Implement large, high-quality images optimized for Google Discover.
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Why this matters
Google Discover favors large, high-resolution images (at least 1200 pixels wide) in a 16:9 ratio to improve user engagement and visibility in feeds.
Hypothetical standard operating procedure
Adapt this example to your site, access, tools, and change process. It is our suggested procedure, informed by the sources below.
- Audit current article images for size and resolution; identify images smaller than 1200px wide.
- Select or create images in 16:9 ratio, ensuring they exceed 300,000 pixels total (e.g., 1280x720).
- Use the og:image meta tag or schema.org markup to specify the preferred large image per article.
- Crop images carefully to preserve important details, avoiding automatic aspect ratio crops that exclude relevant content.
- Monitor Discover performance in Search Console to confirm increased impressions and clicks linked to image improvements.
Watch for
Avoid using images with heavy text overlays or unrelated generic images like logos, as these reduce Discover performance.
Definition of done
Discover traffic increases and the preferred image appears as thumbnail in Discover articles.
Sources & attribution
Original checklist wording and example SOP by Best SEO Checklist, using source-grounded AI assistance. Editorial contact: Ted Kubaitis, @tedkubaitis on Teams. Check current source guidance before implementation.