From Newsrooms to E-commerce: The Google Discover Strategy You're Not Using (Yet) - Google Search Central Live Zurich 2025 - Clara Soteras

Clara Soteras was a speaker in Google Zurich with the talk titled “From Newsrooms to E-commerce: The Google Discover Strategy You’re Not Using (Yet)”. It was delivered at Google Search Central Live in Zurich 2025. It explores how Google Discover’s ranking factors and strategic approaches, traditionally leveraged by news publishers, can be applied by e-commerce sites and brands. The session highlights the evolving role of content creators, the growing influence of social media visibility, and the latest updates Google is implementing in its algorithm to surface high-value, engaging content across different sectors.

Transcript

1. From Newsrooms to E-commerce: The Google Discover Strategy You're Not Using (Yet) Clara Soteras hola@clarasoteras.com
2. What is Google Discover? Google Discover is a personalized content feed designed for mobile device users, offering a stream of articles, videos, and updates tailored to their interests. Content appears based on users' interests and data related to their activity (registered in their Google account): • Searches • Videos • Interaction with news • Location history • Followed topics
3. Is it possible to create Discover content for e-commerce, brands, and other businesses?
4. AUTO PARTS STORE ELECTRICALS AND HOME TECHNOLOGY ECOMMERCE ELECTRONICS ONLINE STORE
5. The Blade: Sharp & Cutting Headlines Headlines are your sharpest tool. Google Discover favours headlines that are sharp, precise, and cutting: balancing curiosity with clarity, promising value whilst maintaining credibility. Patterns That Consistently Perform 1 The "How-to" formula "How [Target Audience] Can [Achieve Desired Result] Without [Common Obstacle]" 2 The numbered list "[Number] [Adjective] Ways to [Benefit/Solution]" 3 The contrarian angle "Why [Common Belief] Is Wrong (And What to Do Instead)" 4 The timely hook "What [Current Event] Means for [Your Audience]" 5 The expert citation "According to [Expert/Authority], [Surprising Insight or Recommendation]"
6. The Blade: Sharp & Cutting Headlines
7. The Tweezers: Entities Over Keywords Like tweezers picking precise details, entities help Google understand your content. The strategy: create entity clusters by repeatedly mentioning related entities from categories where you have expertise, building strong topical authority. What are entities? Entities are distinct, identifiable "things" – people, places, organizations, products, concepts – that Google can recognize, unlike generic keywords.
8. The Screwdriver: E-E-A-T & Expertise Like a screwdriver, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) helps you build and assemble your content, piece by piece. It represents the expertise and authority embedded in your articles, constructed through expert authors and clear knowledge signals. Expert Authors Matter Credible content begins with authors who possess genuine experience and expertise in their field. Show Credentials Clearly display author qualifications, detailed biographies, and relevant experience to establish their standing. Demonstrate Deep Knowledge Content should reflect thorough understanding, original research, and unique insights, going beyond surface-level information. Build Trust Reinforce authority through clear citations, reputable sources, and endorsements, signaling credibility to your audience and algorithms.
9. The Screwdriver: E-E-A-T & Expertise
10. The Screwdriver: E-E-A-T & Expertise
11. The Scissors: Images - What You See & What You Don't Like scissors that cut and shape, images need to be carefully crafted for both their visible presentation and their invisible, behind-the-scenes elements. Both aspects are crucial for discovery and performance. 1 What You See (Visual Strategy) • Close-ups, collages, showing emotions, faces • Images that hide the entity creatively • Images containing character/person for authority • Consider users' location in image selection 2 What You Don't See (Technical Requirements) • Images larger than 1200px max-image-preview:large setting • Always JPG format, never PNG • Proper optimization for fast loading
12. The Scissors: Images - What You See & What You Don't
13. The File: Refining Through Interlinking The file is a tool that allows you to refine with precision. It's often overlooked and rarely thought about, yet it's perfect for ensuring everything works smoothly. Like the file on a Swiss Army knife, interlinking is the invisible refinement tool that polishes your content strategy, connecting articles seamlessly and ensuring your entire content ecosystem functions flawlessly.
14. The Tin Opener: The Buzz Factor Like a tin opener that quickly cracks open a can, the buzz factor is about generating a high volume of traffic in a short period of time. This traffic spike acts as a trigger for Google Discover—when your content creates buzz and attracts rapid engagement, it signals to the algorithm that your content is worth amplifying to more users.
15. The Compass: Location Matters Like a compass that guides you based on where you are, user location is a critical factor in Google Discover. The algorithm prioritizes content relevant to your current geographic location, delivering news and information that matters to where you are right now.
16. The Toothpick: Timeliness & Trends The toothpick is small but essential—like staying current with what's happening right now. Google Discover heavily favors timely content and trending topics. Being on top of current events, emerging trends, and what's relevant at this moment is crucial for visibility in the feed. Timeliness Matters Fresh, current content gets priority in Discover. Trending Topics Capitalize on what's trending in your niche or location. News Cycle Awareness Understanding when to publish for maximum impact. Real-time Relevance Create content about your brand by connecting it to current trends and events.
17. Some headline ideas based on our business • How to Keep Your Business Running When Cloudflare Goes Down • Cloudflare Outage? Here Are 5 Ways to Protect Your Website and Customer Flow • Cloudflare Down? Here Are Friday Recipes to Keep You Busy While the Internet Rests • If Cloudflare Doesn’t Work… At Least Dinner Will! 7 Easy Recipes to Try Tonight • Cloudflare Is Down — but These Fashion Deals Are Still Hot: Shoes You Can’t Miss Today • Cloudflare Crash = Coffee Break: Here Are the Best Beans to Try This Weekend The Toothpick: Timeliness & Trends
18. The Corkscrew: Content Creators and the Potential to Expand Visibility Now in Discover, you can find much more than just media outlets. Google has opened up a significant opportunity for brands and content creators—users can now follow their posts directly in the feed. Social media publications are gaining increasing importance, making strategic presence on platforms like Twitter/X, Instagram, and YouTube essential for expanding visibility and reaching new audiences through Discover.
19. Now in Discover, you can find much more than just media outlets. Google has opened up a significant opportunity for brands and content creators—users can now follow their posts directly in the feed. Social media publications are gaining increasing importance, making strategic presence on platforms like Twitter/X, Instagram, and YouTube essential for expanding visibility and reaching new audiences through Discover. The Corkscrew: Content Creators and the Potential to Expand Visibility
20. Thank you! I'm Clara Soteras • SEO Consultant For News Publishers and Digital Strategy • Head of Innovation and Digital Strategy AMIC • Associate Professor Journalism • SEO for News Professor in business schools • Judge for Journalism and Judge for Search Awards • Programme committee member for the Online News Association conference and OJA judge • Member of the Catalan SEO Association, MujeresEnSEO and Google Product Experts • Former Director of SEO and Product at El Nacional Contact: hola@clarasoteras.com clarasoteras.com My latest project