If we were to describe the Google Discover Feed in one phrase, we’d call it the digital marketing version of “Snakes and Ladders.” One moment you’re up, the next you’re down! Today you might have 1 million traffic on your site, and tomorrow you’ll see it crash down to just 10,000. So, what is the actual reason behind Google Discover’s power to turn a business from a king to a pauper in a split second?
Google has just answered this exact question and announced a massive change. Mark the date February 5, 2026. Google has officially launched a Core Update specifically for their Discover Feed.
For those of you who are SEO experts or content creators in Bangladesh, you’ve probably noticed some massive fluctuations in traffic recently. Even Google engineers reportedly don’t fully trust this Discover Feed because it is just that unpredictable! But this update isn’t your typical maintenance run; it’s practically going to be a surgical strike against spammers and carries some huge news for Bangladeshi content creators.
In today’s blog, we are going to do a postmortem of Google Discover Update what changes have actually occurred, who is going to get caught, and whose business is about to take off like a rocket.
What Was Happening in Google Discover Until Now (The Dark Side)
For the past few years, Google Discover has been plagued by scams and fraudulent behaviors that were extremely annoying for both regular users and genuine publishers. If we think about it from a regular user’s perspective, most of us have likely faced the following issues.
1. The Back Button Trap (Back Button Hijacking)
Imagine seeing a news piece on the Discover Feed and clicking on it. After reading the news, when pressing the phone’s ‘Back Button’ to return to the feed, the user realizes they aren’t there anymore! They have been forcefully redirected to that website’s homepage or a completely different landing page.
2. Misuse of Expired Domains
This had become a very common practice. Some dishonest marketers would buy expired domains of schools, colleges, or trusted educational institutions. Why? Because those domains already had high authority. Then, they would upload AI-generated fake news or bizarre celebrity gossip on them. Riding on the domain authority, these posts would rank on Discover and steal millions in traffic.
3. Bait & Switch
A user sees a thumbnail of a new smartphone launch or breaking news about a celebrity. They click on it, but once the page loads, it automatically switches to a completely different article that has nothing to do with the thumbnail. The user gets confused, goes back, and clicks again. This is how site owners were generating fake engagement and traffic.
Google had been seeing this data in Analytics for a long time, but wasn’t taking much action. But with this February 2026 update, Google has made it crystal clear Enough is enough!
What Changes Are Coming After the Update?
Google usually speaks in a very cryptic or mysterious language regarding their updates, but this major Google Discover update boils down to three main points. And these points could be absolute game-changers for Bangladeshi creators.
1. The Rise of Local Content (Local Visibility)
This is the biggest good news for us. Previously, it was common to see content from big American or European news sites dominating the feeds of users in our country. But Google is now saying that they will prioritize local sources or vernacular language (like Bengali) content.
This means if you create good content in Bengali for a Bangladeshi audience, your chances of appearing in the Discover Feed are now much higher than some big foreign site. This is a golden opportunity for local publishers.
2. The End of Clickbait and Sensational News
Sites that have been fooling people with fake thumbnails or using exaggerated titles (Clickbait) to grab traffic are in for a rough time. Google will now use its algorithm to detect which content is created solely for clicks and which is actually providing value. These spammy sites are now going to be filtered out.
3. Expertise and Timeliness (Expertise Matters)
Understand this point very carefully. Suppose a big political news portal suddenly publishes an article on a “Kacchi Biryani Cooking Recipe.” On the other hand, a small food blogger or a dedicated recipe site writes on the same topic.
In the old algorithm, the big news site would rank simply due to its domain authority. But in the new update, Google will look at who actually has Expertise in that topic? A political site’s job is to talk about politics, not cooking. So from now on, specific Niche sites (e.g., Food Blogs, Tech Blogs, Health Blogs) will get more benefit than general news sites if they remain consistent in their topics.
What Should You Do Now? (Action Plan)
To hold onto your traffic or increase it after this update, agencies and creators need to bring about some technical and strategic changes. Just writing content won’t be enough; we need to fix the following issues:
- Website Speed & AMP: One of the main conditions for appearing in Google Discover is that the site must be super fast. If a page takes more than 3-4 seconds to load, the user will bounce. If the main site is slow, definitely use AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages).
- High-Quality Images: Discover is essentially a visual game. The featured image of the article must be crisp and clear. The image size should be at least 1200 pixels (Wide). Using blurred or low-quality images will result in losing the spot in Discover.
- Content Velocity: Frequency matters for ranking in Discover. It’s hard to do well here by posting just 2-4 pieces of content a month. Publishers have to publish regularly and keep the content fresh. Google wants “Timely Content” meaning content that is relevant right now.
- Focus on Your Niche: Don’t turn the website into a vegetable market. If you work with technology, stay focused on technology. Suddenly writing about politics or cinema just to go viral might backfire.
The roll-out for this Google Discover update usually takes about two weeks to fully roll out. So, let’s not panic right now; instead, focus on the content strategy. For those who have been working genuinely all this time, this update will come as a blessing. And for those who were looking for shortcuts, perhaps it’s time to rethink the approach.
Remember, the core mantra for surviving in digital marketing is just one thing providing value to the audience. Whatever Google’s algorithm may be, if users like the content, Google will find it.
Have you noticed any changes in your site’s traffic? Let us know in the comments!
