Google Discover presents a radical change in the way content will be discovered by users via search. Is your business prepared to take advantage of this change? Lounge Lizard, a top web development company, is ready to help your company be discovered with content marketing on this platform. To start, here is everything you need to know about Google Discover.

Goodbye Google Feed

Google Feed launched in 2017 on mobile devices via the Google App. The concept was to create an information feed, similar to social platforms like Twitter or Facebook, with stories that were customised for the user. Available for both iOS and Android the idea was to create a feed filled with stories the user would like so that they would check in daily, much like with a social media feed.

Google Feed worked by combining search and browsing history to find stories that would be relevant to the user. Options were available to show more or less information about a topic as the user saw fit.

However, now Google has announced that they are rebranding Google Feed and now it will be Google Discover. They have already begun to roll it out in Google.com on mobile devices.

So why the change? According to Google, it has to do with three fundamental shifts in how they are approaching the idea of Search, which in turn inspired the rebranding complete with a new name, look, and features.

Improving Search

Google is committed to the idea of improving search, which makes sense as it is their bread-and-butter product. Initially the goal of organising the information on the world wide web and making it accessible for people was daunting but not overwhelming.

Back in 1998 the web only had about 25 million pages of information.

Now with hundreds of billions of pages available online and customers in over 190 countries accessing data in over 150 languages, the landscape has changed a bit; and Google keeps changing with it. While the core principles of search have remained the same, Google is now looking at Search a little bit differently:

• Shifting towards journeys – Rather than just provide answers, Google wants to help people with ongoing information needs about their interests and hobbies.
• Shifting away from queries – Instead of having a specific query, Google wants to provide information related to your interests.
• Shifting away from text to visuals – Increased visual content and revamping of Google Images will allow for a more visual interpretation of information rather than text.

The Birth of Google Discover

This shift Google is making in regard to how they look at search is the main force behind the Google Discover launch. The name reflects what it is meant to do, which is help users discover content they find interesting and useful that is new or at least new to them.

The general style of using cards for information stays the same. Cards each feature a cover image along with title and summary, including the site it is from and the date published. There is a menu option available to dismiss, hide, block sites or topics as needed.

Google Discover Differences:

• Topic headers – The header section now includes an explanation as to why that card is appearing. This might increase exploration of topics.
• Discover icons – Icons have been added next to a topic name which can be tapped so that the topic will be followed and will be included in search results.
• Control icons – An icon has been added in the bottom right corner of each card which allows users to see more or less of that topic.
• Content recommendations – Along with fresh content, evergreen content will be recommended based on relevancy and AI so that content recommendations are individually tailored based on search and browsing history.
• Larger presence – Rather than solely being on the Google app, this feature will be available on Google.com for all mobile browsers. While they do have over 800 million monthly active users, there soon will be more.

Another important piece of information to be aware of is that Google Lens has been rolled out for Google Images on the mobile web. Now every picture found on the mobile web version of Google Images includes a Google Lens icon underneath it which when pressed will highlight interesting subjects and lead to related images or products.

While shopping would be the most logical use for this increased functionality, it will be a great way for any business to get content discovered via images, which aligns with the third shift Google is focusing on as they improve search.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that Google Discover is looking to change how we look at search once again. This article provides everything you need to know about Google Discover from an informational perspective and we are happy to discuss how your business can take advantage of this change as well as the Google Lens addition for increased visibility and effective content marketing.

Be sure to check back every week for great new Plexsites blog articles.

Accredited to Lounge Lizard