Decrease in the number of domains in Google Discover
According to a fresh report from Search Engine Journal, initial data from third-party analytics services shows changes brought about by Google's February Discover algorithm update. The main finding is a decrease in the number of unique domains whose content is displayed in user feeds.
Experts note that the new Google Discover algorithm has become more 'narrow', displaying content mainly from large publishers and branded platforms. This may be related to the goal of improving content quality and relevance of recommendations for users.
Despite the reduction in the number of domains, many popular resources have seen an increase in traffic from Discover. Apparently, the algorithm has become better at identifying and promoting genuinely high-quality and in-demand user content.
Impact on digital marketing and arbitrage
These changes have important implications for digital marketers and arbitrage specialists:
- Competition for inclusion in Google Discover is intensifying, and the importance of content quality, SEO optimization, and website reputation is increasing.
- For arbitrage specialists, the 'hunting ground' is narrowing - there are fewer opportunities to monetize traffic through Discover, so they will have to find new sources.
- Large market players are gaining additional competitive advantages, while smaller platforms are finding it harder to break through into the rankings.
Overall, the Google Discover update is another step by the search engine towards improving the relevance of recommendations and enhancing the user experience. For marketers, this is a signal to focus on creating truly high-quality, engaging content, rather than chasing the quantity of publications.