Could Google's new search features impact your business's performance online?
In February 2024, Google released its latest search feature, also known as Search Generative Experience (SGE). This new feature is powered by generative AI and aims to generate the most useful results for users.
This sounds like a great feature for internet users who want instant answers to their search queries, but could the introduction of AI search affect a website's organic rankings?
Learn more about Google's new SGE features and how business owners should adapt their SEO strategies to increase their chances of appearing in AI-generated results.
What is Google's “Search Generative Experience” (SGE)?
Google's Search Generative Experience will transform the way people search online.
While traditional search results display a list of relevant web pages based on organic rankings for a keyword or topic, Google's SGE uses AI to search based on information from many sources on the web. Generate instant responses to queries.
It appears as an AI snapshot at the top of search results, answering your question without you having to click on the result.
(Image source: search engine land)
As you can see here, the AI-generated results answer your search query in detail, provide links to featured images, and provide a direct click path to follow-up queries.
Google's SGE may speed up the search process for online consumers, but will all of your current SEO efforts be in vain for businesses fighting hard to rank as high as possible?
According to Semrush experts, 77.8% of searches It now generates not only AI-powered search results but also the traditional set of web pages that we are all familiar with.
Let's take a closer look at how this can affect your business' visibility online.
Can Google's AI Search Affect Your Business' Search Visibility?
When it comes to Google's SGE feature, organic ranking techniques are coming soon. According to a recent study by Moz, the content, images, and links generated by AI search results are extracted from fewer than 50% of the web pages that rank in the top 10 for that keyword or topic.
(Image source: Shrike)
SGE content also changes the physical visibility of search results. AI-generated search results take up more than half of the page, so the highest-ranking organic search results are moved to the bottom of the page. 1,500 pixels. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but users using mobile or tablet devices completely miss out on organic search results when generating answers using Google's SGE. There is a possibility that it will be stored away.
With this in mind, here are three ways Google's SGE impacts your SEO strategy as an online business.
- Question-based keyword difficulty ranking: Google's AI-generated search is primarily focused on answering question-based keyword queries. So if you're trying to rank for “how” and “why” type phrases, the AI ​​results may end up overwriting your SEO efforts.
- EEAT content becomes even more important. If you want to appear as a source in AI-generated sources, your content must be informative, user-friendly, and highly useful. Although this is not an official ranking factor, those who prioritize expertise, experience, authority, and credibility in their content will find more success on SGE.
- Meta text and images are your ticket to visibility. While organic rankings are still very important in increasing your chances of appearing in search results, meta text and images will become a new focus for business owners. AI search results often include linked website cards that only display the meta title and leading image. If these are properly optimized on your page, you have a better chance of appearing in SGE results.
Websites that practice SEO techniques that focus on SGE actually 219% increase in web traffic Since the launch of Google's AI search experience. Therefore, don't lose all hope of gaining online fame.
How to update your SEO for Google's AI search experience
Google's search generation experience is an important factor to consider in your SEO strategy, so it might be time to update your strategy.
Here are some changes you can make to your SEO strategy to stand out even more after Google's SGE update.
Brainstorm content topics with AI
If you want to learn more about what topics, phrases, and keywords AI bots are likely to detect when generating search results, there's no better source of information than the AI ​​itself.
With an AI content bot like ChatGPT, you can also create meta titles, brainstorm topics, and find killer keywords that will improve your organic and SGE rankings.
Understanding the AI ​​language from the beginning can influence your content strategy going forward.
Optimize metaimages
Google's Generated Search may generate its own document content, but it also pulls images from related web pages.
(Image source: search engine land)
To increase visibility, make sure your meta images are attractive, high quality, and relevant to your search topic.
Update on-page SEO
If you want your website to source AI-generated searches, optimizing the content on your pages is essential.
If you want your credit card to appear in the results generated, make sure the content on your page demonstrates your brand expertise and answers all of your consumers' questions in a rich, detailed format. This could be a buyer's guide or a long review.
If you want to improve the efficiency of your work on the page, consult an expert search engine optimization agency It helps ensure that your content appears in SGE results.
With the ability to audit live web pages for SEO errors and update internal content with traffic-driving keywords and optimized metatext, SEO agencies can help you rank higher in organic and SGE searches. You can boost your site.
Don't forget search intent
Search intent is a key factor to consider when developing an SEO strategy for AI-generated searches.
To match SGE results, you need to know your audience inside and out. What keywords are they searching for? What phrases will they use? The closer you are to a consumer's search intent, the more likely you are to appear in SGE results.
Start by monitoring your company's demographics, emerging trends, and how your competitors are responding to them. Using a buyer persona tool is also a great way to map the mindset of your customers. This can help with keyword and content creation.
What’s next for AI-powered search?
There's no doubt that Google's new SGE features will have an impact on your business' SEO strategy, but will this impact be positive?
AI-powered search is less likely to consider ranking position and more likely to prioritize content quality. While having a prestigious ranking position increases your chances of showing up in SGE searches, those with lower rankings can still have a chance to move up by simply updating their approach to SEO.
The question is, where will AI-powered search go next? Will we one day see Google search results consisting entirely of results generated by AI?