Google is a fickle beast. One day you’re sitting pretty on page one for a high-volume keyword, and the next, your traffic falls off a cliff because a core update decided your content wasn't "helpful" enough. It’s frustrating. But if you want to know how to highlight a page so it grabs attention in both standard search results and the elusive Google Discover feed, you have to stop thinking like a bot and start thinking like a curator.
High-performing pages don't happen by accident. They are engineered to be noticed.
The Reality of How to Highlight a Page in 2026
Most people think "highlighting" a page just means getting a featured snippet. Sure, that helps. But in the current search ecosystem—where AI Overviews (SGE) take up half the screen and TikTok is a search engine for Gen Z—getting your page to stand out requires a multi-front assault. You’re basically trying to tell Google's algorithm, "Hey, this specific piece of information is the gold standard."
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First, let's talk about the "Featured Snippet" or Position Zero. This is the ultimate way to how to highlight a page in traditional SERPs. According to data from Ahrefs, about 12% of search results have a featured snippet, and these blocks steal a massive chunk of clicks from the first organic result. To get there, you need "snippet-able" content. This means you stop rambling. You provide a clear, 40-60 word definition or a concise list right at the top of the page.
It's about being the best answer, not just the longest one.
Why Google Discover is the Real Prize
Google Discover is different. It’s not pull; it’s push. Users aren't searching for you; Google is suggesting you based on their interests. If you want to how to highlight a page for Discover, you need high-quality imagery. Honestly, the image is 90% of the battle here. Google’s own documentation explicitly states that large, high-quality images (at least 1200px wide) increase the click-through rate to Discover content by 5%.
Don't use stock photos. Everyone recognizes that same "smiling woman in a headset" from 2014. Use original photography, or at the very least, heavily edited visuals that reflect your brand's unique aesthetic. Discover thrives on "freshness" and "interest," so your page needs to feel like a news event even if it’s evergreen advice.
Technical Markers That Do the Heavy Lifting
You can't just write a good story and hope for the best. You need the underlying code to shout. Schema markup is your best friend here. If you aren't using Article, FAQ, or HowTo schema, you're leaving money on the table.
Think of schema as the highlighter pen for the algorithm. By tagging your data, you allow Google to pull "rich results"—those little star ratings, price tags, or calorie counts—directly into the search results. This makes your link look twice as big and ten times as trustworthy as the plain blue link next to it.
The "NESS" Framework for Content
I like to use a framework I call NESS: Newness, Expertise, Structure, and Spark.
- Newness: Even if the topic is old, your perspective must be new. Google’s 2024 "Helpful Content" updates (which are still the foundation of how the 2026 algo works) punish "copycat" content. If you're just summarizing the top 5 results, why should Google highlight you?
- Expertise: Mention real people. Quote John Mueller or Danny Sullivan if you’re talking about SEO. Reference a study by Pew Research or a specific case study from a brand like Shopify.
- Structure: Use headers that actually mean something. "Introduction" is a wasted header. "How to highlight a page using Schema" is a functional header.
- Spark: This is the human element. Write with an opinion. Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines (E-E-A-T) place a huge premium on "Experience." Talk about the time you messed up a site’s SEO and how you fixed it. People love a comeback story, and apparently, so do crawlers.
Understanding the "Information Gain" Factor
There is a concept in SEO called Information Gain. Essentially, if your page provides information that isn't present in the other pages Google has already indexed, your "score" goes up. This is a massive part of how to highlight a page effectively.
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Imagine there are ten articles about "How to bake a cake." All of them say: mix flour, eggs, and sugar. Then you come along and say: "Mix flour, eggs, and sugar, but use a chilled bowl because it prevents the fats from breaking down too early." That one extra tip is your information gain. That’s what gets you the "highlighted" status.
The Core Web Vitals Trap
We need to talk about speed. It's boring, I know. But if your page takes 4 seconds to load on a 4G connection, Google Discover won't touch it. Mobile usability is the gatekeeper. Use PageSpeed Insights. Look at your Largest Contentful Paint (LCP). If it's over 2.5 seconds, you're toast.
I've seen brilliant articles—truly "human-quality" stuff—rot in obscurity because the publisher decided to embed three 40MB 4K videos at the top of the post. Don't be that person. Compress your images. Lazy-load your off-screen content. Basically, make the page feel light.
Highlighting Through Engagement Signals
Google denies that "pogo-sticking" (when a user clicks your link and immediately hits 'back') is a direct ranking factor. But come on. We know they track engagement. If people spend five minutes on your page, that sends a massive signal that the page is valuable.
How do you keep them there?
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- The Hook: Your first 100 words should be punchy.
- The Breadcrumbs: Link to related topics within your own site.
- The Visual Break: No one wants to read a wall of text. Use images, blockquotes, and even "tl;dr" sidebars.
Actionable Steps to Get Highlighted Today
If you want to see your page get that "highlighted" treatment, stop polishing the prose and start fixing the strategy.
First, go into your Google Search Console. Look at the "Performance" report and filter by "Discover." See which pages are already getting some love. Analyze them. What do they have in common? Usually, it's a high-quality, emotive image and a headline that sparks curiosity without being "clickbait."
Next, audit your headers. Ensure your primary keyword—how to highlight a page—is used naturally in an H2. Don't force it. If it sounds like a robot wrote it, a human won't read it, and Google's Increasingly sophisticated AI will catch on.
Lastly, focus on the "Open Graph" tags. When someone shares your page on Twitter or LinkedIn, how does it look? If the preview is broken, you're killing your social signals, which indirectly feed back into how Google perceives the page's "buzz."
- Audit your images: Ensure every page you want to "highlight" has a 1200px wide hero image.
- Implement FAQ Schema: Use it for the common questions related to your topic.
- Update the "Freshness": If a page is more than six months old, add a few new paragraphs of updated info and change the "Last Updated" date.
- Write for humans: Use "you" and "I." Stop trying to sound like a textbook.
Highlighting a page isn't about one single trick. It's about a hundred small things done right. It's about being so undeniably useful that the algorithm feels stupid for not putting you at the top. It takes work, but the traffic from a well-placed Discover feature or a dominant Featured Snippet is worth every second of optimization.