Google is a massive, shifting machine. Most people think "ranking" is just about keywords or some secret back-end code that only nerds in Silicon Valley understand. Honestly, that’s just not how it works anymore. The people that rank on Google and appear in Google Discover aren't just lucky; they are usually creators, journalists, or subject matter experts who have figured out how to feed the algorithm exactly what it craves: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. We call this E-E-A-T. If you’re looking at a search result for "how to fix a leaky faucet" or "best crypto wallets," the people at the top are those who have proven to Google's automated systems that they aren't just scraping content from somewhere else. They’re the real deal.
The Authority Figures Behind the Search Bar
Who are these people? Well, they’re often folks like Lily Ray or Glenn Gabe. These are real-world SEO experts who spend their entire lives tracking how Google’s "Helpful Content System" treats human-led websites versus AI-generated fluff. When you see a site ranking high, you’re usually seeing the work of a dedicated content team or an individual who has spent years building a digital reputation.
Google doesn't just rank "pages" anymore. It ranks entities.
An entity can be a person. If you are a doctor and you write about heart health, Google looks for your credentials. It looks for your LinkedIn profile, your mentions in medical journals, and whether other reputable sites link back to you. The people that rank on Google are those who have successfully mapped their real-world expertise into the digital Knowledge Graph. It’s why a random blog post about "curing cancer with lemon juice" won't rank, but an article from a verified oncologist at the Mayo Clinic will. Google’s algorithms are designed to protect users from "Your Money or Your Life" (YMYL) misinformation. If your content can affect someone's health or finances, the bar for who you are is incredibly high.
The Discover Feed: A Different Kind of Beast
Discover is weird. It’s not like search. In search, you ask a question. In Discover, Google just gives you what it thinks you want before you even ask. The people who show up here are often high-volume publishers or niche hobbyists who trigger strong emotional responses.
You’ve probably seen it on your phone. You’re scrolling and suddenly there’s an article about a movie you liked ten years ago or a specific brand of shoes you were looking at. The creators ranking here are masters of "freshness." They catch trends early. Think of sites like The Verge or Polygon. They don't just write for keywords; they write for clicks, but they do it with high-quality imagery and provocative (but not clickbait) headlines.
What Makes These People Successful?
It’s not just about writing long articles. It’s about being helpful.
The people that rank on Google consistently are the ones who answer the "user intent" better than anyone else. If someone searches for "how to tie a tie," they don't want a 3,000-word history of neckwear. They want a video or a diagram. The people who rank are the ones who realize this. They provide the shortest, most efficient path to the answer.
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- They use high-quality, original images.
- They have fast websites (Core Web Vitals matter, even if we hate talking about them).
- They author their content clearly. No more "Admin" as the author name.
- They update their stuff. A 2022 guide to the "Best Laptops" is useless in 2026.
I’ve seen small bloggers beat out massive corporations just because they had better photos and a more authentic voice. Google’s "hidden gems" update specifically tried to find these people—the ones writing in forums like Reddit or on personal blogs—and pull them to the front because they sound like human beings.
The Technical Side of Being a Ranker
You can’t just be a good writer. You have to be a bit of a technician. The people appearing in Google Discover almost always use large, high-resolution images that are at least 1200 pixels wide. This is a documented requirement from Google. If your image is a blurry thumbnail, you aren’t getting in. Period.
Also, look at schema markup. It sounds boring because it is. But the people ranking use it to tell Google, "Hey, this is a recipe," or "This is a product review." It’s like a digital ID card for your content. Without it, Google has to guess what you’re talking about. The pros don't let Google guess.
Misconceptions About Who "Wins" at SEO
There is a huge myth that you need to be a big brand to rank. That’s bull.
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While big brands have "Domain Authority," Google has been leaning harder into "Topical Authority." This means if you write 500 amazing articles about "Vintage Mechanical Keyboards," you can actually outrank The New York Times for that specific topic. Why? Because Google sees you as a specialist. The people that rank on Google are often those who stayed in their lane and became the "king" of a specific, narrow niche.
Another thing—don't think these people are just "writing for robots." If a human lands on a page and immediately hits the back button because the layout is ugly or the ads are intrusive, Google notices. This is called "pogo-sticking" or low engagement. The people who stay at the top are those who design for humans first. They use bullet points that aren't identical. They vary their sentence lengths. They talk to you, not at you.
Real Examples of People Dominating Discover
Look at someone like food blogger Nagi Maehashi of RecipeTin Eats. She doesn't just post a recipe. She posts a video, tips on how to store the food, why specific ingredients work, and high-res photos of every step. Because of this, she doesn't just rank in search; she’s a permanent fixture in Google Discover for anyone interested in cooking. She’s built a brand that Google trusts.
Then you have tech reviewers like Marques Brownlee (MKBHD). Even though he's primarily a video creator, his name and brand carry so much weight that articles about him or his videos rank instantly. He is an "entity" that Google recognizes.
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How to Become One of the People That Rank
If you want to be the person appearing in those top spots or the Discover feed, you have to stop thinking like a marketer and start thinking like a librarian. A librarian wants to give the patron the exact right book.
First, look at your "About" page. Is it a generic paragraph? Fix it. Put your face on it. Link to your social media. Tell Google why you are qualified to talk about this topic. If you’re writing about travel, show us the photos of you actually at the Eiffel Tower. Google's "Experience" part of E-E-A-T is specifically looking for proof that you’ve actually done the thing you’re writing about.
Second, focus on the "Information Gain." This is a big one. If your article says the exact same thing as the ten articles already on page one, why should Google rank you? You need to add something new. A new perspective, a new data point, or a better way of explaining a complex idea.
Third, keep an eye on the "Freshness" of your content. Google Discover loves news and trending topics. If you can take a trending news story and add your expert analysis to it within three hours of it breaking, you have a massive chance of hitting the Discover feed. It’s about speed and relevance.
The Reality Check
It’s hard. Honestly, it’s really hard. The people that rank on Google are often spending forty to sixty hours a week researching and refining. They use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to see what people are searching for, but they don't let the tools write the content. They use the data to find the "gap" and then use their human brain to fill it.
You also have to be okay with failure. You can write a perfect article and it might still take three to six months to rank. Google needs time to test your content against other pages. They'll show it to a few people, see how they react, and then slowly move you up—or down.
Actionable Steps to Improve Your Visibility
If you want to join the ranks of those dominating Google search and Discover, start here:
- Audit your author entity: Ensure every piece of content has a real name attached. Create a detailed author bio that highlights your specific years of experience or education in that field.
- Optimize for Discover with visuals: Use a featured image that is at least 1200px wide. Avoid using your site logo as the main image. Use something descriptive and high-quality that makes people want to tap.
- Focus on Topical Clusters: Don't just write one article about a topic. Write ten. Link them together. This proves to Google that you have a deep understanding of the subject matter, not just a passing interest.
- Check your mobile experience: Most Discover traffic comes from mobile. If your site has pop-ups that cover the whole screen or takes five seconds to load, you're dead in the water.
- Write for "Search Intent": Before you type a single word, Google the keyword yourself. Look at what is already ranking. If the top results are all videos, you probably need to make a video. If they are all short "how-to" lists, keep your prose tight and get to the point.
The digital landscape is crowded, but there is always room for people who provide genuine value. Google’s goal is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. If you make your information the most useful, you’ll be the one people see when they open their browser. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, but the traffic from ranking is the most sustainable way to build an audience in 2026.