Google Search Generative Experience (SGE)
SGE is one of Google’s latest initiatives that’s got things buzzing in the digital marketing space.
Having launched in the US back in May 2023, you may have already had some exposure to it. However, if you’re amongst the uninitiated, you probably want to know a little more about what SGE is and what it means for the world of search marketing.
So let’s take a look…
What is Google’s SGE?
Google describes this AI-driven search experience as a “learn as you search (and browse)” feature that they’re gradually introducing on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
While SGE is yet to be rolled out in Australia, it should be quite easy to spot once it arrives. When a user searches for information or asks a question, it’s likely that Google’s generative AI results will take a short moment to generate before appearing prominently on a coloured background, like what you can see here:
Watch this video from Google to learn how search results might look once it’s rolled out in Australia.
While there’s a lot of excitement and hype around AI at present, Google claims they’ve been researching how to integrate AI-assisted search into their products for over seven years.
Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, has said that SGE is here to stay and they plan to integrate it greatly into Google products over time. This is good reason to take note of SGE and consider how it will impact you in the future.
While we’re yet to see SGE appearing in our search results here in Australia, we should expect it will arrive soon enough.
We’ve noticed Google have even started to share some videos via their Tik Tok account providing use cases for where this generative AI result can help with searches like “what are some good hikes for beginners in the bay area?”
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One of Google’s standout features is the enhanced conversational capability of its generative AI. This has been a long-standing focus for the company. If you recall, back in 2013 there were discussions about “conversational search” introduced with the Hummingbird update. This update aimed to enhance Google’s capacity to understand more extended and intricate search queries, particularly in response to the growing trend of voice searches.
As a part of the generative AI result, you’ll have the ability to “converse” with the AI to further narrow your search and easily find more information if you need to.
What changes have people in the US noticed so far?
Local places
Some have noticed that where you might previously have found a local pack with a map of local businesses at the top of search, this has been replaced with a generative AI response which categorises businesses in a text format rather than map results.
This doesn’t imply that local SEO is now redundant. In fact, it could mean it’s even more important to ensure that your business is picked up by the AI software and that you are a part of the results when someone users enter “business near me” searches.
It’s clear this is still being tested as the same search term is generating different responses on different days, some with map results and others without. Check out this deep dive from Barry Schwartz over at Search Engine Roundtable which looks at the local pack differences.
Automatically generated vs manually generated
While the majority of responses are automatically generated when a user searches, in some cases, searchers have found they’ve been presented with the option to view AI-powered results with a call to action to generate a response.
Shopping results and the shopping graph
In some cases, the generative AI responses contain direct links to products on retail stores, as well as providing three informative articles related to the users search query.
These also link directly to blog articles in the same way a traditional organic search snippet would. Although, it is potentially going be difficult to monitor when a brand appears here using SEO tools unless Google’s Search Console is upgraded to provide this insight in the same way it currently does with photos, videos and review snippets.
wow… pic.twitter.com/ymLKy1Klr6
— Andy Simpson 🇬🇧 (@ndyjsimpson) May 25, 2023
These shopping results are based on the Shopping Graph, which is a real-time data set of the world’s products and sellers. This pulls in information about products such as reviews, materials, sizes etc. Products can be added to the Shopping Graph via the merchant center, or by sharing product information directly with Google by posting them on the web (and likely when they contain product microdata).
Controversial copyright
Some have started to speculate about the copyright ownership of the content being scraped by AI systems and used to present users with answers directly on search results pages, therefore negating the need to visit the original source.
Content writers and businesses work hard to develop the information they publish, and previously, they’ve been able to capitalise on this by attracting website visitors who are exposed to advertisements or by capturing customer data which can be used to engage with them in the future (for example, via newsletter sign ups or contact forms).
Many websites rely on content creation to drive their awareness strategies, however, this could mean that while they may no longer gain direct exposure, Google will still have used their content to service their customers. This will be an interesting space to watch.
Now we know it’s coming, what do we do?
It’s still early days for us to really know what we need to change. However, based on the research we’ve done, its likely that having strong technical foundations is going to be key. Having fast loading, mobile friendly websites will continue to be equally as important, while it will be imperative that content is marked up with microdata such as reviews and products so Google is able to interpret and represent your data in the right way.
In regards to content, on August 22 we saw Google roll out another Helpful Content Update which made it clear that Google wants users to continue to produce content that is helpful, informative, relevant and, most importantly, is written in your field of expertise.
Where previously businesses might have tried to become visible for search terms which answer questions loosely related to their business, this recent update is designed to identify and award businesses that create content that’s helpful and adds something unique that others aren’t.
We suggest that future content creation be carefully planned to deliver value. The emphasis should be placed on generating high-quality content, rather than a large quantity of content. In contrast to earlier SEO strategies that perhaps aimed on producing one article per month, revised approaches may prioritise producing a series of well-researched, high-quality articles rather than specifying a set quantity of articles.
At the time of writing, these are the content guidelines that Google encourages businesses to assess how their content adheres:
Content and quality questions
- Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?
- Does the content provide a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic?
- Does the content provide insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond the obvious?
- If the content draws on other sources, does it avoid simply copying or rewriting those sources, and instead provide substantial additional value and originality?
- Does the main heading or page title provide a descriptive, helpful summary of the content?
- Does the main heading or page title avoid exaggerating or being shocking in nature?
- Is this the sort of page you’d want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend?
- Would you expect to see this content in or referenced by a printed magazine, encyclopedia, or book?
- Does the content provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?
- Does the content have any spelling or stylistic issues?
- Is the content produced well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?
- Is the content mass-produced by or outsourced to a large number of creators, or spread across a large network of sites, so that individual pages or sites don’t get as much attention or care?
Expertise questions
- Does the content present information in a way that makes you want to trust it, such as clear sourcing, evidence of the expertise involved, background about the author or the site that publishes it, such as through links to an author page or a site’s About page?
- If someone researched the site producing the content, would they come away with an impression that it is well-trusted or widely-recognized as an authority on its topic?
- Is this content written by an expert or enthusiast who demonstrably knows the topic well?
- Does the content have any easily-verified factual errors?
As Google introduces its Search Generative Experience, one thing becomes abundantly clear: the search industry is evolving once again.
As we move forward into this new AI-driven environment, people will continue to search for products and services, while SGE enhances the search experience. This makes it all the more important to ensure you remain visible and competitive.
Finally, the arrival of SGE doesn’t mean businesses will be left on their own to navigate this new landscape—if you’re ever at a loss, remember that search professionals like the team at Synq are always here to share their expert guidance to help you understand and adapt to our ever-changing environment.