29 million impressions in Google Discover
The case: the client runs a special-interest portal. He works journalistically and publishes unique content, but only part-time.
The result: with publisher SEO the Google Discover figures rose from 515,652 to 2.72 million clicks and from 4.78 million to 29 million impressions.
The case
What was the starting point?
The problem: before the collaboration the site earned solid traffic but stayed below its potential.
Support from a classic SEO agency
The client had previously been supported by a classic SEO agency. He works journalistically and publishes unique content, but only part-time.
The editorial SEO lever
The solution: what was missing was the editorial SEO lever. Pure technical and structural optimisation cannot explain a result like this.
Approach
Which SEO measures work?
We shifted the focus from pure technology to journalistic SEO. That requires understanding of and experience with news mechanics.
Editorial SEO work
Strategic SEO seminars and workshops, Google Discover optimisation and topic research with current data and LLMs brought the editorial lever into the project.
Refreshes and republishing as well as evergreen content made sure that existing content was not left idle.
Live support and technology
During major events we added live support. Optimising the Core Web Vitals complemented the editorial work on the technical side.
Before and after
What results did the site achieve?
The result: the client increased his clicks fivefold and his impressions sixfold. That meant more readers for monetisation.
Before my support
- 24 July 2024 to 3 December 2024
- 515,652 clicks
- 4.78 million impressions
- 10.8 percent CTR
With publisher SEO
- 4 December 2024 to 15 April 2025
- 2.72 million clicks
- 29 million impressions
- 9.4 percent CTR
Long-term performance
What role did Google Discover and Google Search play?
The main image shows the before-and-after comparison. The two further GSC views separate the 2025 annual figures by channel: Google Discover reached 7.18 million clicks and 104 million impressions, Google Search 4.18 million clicks and 64.2 million impressions.
Learnings
What can be taken from the project?
Whether large publisher, local newspaper, solo publisher or special interest: publisher SEO has to fit the newsroom and the topic area.
Few project days, specialised news SEO
These results did not require a months-long project. Over the past twelve months a total of eight project days went into the collaboration.
Combining practical newsroom experience with specialised news SEO made the difference. Google Discover cannot be optimised purely technically.
During breaking news, publisher SEO can deliver reach when newsroom, timing and execution fit together.
Google Discover, AI Overviews and LLMs
The blanket claim that Google Discover no longer works does not match this trajectory. What matters is a strategy for relevant topics.
Despite AI Overviews and LLMs, traffic growth was possible. Building a brand and unique content secure reach against changes in search.
Want to grow your reach?
In a call we can check whether data basis, topic area and editorial capacity are sufficient for a comparable approach.
Get in touch