover design for its OS, expected to debut on the Pixel Tablet when it launches. This change has already been rolled out to existing tablets, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 running on Google's beta version (14.2.7.26).
There have been improvements made to how Discover presents its content. You can now see images and read articles directly from within an app or article listing rather than having to load them separately in a separate browser tab or window.
More rows of media suggestions from your apps, such as Google TV, will provide users with an easy browsing experience complimented by a color background.
Unlike the previous iteration which used horizontal scrolling to navigate between sections within the same screen, this new version uses vertical scrolling, allowing users to move between categories faster while also giving them the option to jump right into any specific category they want by tapping on it under "Explore."
The news feeds at the bottom, where people used to post comments, now act as tabs instead so that users can navigate between different threads without switching screens whenever there's an update on their favorite topics.
Meanwhile, the Discover tab will still exist within Google News on mobile devices but will no longer be prominently featured on every page. Instead, it will be moved to the bottom right corner next to other tabs like Top Stories and Search Results.
Google says it has also added a new Explore section in Discover where users can see trending articles and videos across the web. It's similar to the Explore tab on YouTube and other Google properties.
What This Means for SEO
It would help to consider how your content will fit into this new SEO format. Content marketers must consider what kind of content they're creating and how to get the most engagement from the new three-column layout.
The new layout is great news for SEOs because it means that Google can serve more content on one page. Users don't have to scroll down to see more stories after clicking on one. This means that Google can now show more relevant stories at once in its search results rather than just showing snippets of them as usual.
Action Steps for More Engagement
Here are five things you can do right now to make sure you're getting the most out of the new Google Discover:
1. Improve Social Feed Engagement
The new Google Discover is designed to drive engagement with your brand on social media. To make the most of it, you should ensure that your posts on Twitter and Instagram include relevant hashtags and keywords so that when users search for them online, your content appears in Google Discover.
2. Ensure That Your Web Pages Are Crawlable
Make sure you don't block Googlebot from crawling your site using robots.txt or other techniques. Googlebot will be able to crawl more of your pages than ever before, so make sure that your content is accessible to Googlebot by following our advice on how to optimize your site for search engines.
3. Use High-Quality Visual Materials
Three-column Google Discover is a great opportunity to showcase your brand's visual assets. The new design allows more space to show off your company's products and services, so use this chance to put your best foot forward.
Make sure that all images are high-quality and optimized for mobile devices. Customers must find what they expect when they click on an image, especially if it's an eCommerce product or service.
4. Publish Trendy And Evergreen Content
The 3 column Google Discover is a great way to distribute your content, so you must publish regularly and keep the content relevant. Google's goal is to deliver the best possible search results, which means that when it comes to SEO, you'll need to publish well-researched and regularly updated content. Consider popular evergreen content and blog posts that link to other sites.
5. Follow Google's Content Publishing Policy
Google has set out guidelines for publishers that want their sites featured in search results. If you want your website to stand out from the crowd, you must follow their guidelines for content publishing so that Google's algorithms can properly index your site.
