A Closer Look at Google's Search Generative Experience

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In today’s digital landscape, AI is rapidly becoming the force that reshapes how we interact with search engines. The upcoming launch of Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) signifies a pivotal point for paid search, requiring modern marketers to reevaluate and adapt their strategies. To best prepare your brand for this update, the Direct Agents’ team took a closer look at SGE and outlined everything you need to know for its rollout.

What is Search Generative Experience (SGE)??

SGE is a version of Google’s search engine that will use AI to generate answers to complex questions in an attempt to allow people to find better answers faster. It will take up a significant amount of the SERP, potentially affecting organic and paid results.

How do you access SGE??

As of May 25, 2023, the only way for an individual to access SGE Generative AI Search is through the Google Search Labs Waitlist. If a user has already signed up to be a part of Google Search Labs, they will be notified by email when they can start using SGE on their own.

Businesses do not need to sign up to be a part of this offering, as Google is using what is already available to run it.

When will SGE officially roll out??

Google has not officially announced when SGE will roll out, but it has begun tests. We expect a full rollout over the next few weeks, so keep a close eye on changes to traffic for your organic and paid keywords to try and anticipate when your brand will be affected.

How will SGE impact organic & paid search?

Organic Impact

With the rollout of SGE, organic session traffic may see a decrease. Much like the Position Zero and Answer Box search results that currently answer a search query without having to click through to a website, these new AI-generated search results allow users to find what they are looking for without leaving Google.

Google says its focus remains on driving attention and traffic to web content by including links in the AI answers. However, you can imagine how this could potentially reduce the flow of organic traffic to individual sites. The upside is that the quality of organic traffic may also increase since visitors will be higher intent buyers by the time they reach your site.?

Consider the new AI-generated search answers equivalent to Position Zero, Answer Boxes, knowledge graphs, and People Also Ask search results. These results and search query answers were initially seen as a way to keep users from visiting websites, but are now considered to be great tools to build up trust and brand recognition in the eyes of users.

The Direct Agents SEO team has already been hard at work implementing strategies to show our clients’ content in Answer Boxes, People Also Ask, and Knowledge Graphs. This strategy will continue to be a strong asset in ranking our clients’ websites as sources for SGE results.

Paid Search Impact?

Google generated $69.8 billion in ad revenue in Q1 in 2023 (down 1% from last year). It’s hard to believe Google would do anything to wipe that revenue off the board, but they have to do something to keep up with their generative AI competitors (*Cough cough* ChatGPT.) With this in mind, there is an expectation that CPCs are likely to increase as brands will need to bid higher to be seen.??

The good news is that for buying-related queries, SGE will surface noteworthy factors and product ads – such as price, reviews, shipping cost, etc. – to help consumers make stronger purchasing decisions. Direct Agents is well-prepared for this change and will be keeping an even closer eye on campaign performance, ensuring we are ready to pivot based on any changes that could affect (positively or negatively) growth or return.?

Shopping Feeds

SGE works for vertical search experiences, including Google Shopping results. It is built on Google’s Shopping Graph, which has more than 35 billion product listings and is updated every hour.?

SGE can also be a valuable tool for eCommerce businesses that are looking to improve their search results, both paid and organic. By providing users with more relevant and helpful information, it can make eCommerce businesses more visible in search results, increasing traffic to their websites and boosting sales.

Some of the benefits of using SGE for eCommerce businesses are:

• Producing more relevant results. SGE uses AI to provide more relevant results for each search query. Businesses are more likely to appear in the search results for products their customers are interested in.
• Generating up-to-date results. SGE is updated every hour, so businesses can be sure that their products are always shown in the most recent search results.
• Increasing traffic. SGE’s relevant and up-to-date results can help businesses attract more website traffic, leading to increased sales and revenue.

While the complete organic and paid impacts of SGE are yet to be revealed, Direct Agents is preparing its clients to stay agile with media investment. To learn more about Direct Agents' SEO and Paid Media solutions, please contact [email protected].

Cari Bacon, Associate Director of SEO, Direct Agents