In February 2026, Google introduced a Discover-specific “core update” that changes how content earns visibility in the Discover feed. The line shift is clear: Google is “showing users more locally relevant content from websites based in their country,” while also tightening standards around topical expertise and clickbait.
For publishers and SEOs, this isn’t just another ranking tweak, it’s a reframing of Discover SEO toward local expertise, assessed topic by topic rather than as a blanket site-wide reputation. Combined with stronger anti-clickbait enforcement and an emphasis on depth, originality, and timeliness, the update pushes content strategies closer to journalism-grade relevance and audience trust.
1) What changed: a Discover-specific “core update” with a local-country boost
Google stated that in February 2026 it launched a Discover-specific “core update” that boosts locally relevant sources by country. The goal is explicit: “Showing users more locally relevant content from websites based in their country.” That means local origin and local context can matter more than ever for feed distribution.
The rollout began in the US for English-language users, with a global expansion planned: “We're releasing this update to English language users in the US, and will expand it to all countries and languages in the months a.” If you operate outside the US, this is still highly actionable because the direction is set, even if the full effect lands later in your market.
Industry coverage echoed Google’s message: Search Engine Land recapped the same pillars (local-country bias, less clickbait, and a push for depth/originality/timeliness tied to expertise). Mainstream tech press similarly highlighted that Discover “prioritises content from local-country websites” and weighs expertise “instead of overall authority” (as summarized by Gadgets360).
2) “Local expertise” is evaluated topic-by-topic, not as site-wide authority
One of the most strategic clarifications in the February 2026 update is how Google frames expertise. Google says: “our systems are designed to identify expertise on a topic-by-topic basis.” In practice, this suggests that a site can be strong in one vertical and weak in another, and Discover may reflect that separation more directly.
This differs from the common assumption that a domain’s overall authority or brand strength automatically transfers to every topic it publishes. Under a topic-by-topic model, an established publisher can still struggle in Discover if it publishes outside its demonstrated coverage areas, while a smaller local specialist can win visibility when it consistently delivers quality within a specific niche.
This emphasis aligns with Google’s broader stance that Discover uses similar signals to Search: “Discover makes use of many of the same signals and systems used by Search…” So “helpful, reliable, people-first” publishing isn’t just a Search guideline, it’s foundational to Discover performance too, now with an added local-country and topical expertise weighting.
3) The “gardening section” example: how local specialists can outperform broad sites
Google offered a concrete example of the new logic: “a local news site with a dedicated gardening section could have established expertise in gardening…” This is a powerful clue for content planning. It implies Discover can recognize sustained, structured topical coverage, especially when it’s rooted in a local publisher that serves a specific country audience.
A “dedicated section” signals continuity: recurring authors, consistent editorial focus, and an archive of interrelated pieces. Those are the kinds of cues that make expertise legible to both users and algorithms. In a Discover environment, where users aren’t searching queries, those cues may matter even more because the system must predict interest and satisfaction without a typed intent.
Google’s framing also suggests opportunity for local and regional publishers to compete against larger, generalist outlets by leaning into real-world proximity: local conditions, local regulations, local events, local seasons, and locally relevant product availability. These dimensions can help content become both more useful and more distinctly “from websites based in their country.”
4) Why one-off or thin topical coverage is less likely to benefit
Google paired the “local expertise wins” example with a warning about shallow diversification: “a movie review site that wrote a single article about gardening would likely not.” In other words, dabbling in a topic without building real coverage depth is unlikely to gain Discover traction from this update.
This discourages opportunistic publishing designed to chase trending themes unrelated to a site’s actual editorial identity. If your strategy has been “publish one article on anything that spikes,” the February 2026 update raises the risk that those posts won’t benefit, and may even dilute perceived topical focus.
The implication for SEO is structural: build topic clusters and publishing rhythms. Develop editorial lanes where your site can plausibly demonstrate expertise over time (and, ideally, with a local-country perspective). Thin content and irrelevant category expansions are now more clearly positioned as losing plays in Discover.
5) Anti-clickbait enforcement: preview elements are now a frontline ranking factor
Google explicitly said the update is “Reducing sensational content and clickbait in Discover.” Importantly, Google’s updated Discover guidance now directly discourages clickbait practices in preview elements, titles, snippets, and images, stating: “Avoid clickbait… using misleading or exaggerated details in preview content…”
The documentation also tightens how lines should be written: “Use page titles and lines that capture the essence of the content.” That’s a direct push against bait-and-switch framing, where the promise in the card preview doesn’t match the substance of the page.
And Google goes further by calling out emotional manipulation: “Avoid sensationalism tactics that manipulate appeal…” For Discover SEO, this means editorial packaging must be accurate and proportional, especially when a story is political, controversial, or emotionally charged.
6) Depth, originality, and timeliness are now more tightly tied to demonstrated expertise
Alongside local relevance and anti-clickbait, Google emphasized content quality characteristics: “Showing more in-depth, original, and timely content from websites with expertise in a given area…” The key nuance is that these qualities are presented as signals aligned with expertise, not just general “good writing.”
Google’s strategy guidance reinforces what to create: “Provide content that's timely for current interests, tells a story well, or provides unique insights.” This encourages publishing that adds something, new reporting, fresh analysis, local data, on-the-ground photos, expert interviews, or first-hand experience, rather than remixing what’s already circulating.
For local publishers, timeliness can be a major advantage: local election updates, weather impacts, public safety advisories, school or transit changes, community business openings/closures, and seasonal guides can be both highly relevant and hard for national outlets to replicate with the same credibility or detail.
7) Personalization still matters, now layered over local + expertise + anti-clickbait weighting
Discover remains an interest-based product rather than a query-based one. Google’s documentation clarifies the nature of eligibility and uncertainty: “Content is automatically eligible… if it is indexed by Google and meets Discover’s content policies… being eligible… is not a guarantee of appearing.” That distinction is crucial when diagnosing performance changes after the update.
Google also states personalization continues: “We'll continue to show content that's personalized based on people's creator and source preferences.” The February 2026 shift doesn’t remove personalization, it changes the weighting of what can be selected into a user’s feed, with stronger local-country and topic-level expertise considerations.
Practically, that means two users in the same country can still see very different feeds, but the pool of candidates may tilt more toward local sources with credible topical depth. If your content is locally grounded and consistently strong within a topic, you may be better positioned to benefit from personalization rather than being at its mercy.
8) Measurement and expectations: volatility, reporting windows, and what to monitor
Google warned sites to expect movement: “this change may lead to fluctuations in Discover traffic. Some sites might see increases or decreases; many sites may see no change at all.” Community chatter supports this, with publishers reporting sharp Discover traffic changes around early February 2026 (as surfaced in anecdotal discussions reported by SERoundtable).
On the tooling side, Discover reporting is designed for longer-term trend analysis. Google notes that Discover performance reporting covers the “last 16 months,” requires a “minimum threshold of impressions,” and “includes traffic from Chrome.” This matters because an apparent “Discover change” might reflect distribution shifts across multiple surfaces, not only the Google app feed.
That reporting consolidation is not brand-new, Google previously confirmed (Feb 2021, still relevant) that the Search Console Discover report includes Chrome Discover traffic, providing “a single place” for “all your site’s Discover impressions and click stats.” So to assess the February 2026 update, compare annotated time periods, segment by country when possible, and look for changes at the topic/category level rather than only site-wide totals.
9) Practical playbook: how to align content and UX with local expertise in Discover
First, structure your site to make topic expertise obvious. Build dedicated hubs/sections, maintain consistent coverage, and ensure internal linking supports topical discovery. Google’s own example of a “dedicated gardening section” implies that sustained topical organization can help systems interpret expertise signals.
Second, audit preview integrity: titles, thumbnails, and snippets must accurately represent the page. The updated guidance to “avoid clickbait” and “use page titles and lines that capture the essence of the content” should be treated as a baseline editorial standard, especially for stories likely to spark outrage or curiosity clicks.
Third, meet visual requirements that can influence Discover performance. Google’s Discover documentation states: “Large images need to be at least 1200 px wide and enabled by the max-image-preview:large setting…” Ensure your templates output high-resolution lead images, verify the appropriate robots/meta settings, and avoid low-quality thumbnails that reduce card appeal or clarity.
The February 2026 Discover core update signals a decisive shift in Discover SEO toward local expertise: rewarding sources “based in their country,” evaluating expertise “topic-by-topic,” reducing “sensational content and clickbait,” and elevating “in-depth, original, and timely” work. It’s a blueprint for feeds that feel more trustworthy, more useful, and more locally grounded.
For publishers, the path forward is less about chasing viral angles and more about building durable topical franchises with authentic local relevance. Expect volatility as the rollout expands beyond US English, but focus your strategy on the fundamentals Google is explicitly measuring, because those fundamentals now sit at the center of Discover visibility.
