For a lot of Indian news and lifestyle sites, Discover isn't a bonus channel anymore. For many, it's one of their biggest sources of readers.
So two pieces of news from September deserve your full attention. First, Google started testing a "Dive deeper" button in Discover that opens an AI-written topic overview before the reader reaches any article. Second, Discover has quietly vanished from desktop Google.com.
Neither is a reason to panic. Both are reasons to change how you plan content. Here's what's confirmed, what's still a test, and what you can do this week.
What is Discover's "Dive deeper" test?
On 18 September 2026, Robby Stein, VP of Product for Google Search, announced the experiment on X, as reported by Search Engine Journal. Tapping the button opens a short topic overview with "prominent links to related stories, community reactions & original reporting," in Stein's words.
What we know so far:
- It starts with videos. The first version appears on video cards in Discover.
- Designs will change. Google says it will try several designs in the coming weeks.
- The summary is AI-generated. Google's own example carries a label warning that AI can make mistakes.
- It's a test. Google hasn't shared which countries see it, a rollout date, traffic data, or an opt-out.
The worry for publishers is easy to understand. Before, a tap on a Discover card took the reader to your site. In this test, one more Google-hosted layer can sit between the card and your story.
How to get cited in Dive deeper overviews
There's no special tag or markup for Dive deeper, and Google hasn't published any guidance specific to it. But Stein's description tells you what the overview is built to link to: related stories, community reactions and original reporting. That last one is the opening.
Here's a practical playbook based on that, plus Google's existing Discover guidance:
- Be the original source. Break the news, publish the first-hand data, get the on-ground quote. Aggregated rewrites have the least reason to be cited.
- Say what's new early. Put your unique angle in the headline and first two lines, so it's obvious what your story adds.
- Go video-first where it fits. The test starts on video cards. Short, well-titled explainer videos on YouTube, embedded in your article, give you a presence on the surface where Dive deeper is being tried.
- Use strong, original images. Google recommends large images at least 1200 px wide, 16:9, with max-image-preview:large enabled. Avoid logos and text-heavy images as your main image.
- Write honest titles. Google's Discover guide explicitly warns against clickbait, misleading previews and sensationalism.
- Cover topics in depth, not in fragments. A strong explainer or follow-up is more likely to be a useful link than ten thin updates.
- Publish in Indian languages. If your readers are in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali or Marathi, original reporting in those languages may face less competition. Google hasn't said which languages the test covers, so treat this as an opportunity to watch, not a promise.
How to measure Dive deeper (and Discover AI) in Search Console
Search Console has a Generative AI performance report for Discover. It's been available to all websites since 31 August 2026.
- It shows impressions of your links inside generative AI features in Discover, by Pages, Countries and Dates.
- An impression counts only when the link is scrolled into view, and only once per result per session.
- It doesn't show clicks.
Google hasn't said whether Dive deeper data appears in this report. Still, it's the best first-party place to watch. Pair it with the standard Discover Performance report (clicks, impressions, CTR) for the same pages, and look for pages where AI impressions rise while clicks fall.
Discover on desktop is gone. Now what?
Google began bringing Discover to the desktop Google.com homepage in 2025. By mid-September 2026, it had disappeared. Search Engine Roundtable reported on 17 September that desktop Google.com is back to just a search box, citing tracking that showed the feed gone from every country where it had been working.
Google hasn't publicly explained the removal. So here's how to handle it:
- Check your Discover report by device. If a September drop is mostly desktop, the removal is a likely cause. If mobile dropped too, look elsewhere.
- Don't build for desktop Discover. Assume Discover is a mobile product, because for almost everyone it now is.
- Design for one-thumb reading. Fast pages, clean layouts, no intrusive pop-ups and readable fonts on small screens.
- Remember Discover has always been volatile. Google's own guide calls Discover traffic less predictable than search traffic and suggests treating it as supplemental.
What Indian publishers should do this week
- Pull last 3 months of Discover data split by device; note any desktop-only drop around September
- Open the Discover Generative AI report and export the top pages
- Pick your 10 best original stories; add a short embedded video to each
- Audit lead images: 1200 px+, 16:9, no text overlays, max-image-preview:large on
- Rewrite any headline that over-promises
- Plan two original-reporting pieces a week in your strongest language
- Set a monthly check on the Discover AI report for changes once Dive deeper expands
Related reading on ClicZeo
- Google Discover 2026: How to Win Amid AI "Dive Deeper"
- How to Get Featured in Google Discover: Checklist
- Search Console AI Impressions: What They Mean for Indian SEO Teams
- GSC Multimodal Report: How to Track Google Lens Traffic
- Hit by the September 2026 Spam Update? India Audit Guide
The bottom line
Dive deeper is a test, and Google is still trying designs. But the direction is clear: Discover is adding AI layers, and it's mobile-only again. Publishers that break news, bring original reporting and package it with strong visuals and video are the ones most likely to stay linked inside those layers. Everyone else is competing to be summarised.
Sources
- Google Discover Test Adds Topic Overviews, Starting With Videos, Search Engine Journal
- Discover and your website, Google Search Central
- Generative AI performance report (Discover), Search Console Help
- What Ever Happened To Google Discover On Desktop, Search Engine Roundtable, 17 Sep 2026
