Google, commanding 90% of the current search market, is getting ready to disrupt search with the Google Search Generative Experience (SGE). Positioned to be “the biggest change in Search in the past decade,” as highlighted in a study by Authoritas, the SGE represents a shift in the dynamics of search and information retrieval, potentially redefining the landscape of organic search rankings

In this article, we’ll explore some of this study’s findings and what Google SGE mean for businesses, website owners, and others who rely on search. We’ll discuss what Google SGE is, how it might reshape search results, its potential benefits and drawbacks, and how you can prepare for it.

Note: Search Generative Experience (SGE) is now known as AI Overview.

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What Is Google Search Generative Experience?

Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) is an AI-powered feature that provides concise, summarized answers directly within search results, aiming to enhance information retrieval by integrating various content formats like text, images, and links. Last year, Google announced its AI addition to search, at the time called the Search Generative Experience, or SGE. Elizabeth Reid, Google’s Vice President & GM, described SGE as providing an “AI-powered snapshot of key information to consider, with links to dig deeper.”

Here’s an example of what SGE looks like after entering the query “Under the bed storage with wheels’:

The SGE summary provides a well-structured, easy-to-read capsule of key considerations for under-bed storage. Next to the headlines, you can see arrows, when selected, they provide the source you can click on to explore.

SGE was originally only available in Google’s Search Lab in certain locations. Now it’s live for all users in the United States and known as AI Overview.

Organic Search in the SGE Era: What Changes?

Google SGE has a sizable impact on what you see when using Google search. The Authoritas study highlights that the activation of SGE elements can shift the No.1 organic listing down by approximately 1,562 to 1,630 pixels, equating to about 1.5 times the viewport height, a significant change in SERP layout.

The top organic search results are now outside of the visible viewport:

This means the SGE could drastically affect organic performance, specifically impressions and clicks. Your click-through rates are likely to take a hit. With SGE dominating the top of the search page and providing direct answers to their queries, users might not feel the need to scroll or explore further.

Redefining SERPs: Beyond Featured Snippets in the SGE

Featured Snippets are designed to provide quick, direct answers to user queries right at the top of the search page. A favorite target for SEOs, featured snippets may potentially become obsolete.

The Authoritas research indicates that the SGE’s direct response capability could replace these snippets.

Getting Ready for Google SGE: Strategic Business Preparation

While Google SGE will impact traditional organic search performance, it also opens up new opportunities. Interestingly, Authoritas found that 93.8% of generative links provided in the SGE summary come from outside the top-ranking organic domains.

By learning how to optimize for SGE, you could gain top-of-page visibility. This is particularly important in situations where you struggle to get those top organic search positions.

Adapting SEO Strategies Search Generative Experience Success

To begin with, you’ll need to recalibrate your expectations for organic search performance. Depending on the keyword, metrics such as impressions, clicks, and click-through rates may decrease. Even website metrics like sessions, time, engagement, etc. can take a hit.

This doesn’t mean that SEO will become obsolete. Far from it. SEO is all about searching for information in the digital world. This will always be needed. SEO can help to support your AI visibility strategies as outlined in my article, “The Future of Search: Blending SEO with Generative Engine Optimization.”

SGE summaries often present unique content not found in top organic results, as highlighted in the Authoritas research, reinforcing the need for innovative content strategies. Focus on creating high-quality, original content. Aim to provide thoughtful, helpful, and complete answers to your audience’s questions. Align with Google’s EEAT guidelines – provide content that shows Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust. Double down on technical SEO optimization.

Technical SEO in the SGE Summary: Essential Adjustments

Technical SEO is going to be extremely important for visibility in SGE summary. The SGE has access to Google’s index and uses that access to build and source its summaries. You will need to continue following technical SEO best practices. For example, you’ll need to optimize crawlability, page speed, user experience, site structure, and metadata.

A well-implemented technical SEO strategy ensures that your site is easily discoverable and understandable by Google, enhancing your chances of improving visibility in organic search and SGE.

Optimizing for Google Search Generative Experience

There is a lot of opportunity to capture visibility in Google’s SGE. The Authoritas study showed that 94% of SGE responses “came from sources outside the top-ranking organic domains.” This can be good news for pages that are not ranking high. Clearly, SGE criteria are diverging from organic search criteria in certain ways. To take advantage of this, it’s essential to understand how to optimize for SGE, as the criteria for SGE visibility may differ from traditional organic search factors.

Another study about optimizing for AI visibility, “GEO: Generative Engine Optimization,” suggests that optimizing content with 3 specific strategies could improve your AI visibility by up to 40%. The strategies – cite sources, use quotes, and statistics addition – can easily be added to your existing content. These need to be relevant and from trustworthy sources. A key limitation of this study was its focus on ChatGPT-3-5 Turbo, not the SGE. Learn more about optimizing your content with GEO in my article, “Generative Engine Optimization: Maximizing Visibility in AI.”

Focus on creating high-quality content, written from experience, leveraging your expertise, authoritative, and trustworthy. Follow Google’s EEAT guidelines for content creation.

SGE Analytics and Performance Tracking

Google has still not shared which metrics will be available for tracking performance in SGE. We are still in the dark as to how SGE will be included in Google Search Console (GSC) and Google Analytics 4.

In GSC, We are likely to get impressions, clicks, and click-through rates. Also, queries and URLs will likely be provided. What would I like to have? I would like some type of ranking metric that identifies the position in the SGE. Additionally, sharing which multimedia elements were included, such as images, products, and video.

Update: Google has shared that they will not be providing any AI Overview metrics in GSC.

Embracing Google’s Search Generative Experience

Google Search Generative Experience is both a new challenge and a wide-open opportunity. It will take some flexibility to adjust your current search strategy. it offers a more level playing field when competing against much larger sites that dominate the top search positions. by staying agile and on top of the ever-changing search algorithms, you have the opportunity to navigate this new era in AI successfully.

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