If you’ve noticed your website traffic acting a bit like a rollercoaster this week, you’re not alone. Google officially kicked off its first major shake-up of the year: the February 2026 Discover Core Update.
While “core updates” usually sound like technical jargon for “everything is changing,” this one is actually quite focused. Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s happening and why it matters for your content.
What’s Actually Changing?
Unlike some previous updates that focused on traditional search results (the links you see when you type a query), this update is laser-focused on Google Discover, that personalized feed of articles and videos that pops up on your mobile app.
Google’s goal is simple: they want to cut through the “noise” and show users content that actually feels relevant to their lives.
The 3 Big Themes
1. Local Flavor is In: Google is now prioritizing content from your own region or country. If you’re a local expert or a regional news site, this is your time to shine! It’s all about making the Discover feed feel like it belongs to your community.
2. The End of Clickbait (Seriously): We’ve all seen those “You Won’t Believe What Happened Next!” headlines. Google is cracking down on sensationalism and “curiosity gaps” that don’t deliver on their promises. If your headline is honest and captures the essence of the story, you’re in the clear.
3. Topic Expertise Over Everything: Google is getting smarter at identifying who is an expert in a specific niche. Writing a random article about a trending topic you don’t usually cover? The algorithm might skip it. They want to see consistent, in-depth knowledge from people who actually know their stuff.
Note: Currently, this update is rolling out specifically for English-language users in the United States. If you are a publisher outside the US but targeting a US audience, you might see some immediate shifts. For everyone else, consider this a “heads-up”—Google plans to expand these changes to other languages and countries over the coming months, so now is the perfect time to prep your strategy.
How to Stay in Google’s Good Books?
If you’re a creator or a business owner, you don’t need to panic. The “recovery” strategy is actually just a “good content” strategy:
- Be a Real Person: Use author bios that show off your experience. Link to your socials or portfolio to prove you aren’t an AI bot.
- Use High-Quality Visuals: Discover is a visual feed. Use large, original images (at least 1200px wide) rather than generic stock photos.
- Stay in Your Lane: Focus on the topics you’re actually an expert in. Depth beats breadth every single time, and ensuring your site meets technical standards, like those found in this Core Web Vitals guide, will help your expertise shine.
The February 2026 update is all about authenticity. Google wants to reward the humans who are writing helpful, honest, and locally relevant stories. If you focus on your audience instead of trying to “game the system,” you’ll likely come out on top.
While this latest rollout shifts the focus toward human connection, you can also look back at our analysis of the Google June 2025 core update to see how these quality requirements have evolved from previous years
To understand the February 2026 Core Update, it’s important to know what a Google Core Update is.
