Google Discover isn’t a classic “search results page” problem, it’s a personalized feed where users can stumble into your content before they ever type a query. That makes it a powerful channel for local businesses and multi-location brands that publish content, because local relevance (places, events, neighborhoods, inventory, and timely offers) can match real-world intent.
The good news: you don’t “apply” for Discover. Google says eligibility is automatic when your content is indexed and follows Discover content policies, no special tags or structured data are required. The better news for local SEO: many of the same signals and systems used in Search also influence Discover, so improving helpfulness, trust, and local entity consistency tends to compound across surfaces.
1) Start with Discover fundamentals, then map them to local SEO
Google’s guidance is clear: Discover eligibility is automatic if your pages are indexed and comply with Discover policies; there’s no dedicated schema or tag that “turns on” Discover. Practically, that means your baseline work is technical health (indexing, canonicalization, crawlability) plus content that meets policy and quality expectations.
Google also explains that Discover uses many of the same signals and systems as Search, and recommends aligning with “helpful, reliable, people-first content.” For local SEO, this is an advantage: if you already invest in location pages, local guides, or service-area content that genuinely helps nearby customers, you’re building the same foundation Discover rewards.
Don’t assume Discover is only for breaking news. Google explicitly notes that older content can surface in Discover if it remains helpful and relevant to a user’s interests. Local SEO teams can use this to their advantage by keeping evergreen local assets (parking guides, “best time to visit,” neighborhood explainers, seasonal checklists) updated so they can reappear when interest spikes.
2) Titles, snippets, and images: win attention without clickbait
Discover is extremely sensitive to presentation. Google’s official guidance: “Use page titles that capture the essence of the content, but in a non-clickbait fashion.” This lines up perfectly with local SEO trust-building, customers deciding where to go nearby are especially allergic to exaggerated claims.
Google also warns against engagement manipulation, including misleading or exaggerated details in titles, snippets, or images, and tactics like withholding crucial information. For local content, that means avoiding bait-and-switch lines like “The #1 brunch spot in town (you won’t believe it!)” when the article is actually a thin promo, or using a skyline photo that isn’t your city.
Instead, make the local promise explicit and accurate: include the neighborhood, city, or service area in a natural way, and ensure the page immediately delivers on the line. This is where local SEO best practices (clear NAP context, real photos, real prices, real constraints like “reservations required”) support Discover’s anti-clickbait expectations.
3) Use large images (≥1200px) and enable large previews
Google states that large images are “more likely to generate visits from Discover,” and specifies they should be at least 1200px wide. Importantly, those large previews must be enabled, either via AMP or the max-image-preview:large setting.
This isn’t theoretical. In Google’s own case study, Kirbie’s Cravings increased Discover CTR by 79% after enabling large image previews using the max-image-preview setting. For local SEO, strong imagery (real storefront, dishes, before/after work, staff, venue atmosphere, local landmarks) can be the difference between a scroll-past and a visit.
Operationally, build an image pipeline that consistently outputs high-resolution originals and web-friendly derivatives. Keep the “hero” image genuinely representative of the local experience (your actual patio, your actual product on-shelf, your actual neighborhood) so you gain clicks without risking mismatch signals that can erode trust.
4) Publish “people-first” local content that demonstrates E‑E‑A‑T
Google’s “Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content” guidance includes self-assessment prompts that are very Discover-relevant: emphasize original information, show clear sourcing, avoid shocking/exaggerated titles, and demonstrate first-hand expertise and experience. Local content is uniquely positioned to do this well, because you can show firsthand details others can’t.
Google also emphasized E‑E‑A‑T in its rater-guidelines update, noting “trust is most important” and adding “Experience” to E‑A‑T. For local SEO, “experience” can be evidenced through original photos, staff quotes, documented processes, local permits/standards, community participation, and transparent policies (returns, reservations, service area boundaries).
Concrete formats that tend to work: neighborhood guides written by locals, “what to expect” walkthroughs (parking, accessibility, wait times), seasonal local checklists, and comparisons that cite real constraints (distance, hours, transit options). These assets can be evergreen (and therefore eligible to resurface as “older content”) while still feeling personal and timely.
5) Strengthen your local entity signals: Google Business Profile, verification, and consistency
Even though Discover doesn’t require special markup, your brand’s trust footprint across Google matters, especially for local intent. A well-managed Google Business Profile (GBP) reinforces that you are a real entity with real locations, accurate hours, and a consistent presence across Google surfaces.
Recent ecosystem changes highlight the importance of verification. For example, reporting noted that a verified Google Business Profile became required for Local Services Ads eligibility in many regions starting Nov 21, 2024. While LSAs are not Discover, the broader takeaway is that Google increasingly ties local visibility features to verified, consistent business identities.
For multi-location businesses, treat each location as a first-class entity: correct categories, accurate hours (including holiday updates), consistent naming, and location-specific content that matches what customers actually experience at that branch. This reduces confusion and strengthens the “real-world” credibility that people-first systems tend to reward.
6) Add LocalBusiness structured data to support local clarity (even if Discover doesn’t require it)
Google says Discover doesn’t require structured data to be eligible. Still, LocalBusiness structured data can communicate key attributes (like hours and departments) and can help Search/Maps business displays such as knowledge panels and carousels, surfaces that often accompany brand discovery and reinforce trust.
Google’s LocalBusiness structured data documentation also includes examples with multiple image aspect ratios (1x1, 4x3, 16x9). That matters in feed-driven environments where cropping varies; providing multiple variants helps your visuals stay legible and representative across different layouts.
Think of LocalBusiness markup as “local SEO hygiene”: it won’t guarantee Discover inclusion, but it can improve consistency across Google and reduce ambiguity about who you are, where you operate, and what users can expect, supporting the same trust signals Discover is designed to elevate.
7) Turn local freshness into feedworthy signals: “What’s Happening,” Posts, and social sync
Local SEO is often about “freshness with specificity,” and Google Business Profile is leaning into that. Coverage in 2025 described a “What’s Happening” module for restaurants and bars that can surface specials/events (like “This week”) at the top of the local profile, updated manually or via social sync.
Later reporting said the feature expanded to multi-location restaurants and bars, quoting Google’s framing around promoting localized offers (for example, different specials in different cities) right when locals are searching. That’s a useful mental model for Discover too: localized, time-sensitive context can make content feel personally relevant.
Practically, publish regular Google Posts (often cited as the preferred trigger) and keep active social feeds connected where appropriate; guidance also recommends localizing posts “where possible to improve relevance.” Then mirror that same discipline on your site: create location-specific event pages, weekly roundup posts, or seasonal landing pages with large images and clear, non-exaggerated titles.
8) Measure what works in Discover, and plan for volatility
Google provides a Discover Performance report in Search Console that shows impressions, clicks, and CTR, with up to a 16-month window, and it can include Discover traffic from Chrome surfaces. Use it to identify which topics, locations, and formats are actually being surfaced, and which titles/images earn the click.
Build a workflow around this report: tag your content by location, theme (events, guides, deals, how-tos), and intent (visit, call, buy, book). Then compare CTR and impression growth after changes like enabling max-image-preview:large, refreshing older evergreen posts, or adding original local photography.
Also plan for change. Community discussions have suggested that large image preview presentation shifts can coincide with Discover traffic swings (anecdotal, not official). Treat Discover as a portfolio channel: diversify with evergreen local content, keep entity signals clean, and avoid tactics that rely on a single presentation style staying constant.
9) Make local relevance explicit (because recommendation systems reward it)
Personalized feeds decide what to show based on predicted relevance. Research on recommendation/personalization pipelines has reported that LLM-based approaches can increase distribution of “local” articles (one paper reports a 27% boost in local article distribution in an online system). The strategic implication: clearly expressing local cues can help systems confidently classify content as relevant to nearby users.
In practice, don’t bury the location. Use precise place names, embedded context (neighborhoods, landmarks, venues), and practical constraints (service boundaries, delivery radius, local regulations) that only a real local operator would know. Pair that with first-hand media and transparent sourcing to align with people-first guidance.
If you need benchmarks, you’ll find self-reported Discover case studies citing large-scale outcomes (for example, millions of clicks and ~10% CTR in a year) but you should verify independently before basing forecasts on them. Use Search Console’s Discover report for your own baselines, then iterate like a product: topic selection, packaging (title/image), and trust signals.
Optimizing for Google Discover with local SEO is less about “hacking the feed” and more about consistently earning attention with trustworthy local usefulness. Follow Google’s official guidance: avoid clickbait, don’t manipulate engagement, and invest in compelling large images (≥1200px) enabled via max-image-preview:large, a change that even Google’s own case study shows can materially lift CTR.
Then layer local SEO strengths on top: verified and well-managed Google Business Profiles, clear entity information (supported by LocalBusiness structured data), localized freshness via Posts and “What’s Happening,” and evergreen local content that can resurface over time. Measure it all in Search Console’s Discover report, expect volatility, and keep iterating toward helpful, reliable, people-first local experiences.
