Last month, Google expanded Search Generative Experience beyond its own testing program, Labs. A limited number of searchers can now see his AI snapshot in their results, regardless of whether they sign up or not.
Many observers believe this is the first step towards SGE becoming fully public this year. Google hasn't changed Labs' SGE much in recent months, perhaps indicating that it's happy with it so far.
I have been closely monitoring the development of SGE. Here are my observations and expectations.
Overestimation of traffic loss
Authoritas, a search engine optimization platform, tests SGE in Labs and publishes the results. A March test found that SGE appeared in 91% of US search results for brand and product terms in two ways.
First, the results may include a “generate” button that generates an AI-powered answer only when clicked, like this query for “best laptops.”
Second, search results can include instant answers, such as the example below for “How healthy is spaghetti squash?” Click “See more” to expand the description.
Instant Answers takes up more SERP space and pushes organic listings further down the page, so it can steal more clicks from organic listings.
Fortunately, according to the same Authoritas study, 81.4% of SGE responses are caused by clicking the “generate” button, far exceeding immediate responses. This indicates that your organic listings will not be significantly affected, at least for now, as the page will not be interrupted unless the button is clicked.
Organic listing replacement
However, when SGE is triggered, organic results will appear far below the initial screen.
For example, searching for “smart TV” and clicking “generate” will generate an AI answer that takes up your entire screen on mobile and desktop.
Authoritas estimated that the average organic listing decreases by 1,243 pixels, depending on the search term. SGE results more or less eliminate the visibility of organic listings, especially for queries asking for consumable items such as household items.
Even before SGE, organic visibility was becoming increasingly limited due to the various features that Google inserted at or near the top, such as ads, “People also ask” boxes, image packs, local packs, and more.
Opportunities at SGE
Fortunately, SGE's answers include links, giving you an opportunity to gain natural visibility. According to Authoritas, an SGE snapshot contains on average 5 unique links, and only 1 of them matches the top 10 organic listings below it. Probably because snapshots often address related queries.
For example, the SGE snapshot for the search for “best laptops” lists many makes and models, as well as links to the best laptops for students, budgets, and coding. The organic list of “best laptops” does not include these additional choices.
So, after optimizing your important keywords, consider creating content that supports relevant queries to increase your chances of appearing in SGE results. Check out Related Searches for ideas. These keywords appear to appear in SGE.