Google’s First Discover Core Update: What Brands and Publishers Should Know

Google Discover is the feed of articles and videos people see in the Google app and on Android phones, without searching. For news sites and content-heavy brands, it can drive large traffic spikes. On 5 February 2026, Google announced the first core update aimed specifically at Discover.

Google said the update is rolling out to English-language users in the US first and will expand to all countries and languages in the coming months. So Pakistani sites aren’t affected yet, but they will be.

How Discover is different from Search

• People don’t type a query. Google predicts what they’ll find interesting based on their activity.
• Traffic is spiky: a story can get thousands of visits for a day or two, then disappear.
• Images, headlines and freshness matter more than in normal search.

How to earn Discover traffic

1. Use large, high-quality images (at least 1,200 pixels wide) and allow large previews on your site.
2. Write honest, specific headlines. Google’s Discover guidance warns against misleading or exaggerated titles.
3. Be timely. Cover new launches, trends, seasonal topics and news in your industry quickly and accurately.
4. Build topic authority. Sites that consistently cover a subject well are more likely to be shown.
5. Make it easy to follow you in Google and keep publishing regularly.

For brands, not just publishers

Discover isn’t only for news sites. A skincare brand writing timely, useful guides (“what the new SPF rules mean”, “winter skincare in Lahore”) can reach people who’ve never heard of it. Treat Discover as a bonus channel on top of search and social, not your main plan.