How Google Is Continuing To Shape Our Search Experience
It should come as no surprise to anyone, but Google is continuing its mission to shape the way we experience search with their new Search Generative Experience (SGE).
First introduced to the world in late spring of 2023, Google is continuing to develop and test SGE as a means to change the results you experience when searching the web.
Search Generative Experience is using AI in order to help users find the “right” answer to their queries, instead of users hunting down that answer themselves.
Google claims that this approach is designed to provide searchers a more comprehensive understanding of a topic, and while this sounds good in theory, skeptics argue that SGE gives Google even more control over your ability to find relevant information online.
So what does Google’s new Search Generative Experience mean for your business, your customers, and your ongoing SEO strategy? Let’s get into it.
What Is Google SGE and How Does It Work?
Essentially, Google is using generative AI to create what it’s calling a more “efficient” search experience.
What this means is that when users enter a search, Google is scraping or extracting content from other sites across the web, and generating “new” content to answer that query.
SGE isn’t directing users to a new page or site. That answer will show up on the Google search results page itself.
The idea is that users won’t have to click through to as many sites to find what they’re looking for. (And it also means that Google is even more in control of the flow of information than ever, but I digress.)
To be clear, Search Generative Experience doesn’t cut out the websites from which it scraped information from entirely. At this stage of SGE, those sites are still presented in the search results in order for users to dig into for additional information. Or, alternatively, they can continue to enter queries into SGE for further exploration.
The bottom line is, should Google choose to make this a primary way in which consumers use search, then it will no doubt have a profound impact on how we consume information, not to mention how we strategize SEO.
Search Generative Experience Is Going To Change How Users Get Information & How Marketers Are Going To Reach Users
AI, for many, is a controversial topic. And people have long had strong opinions about SEO.
So, naturally, with Search Generative Experience combining these two things, there’s going to be a lot of noise and speculation about what this means for the world. Good and bad.
But like all new products and services, I feel it’s best to learn as much as we can so that we can make educated assessments vs. uninformed proclamations.
As always, the vast majority of us have no insight into the Google algorithm, how it will pick information, or what sites will be featured or prioritized for this top-of-page section.
I think there’s definitely potential for this to improve how people use Google and other search engines, but I hesitate to say that AI is the answer over a human-created algorithm and letting people decide the “right” answer for them vs. that being dictated to them.
The reality is that there still isn’t clarity as to how SGE will affect our traditional search engine results pages (SERPs) — or if they will at all!
The important thing to remember is that this will reveal itself in time, and that, largely speaking, continuing to embrace content best-practices will continue to be the backbone of a strong SEO strategy for your business.
SGE Is Going To Emphasize (More Than Ever!) Your Local Seo In How Likely It Is That Your Website Will Be Featured In The SGE
A strong Local SEO strategy continues to be crucial getting your business’s brand in front of consumers. According to some industry experts, the introduction of SGE further supports the importance of strong Local SEO.
One important insight we’ve learned is that Search Generative Experience aims to not only provide an answer to your search query, but also to understand why you asked the question to begin with.
This broadens the responsibility of marketers to not only effectively promote a business’s products but to additionally create content that provides solutions to a searcher’s problem.
So what are some simple things local businesses can do to support their local SEO?
- Your Google Business profile will be critical to your search success
- Keep your Google Business profile info fresh with up-to-date information
- Strong reviews will boost your reputation and visibility
- Refresh your profile with content that is relevant, including long-tail keywords
- Regularly publish content to your site that is relevant and useful to search queries
The above recommendations are, in our opinion, foundational to a business’s SEO strategy, regardless of the development of Google’s SGE. The fact of the matter is that without relevant, useful, original content to draw from, SGE couldn’t function in its ideal state.
Content is, was, and more than likely will continue to be king. That’s certainly where we’ll be investing our resources to support our clients.
Content That Provides Relevant, Useful Answers Will Continue To Be The Future Of SEO And Content Strategy For Businesses
While we at Formada could not have predicted Google’s development of SGE, we have long offerent Content Marketing and Local Listing SEO support to our clients, creating original content (via blogs, web pages, and more) that speaks to the niche interests and needs of people searching for authoritative resources.
And we’ll continue to do so while also keeping in mind what SGE might mean for our clients, by focusing on
- The management of their local listings by providing critical monthly optimizations
- Creating original, Q&A structured content that is by humans for humans
- Seeking additional content marketing opportunities, such as an active blog that answers relevant questions, creating well-structured websites featuring educational content, publishing information-rich guidebooks, and more
- Keeping our finger on the pulse of Google’s SGE rollout and adapting our strategy accordingly
Our goal, as always, is to be proactive instead of reactive to these changes. Google has changed significantly over the past 25 years and will continue to do so. In each of these iterations, there have been incredible opportunities to take advantage of, and we’ll be there to embrace them as they emerge.
Stay Tuned For SGE Updates and Strategy Recommendations
We’re not an AI agency. Nor are we an SEO agency. What we are is a top-tier digital marketing agency that delivers winning strategies and campaigns precisely because we look before we leap.
Technology moves fast, but not as fast as many of the early adopters would lead you to believe. Our strategies will always include tactics that will support your business’s SEO, regardless of the potential industry shifts that may come.
We are acutely aware that many people feel strongly that Google’s SGE is the future of SEO and of search in general. This may be true. But it’s also important to remember that SGE is not the first change to Google’s algorithm, and it certainly won’t be the last.
The best way we can support our clients’ businesses through these changes is by maintaining an awareness of upcoming developments, getting the proper training, and making careful adjustments to strategies and campaigns in order to deliver the best possible ROI.
Again, many of the adaptations being proposed to accommodate SGE are already standard practices at Formada.
Optimized local listings. Info-rich content that answers user queries. Earning reviews for the business. Cultivating an original voice without the aid of AI-generated content.
As always, we’re here to do what’s best for your business. And if you’d like to learn more about how our proven strategies can help you achieve your goals, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us today!