Most SEO advice about images is simply:
“Add alt text.”
Which is good advice of course, but Discover is a completely different beast, and is visual first.
If your images don’t meet Google’s technical requirements and don’t stop thumbs from scrolling, your content won’t get picked up.
How Google Discover Really Works
Discover isn’t search, as people don’t type queries – Google pushes content based on interests, behavior, and engagement signals.
That means:
- visuals matter more than text
- CTR matters more than rankings
- presentation matters more than “SEO best practices”
If your image doesn’t earn the click, Discover ignores the post.
The #1 Requirement Most Bloggers Miss: Image Size
For Discover eligibility, your images must be at least 1,200px wide.
If your featured image is smaller, Discover usually won’t show it.
My Rule
- Width: 1200–1600px
- Height: flexible (but don’t go extreme)
You MUST Allow Large Image Previews
Google will not show large Discover images unless you explicitly allow it.
You need this meta tag:
<meta content='max-image-preview:large' name='robots'/>Most modern SEO plugins add this automatically, and most themes don’t.
Without this: Your post may still rank – but it won’t get Discover traffic.
Aspect Ratio Matters
Discover favors images that look good in a feed.
That usually means:
- landscape or near-landscape
- clean framing
- no awkward cropping
I avoid:
- tall Pinterest-style images
- extreme vertical ratios
- cluttered compositions
Safe ratios:
- 16:9
- 1.91:1
- wide 4:3
“Eye-Catching” Doesn’t Mean Clickbait
This is where people mess up.
Eye-catching doesn’t mean:
- red arrows
- shocked faces
- spammy text overlays
Discover isn’t YouTube.
What does work:
- strong contrast
- one clear focal point
- emotional relevance to the topic
- simplicity
I design images so they’re understandable in half a second.
If someone scrolls and instantly gets the vibe, I’m winning.
Text on Images: Use Less Than You Think
Some text is fine.
Too much text kills performance.
Google Discover prefers images that:
- feel editorial
- look like real articles
- don’t scream “marketing”
I use:
- 3–6 words max (if any)
- large, readable font
- plenty of breathing room
If the image looks like an ad, Discover treats it like one.
Featured Image > Inline Images
For Discover, the featured image matters the most.
That’s the image Google usually pulls.
Make sure:
- the featured image meets size requirements
- it’s unique to the post
- it visually matches the topic angle
Stock photos are fine – generic stock photos are not.
If the image could belong to any article, it won’t stand out.
File Quality Beats Compression Extremes
Blurry images hurt Discover performance more than slightly larger files.
Aim for:
- crisp clarity
- no visible artifacts
- reasonable compression
A sharp image that loads fast enough beats a blurry image that loads instantly.
Consistency Helps Discover Learn Your Site
This is underrated.
When your posts:
- use similar image styles
- similar framing
- similar quality
Google starts to recognize a visual pattern tied to your content.
That helps Discover understand:
“This is the kind of content users engage with.”
What Alt Text Is Actually For (Hint: Not Discover)
Alt text still matters a lot – but not for Discover clicks.
Alt text helps with:
- accessibility
- image search
- context confirmation
It does not make an image “Discover-friendly” by itself.
Common Mistakes That Kill Discover Traffic
I see these all the time:
- featured images under 1200px
- no
max-image-preview:largetag - vertical images designed for Pinterest
- cluttered visuals with too much text
- generic stock photos with no emotion
- inconsistent image quality across posts
Fix these and you’re ahead of most sites.
My Simple Discover Image Checklist
Before publishing, I check:
- Is the image at least 1200px wide?
- Is large image preview enabled?
- Does it look good cropped in a feed?
- Is the focal point clear instantly?
- Would I click it without reading the headline?
If the answer is no, I redesign it.
If you treat images as the entry point, Discover can become one of your biggest traffic sources – even with a small site.
Alt text is table stakes.
Visual strategy is the real game.
