Playbook: Responding to Google’s February 2026 Discover Core Update

Google’s February 2026 Discover Core Update is the first core update targeted specifically at the Discover feed rather than general Search. Early signals from publishers and testing mentioned in the announcement point to stricter quality evaluation — downranking thin, low-value AI output and favoring content from demonstrably authoritative topical sources. Expect volatility while the systems settle and preferentially surface well-sourced, expert content.

This playbook gives you a fast audit, concrete fixes you can make in under 30 minutes, a short content rewrite example, monitoring priorities, and clear next steps to protect and recover Discover traffic.

What changed (plain summary)

• The update targets the Discover selection pipeline (not broad Search ranking signals).
• Signals penalize thin, low-value content and reward true topical authority and better sourcing.
• Rollout began in early February 2026 and is expanding to more countries and languages over time; publishers should anticipate traffic shifts while the models recalibrate.
• Google reported internal tests that people find Discover more useful after the change; in practice that means Discover will boost content that demonstrates expertise, depth, and trust signals.

Note: these points reflect Google’s public update and early industry telemetry; expect continued clarification as the rollout expands.

Why this matters for content strategy

Discover is a behavioral, interest-driven feed. That means:

• Thin pages or generic AI spin that lack deep topical context are now more likely to lose visibility.
• Sites with real topical hubs, documented expertise, and strong source signals (authoritativeness, citations, original reporting) will be favored.
• Traffic volatility is likely in the short term; some pages may recover as the system learns site-level topical strengths.

This is not just a “keyword” ranking tweak — it changes what content surfaces in a passive, discovery-oriented environment. That favors content designed to inform, engage, and demonstrate why the publisher is a reliable authority on the topic.

Quick audit you can run in <30 minutes

Do this on your highest-Discover-traffic pages (or a representative sample).

1. Open your analytics and pull the top 20 pages that historically drove Discover clicks in the last 90 days.
2. For each page, answer three fast questions:
   • Does this page add original context, sources, or reporting beyond widely repeated facts? (yes/no)
   • Is an author, organization credential, or verifiable source present and visible? (yes/no)
   • Is the content substantially longer than a single short paragraph and organized for depth (subheads, references, media)? (yes/no)

Pages with two or three “no” answers are at immediate risk. Prioritize those for quick improvement.

10-minute fixes that move the needle

• Add a visible author attribution with a one-line credential (e.g., “Jane Doe, registered dietitian with 10+ years of clinical experience”).
• Add 1–3 high-quality inline sources or citations (link to studies, official guidance, or first-party data summaries).
• Expand a weak intro paragraph to 150–300 words that explains the page’s unique angle (what readers will learn that they can’t get elsewhere).
• Add a short “Why this matters” subhead to show intent and expertise.
• Replace or augment stock images with original visuals or labeled data callouts.

These steps help signal topical authority and increase perceived value for Discover’s quality filters.

Before / after micro-rewrite (tactical proof)

Original (thin AI-style):

Eating apples is good for you. They have vitamins and can help with weight loss. Try to eat one every day.

Improved (45–90 seconds to write, shows expertise & sourcing):

Eating apples supports health in several measurable ways: they supply soluble fiber (pectin), which research links to improved digestion and satiety, and they provide vitamin C and plant polyphenols that may reduce oxidative stress. A 2021 meta-analysis found regular fruit intake correlated with modest weight control benefits in long-term cohorts — though fruit isn’t a substitute for overall dietary balance. For practical tips, aim for whole apples over juice and pair with protein or nuts to extend fullness.

Why this is better: it adds specific mechanisms, references a study type, clarifies limitations, and gives actionable guidance — all signals that Discover’s quality filters look for.

Editorial signals that matter to Discover

• Demonstrable topical depth (clustered pages, internal linking, hub pages).
• Explicit expertise and credentials visible near content.
• Original reporting or unique analysis (data, case studies, interviews).
• Clear sourcing for claims (studies, official guidance, industry bodies).
• Better user experience: fast loading, readable formatting, and descriptive images/captions.

Monitoring cadence and KPIs

• Daily for the first 10–14 days: Discover impressions and clicks for top 50 pages. Watch for sharp drops or large swings.
• Weekly thereafter: average CTR, average position in Discover (if available), and page-level dwell metrics.
• KPIs to watch: Discover clicks, Discover impressions, organic clicks from similar pages, and page-level engagement (time on page, scroll depth).
• Alerts: Set a trigger for >30% drop in Discover clicks for any page week-over-week.

Expect oscillation. Use week-over-week smoothing (7-day or 14-day rolling) to separate noise from sustained trends.

How to prioritize content changes

1. Pages with high Discover traffic and small changes needed (add sources, author).
2. Pages with moderate traffic but high business value (product, conversion, subscriber funnels).
3. Thin pages with no business value — prune, consolidate, or canonicalize.

Consolidation (merging several low-value pages into a single authoritative hub) often yields better Discover outcomes than incremental micro-updates to many thin pages.

What this does NOT solve

• This update won’t magically restore traffic for sites that lack topical depth or long-term authority; short-term fixes are limited if the entire site lacks expertise signals.
• It is not a ban on AI-assisted writing — but purely thin, mass-produced AI text without expertise or sourcing is at risk.
• Technical SEO alone (sitemaps, structured data) won’t compensate for weak content quality in Discover.

Risks and trade-offs

• Over-optimizing for “signals” (e.g., stuffing credentials that aren’t genuine) can backfire; authenticity matters.
• Heavy consolidation or rapid content pruning can trigger temporary ranking/visibility dips; stage changes and monitor.
• Focusing only on Discover at the expense of organic search and user journeys can leave you vulnerable elsewhere.

Short checklist to recover or protect Discover traffic (actionable)

• Add or verify author credentials on at-risk pages.
• Insert 1–2 credible inline sources or a short “sources” list.
• Expand intros to explain the unique value the page provides.
• Merge or canonicalize duplicate/near-duplicate thin pages.
• Add a short editorial note when content uses AI assistance (transparency helps trust).

Next steps (clear, prioritized)

1. Run the 30-minute audit on your top 50 Discover pages and tag pages into “Quick fix”, “Expand/merge”, or “Prune.”
2. Deploy 10-minute fixes on the Quick fix group this week (author, source links, richer intro).
3. Set up monitoring alerts for >30% Discover drops and review weekly; schedule consolidation work for the high-priority group in weeks 2–4.

Further reading (selectively): consider official Google guidance on content quality and best-practice authoritativeness where available.

If you want, I can: 1) generate a batch of “author snippets” and source lines you can paste into 50 pages, or 2) produce 5 example consolidations (which pages to merge and suggested new hub outlines) from a sample URL list. Which would help more right now?