Have you heard about Google’s latest AI developments in search? You may have noticed a new summary feature on the top of certain Google search results pages. That’s all thanks to Google’s Search Generative Experience, a new feature that’s meant to make it simpler for users to get answers to questions or help with certain planning tasks.
There are a few reasons the new SGE can be helpful for users. A quick AI summary can directly answer a question sans all scrolling and clicking and skimming. It can also serve as a preview of which types of posts people will find if they keep exploring search results.
However, using AI to summarize concepts and cut straight to the chase means that fewer websites will get clickthroughs and organic traffic from search results. In fact, some predictions project organic traffic declines of up to 25% (oof!)
On the upside, this can be a motivation for all of us to make better content – content that’s more honed in on a target audience, more engaging, and more helpful and relevant.
So let’s dive into Google’s Search Generative Experience to understand more about how SEO and SGE go hand in hand – and what you can do to optimize your content strategy and website for SGE.
What is Search Generative Experience?
You’re probably already familiar with at least one kind of AI on the market, like ChatGPT. Search Generative Experience is a way to bring the same kind of technology behind those AI apps straight into Google search.
Now, whenever you search for something on Google, you may see an AI-generated piece of content at the top of the page – before any search results. Depending on your search, that AI-generated result might be a couple of sentences, a short essay, or a more thorough listing with suggested sources, follow-up topics, or links to purchase products.
Google’s Search Generative Experience also goes beyond quick answers. It can even help you plan a trip!
Where is Google’s SGE getting its information?
Just like an AI, it learns from the content that already exists on the internet and then comes up with an answer that matches a search query (or “prompt”). Most of the time, this results in a relevant and helpful answer – but since AI isn’t really “thinking,” sometimes SGE comes up with something that sounds ridiculous or is just plain wrong. However, it’s getting better all the time – so you can expect the SGE to improve.
Not seeing the Search Generative Experience on your Google results?
Try turning on Google Search Labs’ AI generative experience, then start searching. If you’re still not seeing SGE results in your Google searches, try signing in with a personal account instead of your business account. I’ve found that sometimes that is more effective!
SEO and SGE
As you may have noticed, there’s a huge potential for Search Generative Experience to take away from organic website traffic. After all, if users don’t have to leave the search results page (or even scroll far) to get the answer to their questions, why would they click through to someone’s website?
Before SGE, straightforward, one-answer question-based topics like “What are the top attractions in Rome?” could potentially get clickthroughs. Now, something like that can be delivered with generative AI.
In fact, many people built high-traffic content strategies around exactly those kinds of topics. And unfortunately, Search Generative Experience has the potential to eat away at that traffic. So, now what should you do to optimize your content and site for SEO?
The good news is that if you know what Google’s AI is looking for as it learns to generate answers, you can lean into becoming a trusted source for SGE results. Also, if you know which types of content AI can’t produce, you can stay one step ahead of the competition and create amazing content that people still want to click on.
How can you create a content strategy with SGE in mind?
The TLDR is to think about content that could be written by AI…and then don’t write that. At the end of the day, AI content is a generic, sum-total average of what other people have said on the internet. While that can be helpful for answering a quick question, it’s not necessarily what’s going to rank in search results.
Let’s talk about what will still stand out to Google and help you rank higher in organic search results now that we have Search Generative Experience.
Write uniquely “you” content
While AI certainly has access to a ton of information, it can’t write content with a unique “take” or perspective. People still like to consume content made by other people. So, what makes content stand out as unique?
- Thought leadership
- Personal lessons
- Real-world examples + Case studies
- New theories
- Weighing nuances
Lean into first-person experience
Think about it like this: while AI can gather information from just about anywhere on the internet to create an answer to a search query, it will never be able to generate what you have to bring to the table on a topic.
AI has never been to Provence with food allergies. AI has never had to stage a home for sale in your market. AI has never personally tested the cheapest airlines flying to Europe.
So, instead of writing a cookie-cutter article that could have been written by anyone, bring your own perspective and experience to the table. Include some customized graphics or short videos to demonstrate your expertise. Anything that shows you know your stuff in a way that AI can’t duplicate is going to make for excellent content.
Prioritize E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T is a framework Google uses to judge the value and relevance of websites and online content, and it’s just as important now as it ever was.
Each letter in E-E-A-T stands for a different aspect of high-quality content:
- Experience
- Expertise
- Authoritativeness
- Trustworthiness
Basically, you want to write content that shows you’re a real person with real experiences and valuable expertise to share!
Target long-tail keywords
Short-tail keywords (aka “head terms”) are searched more often, and have always been more difficult to rank for than long-tail keywords. With Search Generative Experience, it’s going to be even harder.
Since Google can easily generate answers to questions like “what is interior design?” you’re much better off competing for keywords like “ikea bookshelf hacks for living rooms.”
How to optimize your site for SGE?
So, now that we have Search Generative Experience in our lives, what can you do to optimize your site for SGE and AI?
Use FAQs as headings & schema
As SGE continues to develop and people get used to seeing AI-generated results right on the search page, it’s likely that search queries will change. Instead of strings of words, people may start typing questions into the search bar. If your content clearly answers these same questions, you could have a better chance of ranking. So, include some frequently asked questions with your keyword as headings.
Pro tip! We also add FAQ’s to each website’s schema (a set of tags or code that helps search engines understand and display website content better.)
Maintain good technical SEO
Google’s search bots are still crawling your website to learn about it and rank it. That means good technical SEO is key! Make sure your site is secure, fast, and set up for a good user experience.
Want to know if your site is ready for SEO? Download our SEO Checklist!
Research topics on Google Search Labs
Check out your target keywords in Google Search Labs to see what the current AI-generated response is. Notice if there are any content gaps or opportunities for you to build expertise – especially if the suggested links are to smaller websites you can compete against for search results!
Keep in mind Search Generative Experience is still developing!
Search Generative Experience is still new, and you never know what it will look like in the future! It’s still unclear how much users will learn to rely on it or trust its answers. However, it’s highly likely that it will be around in some form as Google continues to develop AI technology. So, get your website ready for the new SGE and SEO – so you can show up as a trustworthy, high-ranking source in search results!
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