SGE/AI overviews are rolling out in the U.S.
On May 14, 2024, it finally happened: Google officially began rolling out SGE—Search Generative Experience. Under the name “AI Overviews,” Google now offers AI-organized search results—and with them, a whole new way to navigate search results.
Imagine a world where your Google search queries are met with detailed and insightful answers that don’t necessarily lead you to a website via a link—but actually allow you to interact with the search engine directly within the search results. That world will soon become a reality with Google’s rollout of AI Overviews. But the update is also causing SEO professionals some concern.
So, what is Google Search Generative Experience? What does it mean for the search experience? And what is my take on it as an SEO specialist? I’ll take a closer look at that in this article.
(This article was originally published on December 20, 2023, but was revised on May 15, 2024.)
What is SGE?
In May 2023, Google announced its latest innovation, the“Search Generative Experience,” which is a generative AI feature in search results. The idea is that when you enter your search terms, you’ll be presented with a so-called “AI link card” above the traditional search results.
Here, you'll get an in-depth answer to the exact query you entered. This way, Google hopes that search results will become more personalized and tailored to the user.
Just like with ChatGPT, it's like having a helpful assistant who doesn't just give you a list of links, but actually tries to understand what you're really looking for. The only difference is that Google's SGE will work directly within the search results.
So when you want to perform more complex searches, you don’t need to break your search into several parts and then piece the information together to figure out the answer on your own. SGE will provide you with the answer that matches your exact search intent.
SGE was announced without a set launch date, but on May 14, 2024, Google dropped the bombshell with the official rollout of the technology in the U.S. Selected users in the U.S. have had the opportunity to test and provide feedback on the technology since May 25, 2023, and the technology will likely arrive in Denmark sometime in 2024.
Google's conversation starters
Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) is a revolutionary advancement in search technology. This approach allows users to ask follow-up questions, creating a more conversational and interactive search experience. Unlike traditional search methods, which primarily focus on ranking results based on keywords, SGE can delve deeper into users’ queries. This adds a new dimension to information gathering, allowing users to explore topics more thoroughly and thus receive more relevant and personalized answers than ever before.
Google itself provides the example of the search query “What’s better for a family with kids under 3 and a dog, Bryce Canyon or Arches?”. Below is the AI-generated response:
See also Google's own video about SGE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVsiusLQy5Q
Why is SGE coming?
It’s not that Google has been slow to jump on the AI bandwagon, but they’ve been outmaneuvered by ChatGPT, which is why they’ve now ramped up their development of generative AI. As a result, the development of SGE has been accelerated significantly.
Google itself explains that SGE is designed to improve the search experience, making it easier for you to understand a topic, explore new perspectives, and generally get things done faster.
This trend represents a shift toward more dynamic and personalized search results, which is a response to changing market expectations and internal competition within search technology.
What about the traditional search results?
Even with the introduction of SGE, traditional blue search results will continue to be an integral part of Google’s search engine. Search results will be supplemented by—but not replaced by—AI-generated answers. Your AI link cards will appear at the top of the page, pushing traditional search results and ads further down. Therefore, it remains important to optimize content for both traditional and AI-driven search functions.
It’s also important to note that when users perform a Google search and receive an AI-generated response, Google will highlight the sources used in the response. These sources are links to the relevant websites, allowing users to visit the sites that provided the information directly. As a result, your website can now be highlighted as a source in an AI-generated response in addition to appearing as a standalone search result.
What potential changes will SGE bring about?
The introduction of SGE in Google Search is likely to bring about significant changes for both users and businesses. For users, this means more intuitive and conversation-based search results, which can improve their experience and efficiency when searching for information.
For businesses and SEO professionals, this implies a potential shift in content and search engine optimization strategies. The new approach will require a deeper understanding of how AI-generated responses interact with traditional search results and how to best optimize content for both formats.
Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines are becoming even more relevant with the introduction of SGE, as this technology underscores the need for credible, high-quality content. Given SGE’s ability to generate answers from a wide range of sources, websites that demonstrate a high level of expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness are likely to be prioritized.
This requires that content not only be SEO-optimized but also based on in-depth knowledge and credible sources to ensure visibility in the search engine’s new AI-driven format. This is especially true for YMYL websites that address topics such as users’ health, finances, or life circumstances.
How Does AI Overview Affect SEO?
There has been an uproar in the SEO industry ever since Google first announced the expected arrival of SGE.
The worst-case scenario has been that SGE would render SEO obsolete, in part because an AI-generated search experience makes results less predictable, and the click-through rate will drop drastically as users receive answers directly in the search results—and that companies will therefore no longer allocate marketing budgets to SEO, since the discipline will no longer drive website traffic anyway.
The main argument for the death of SEO, however, has been that search results will now be so filled with AI-generated results that the classic blue links will end up so far below the fold that they’ll become a no-man’s-land where no one ever clicks.
You can almost picture the tragicomic scene: Unemployed SEO specialists lined up in rows, desperately holding out homemade signs with clumsy handwriting that reads: “Will do SEO for money!”
It probably won't be quite that bad.
First, search results have long been dominated by elements other than the classic blue links. For one thing, advertising is by far Google’s largest source of revenue, and the sponsored Google Ads and Google Shopping results have therefore often appeared above the fold in search results.
In addition, featured snippets (search results where selected excerpts of text that match a search query are displayed at the top of the results) have become increasingly common over the past few years, just as the top of the search results is filled with image carousels (try searching for a recipe) and the Google 3-Pack (especially for local searches).
"Below the fold" results have long been a key consideration for SEO professionals.
It is particularly important to keep in mind that AI Overviews will most likely appear primarily in informational searches. Commercial searches will presumably be less affected by AI-generated results.
Here's what you need to know
- Focus on quality over quantity:
Prioritizing in-depth, well-researched, and credible content. - User intent and relevance:
Greater emphasis on content that matches user intent and contextual relevance. - Expertise and Authority:
The importance of establishing yourself as an expert and authority in your field. - Strong online presence:
The need to have a solid presence across various platforms, including social media and third-party sites. - Improved user experience:
Websites must be intuitive and fast to ensure a good user experience. - The Importance of External Links and Recommendations:
Focus on how a company's reputation is reflected online, including reviews and content on third-party websites. - Use of Structured Data:
Using schema markup and structured data to improve the visibility and understanding of content by search engine AI.
The Future of SEO?
The SEO of the future will likely focus even more on user behavior and intent, which will transform the traditional approach to search engine optimization. Technological advances, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning, will give search engines like Google an improved ability to understand and interpret users’ intentions as well as the context behind search queries.
This means that SEO is no longer just about optimizing for specific keywords, but also about creating content that precisely addresses users' needs and questions.
Amplify is your partner in the future of SEO
When SGE is officially launched, the rules of SEO will likely be rewritten. Our team of SEO specialists is dedicated to helping you take advantage of the countless opportunities offered by SGE and the future of SEO. From optimizing your content to developing strategies that resonate with both AI and your target audiences, Amplify is your SEO agency for success in the digital world.
Learn Even More
Whether you're a generalist or a specialist in marketing, our experts have put together a number of helpful tips for you on our blog.
