Google Discover February 2026 Update: The “Local First” Algorithm Shift

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{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "Your Article Title",
  "image": {
    "@type": "ImageObject",
    "url": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
    "width": 1600,
    "height": 900
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  "datePublished": "2026-02-06T10:00:00+00:00",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Author Name"
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}

Strategic Recovery Framework

If your site has experienced traffic volatility during this rollout, here’s a systematic approach to align with the new “Local First” framework:

Step 1: Isolate Discover Performance Data

Objective: Separate Discover metrics from Search performance to diagnose accurately.

How to check:

1. Open Google Search Console
2. Navigate to Performance → Search Appearance
3. Filter by “Discover”
4. Compare February 1-4 vs. February 6-12, 2026

What to look for:

• Significant drops in Discover clicks/impressions
• Stable or growing Search performance in the same period
• This confirms the issue is Discover-specific, not site-wide

Step 2: Audit Content for Sensationalism

Objective: Identify headlines that violate the new clickbait filters.

Evaluation questions for each headline:

• Does it withhold the main fact or conclusion?
• Would readers feel misled after clicking?
• Does it use excessive punctuation or ALL CAPS?
• Does it promise something the content doesn’t deliver?
• Does it rely on emotional manipulation vs. factual value?

Action: Create a prioritized list of articles to rewrite, focusing on content that historically received significant Discover traffic.

Step 3: Signal Local Authority

Objective: Demonstrate geographic alignment with your target Discover audience.

Four-point localization strategy:

3.1 Organization Schema Markup

Add structured data to signal your physical location:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
  "name": "Your Publication Name",
  "url": "https://yoursite.com",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main Street",
    "addressLocality": "City",
    "addressRegion": "State",
    "postalCode": "12345",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "contactPoint": {
    "@type": "ContactPoint",
    "telephone": "+1-555-123-4567",
    "contactType": "Editorial"
  }
}

3.2 About Page Transparency

Include on your About page:

• Physical office address (not a PO Box)
• Local phone number with country code
• Editorial team members with credentials
• Company registration information

3.3 International Targeting Settings

Verify in Search Console:

• Settings → International Targeting
• Confirm target country is correctly set
• Review hreflang tags if you have multiple language versions

3.4 Google Business Profile (if applicable)

For local/regional publishers:

• Claim and verify your Google Business Profile
• Add your physical address
• Link to your website
• Upload photos of your office/team

Step 4: Evaluate Topic-Specific Authority

Objective: Identify which content categories have credible verticalized expertise.

For each topic category on your site, evaluate:

Volume: How many articles exist in this vertical?
Consistency: How long have you been publishing in this topic?
Depth: Do articles provide unique insights vs. summarizing other sources?
Credentials: Do authors have demonstrable expertise in this field?

Strategic decisions based on evaluation:

Step 5: Prioritize Timeliness + Originality

Objective: Align content strategy with Google’s emphasis on original reporting and unique expert analysis.

Content evaluation framework:

For each article, ask:

• Are we covering this within 48 hours of the news event?
• If not, what unique data or analysis are we adding?
• Do we have expert commentary unavailable in other coverage?
• Are we the first to report this specific angle?

If the answer is “no” to all four questions, reconsider whether publishing adds value or dilutes your authority.

Step 6: Fix Technical Violations

Quick-win technical implementations:

Image dimensions:

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<meta property="og:image:height" content="900">

Robots meta tag:

<meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:large">

Core Web Vitals:

• Test with PageSpeed Insights
• Focus on Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
• Minimize Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
• Optimize First Input Delay (FID)

Remove intrusive interstitials:

• Audit mobile experience for full-page popups
• Remove or delay email capture overlays
• Eliminate auto-playing video ads

Step 7: Monitor Recovery Progress

Objective: Track performance changes and validate strategic adjustments.

Weekly monitoring protocol:

In Google Search Console:

1. Filter by Search Appearance → “Discover”
2. Compare weekly metrics (7-day rolling averages)
3. Track: Clicks, Impressions, CTR

What recovery looks like:

• Impressions stabilize (stop declining)
• CTR improves (indicates better headline alignment)
• New articles begin appearing in Discover feed

Realistic timeline expectations (based on typical algorithm adjustment periods):

• Weeks 1-2: Traffic may continue declining during rollout completion
• Weeks 3-4: Performance begins stabilizing
• Weeks 5+: Gradual recovery trajectory becomes visible

Understanding the Winner/Loser Dynamic

Based on the three algorithmic pillars, certain publisher types face structural advantages or disadvantages:

Publishers Positioned Well

US-based local/regional news organizations

• Perfectly aligned with localization requirement
• Natural geographic authority signals
• Typically strong in verticalized local coverage

Niche authority sites with deep topic focus

• Demonstrate sustained expertise in specific verticals
• Already aligned with topic-specific evaluation
• Less affected by localization if serving domestic audience

Original data publishers

• Meet the “uniqueness” requirement naturally
• Provide value unavailable in aggregated content
• Strong E-E-A-T signals

Publishers with transparent editorial operations

• Complete About pages with team credentials
• Clear location and contact information
• Strong trust signals

Publishers Facing Challenges

International publishers targeting US traffic

• Geographic misalignment with localization priority
• Must invest in credible US presence signals
• May see permanent traffic redistribution

Clickbait-dependent sites

• Headlines fundamentally conflict with sensationalism filter
• Must completely restructure content approach
• Recovery requires editorial model transformation

Generalist “pivot” sites

• Lack verticalized authority in multiple topics
• Opportunistic trending content now penalized
• Must choose core focus areas and build depth

Anonymous editorial operations

• Missing E-E-A-T transparency signals
• Difficult to demonstrate expertise without attribution
• Must add author credentials and company transparency

FAQ: Common Questions About the Update

Does this update affect Google Search rankings?

No. The February 2026 update is exclusive to the Discover interest feed. Traditional organic search rankings operate on completely independent algorithms. You can rank #1 in Search while being invisible in Discover.

How long will the rollout take?

Approximately 2 weeks for English-language users in the United States (February 5-19, 2026). Google has confirmed expansion to all countries and languages in “the months ahead” but has not provided a specific timeline.

Can international publishers succeed in US Discover?

Yes, but it requires substantial investment in localization signals:

• US-based office or editorial presence
• US phone number and address
• US-based team members with LinkedIn profiles
• Proper Schema markup indicating US location

Simply having a .com domain is insufficient.

Is all clickbait banned from Discover?

Not banned, but algorithmically deprioritized. The system targets:

• Headlines that withhold essential information
• Emotional manipulation tactics
• Misleading thumbnail-headline combinations

You can write compelling, curiosity-driven headlines if they capture the “essence” of the story accurately.

How do I prove topic-specific expertise?

Based on John Mueller’s guidance:

• Sustained publishing: Consistent article output over 6+ months
• Content depth: Multiple articles demonstrating subject knowledge
• Dedicated sections: Clear category organization on your site
• Author credentials: Verifiable expertise in the field

A single viral article in a new vertical does not establish expertise.

Can generalist sites still succeed in Discover?

Yes, but each category is evaluated independently. A local news site can have expertise in multiple verticals (local news, gardening, sports) if each category demonstrates sustained depth. However, you cannot leverage authority from one vertical to rank in unrelated topics.

Should I delete underperforming content?

Not necessarily. Low-traffic articles can still contribute to demonstrating verticalized authority. However, you should:

• Remove or rewrite obvious clickbait that violates new guidelines
• Consolidate thin content into comprehensive guides
• Update or remove factually outdated content

Focus on building depth in categories where you want Discover visibility.

How often should I publish to maintain Discover presence?

Publishing frequency depends on your content vertical:

• News/current events: Daily or multiple times daily
• Analysis/commentary: 2-3 times per week
• Deep research/data: Weekly, but must be high-quality

Consistency matters more than raw frequency. Establish a sustainable publishing cadence you can maintain long-term.