Easy As SGE: Simplifying Google’s Search Generative Experience.

Hi Insider ??,

Thanks for joining in.

We've got a lot of exciting things to share with you this month!

First up, we’re shining a spotlight on Google Search Generative Experience (SGE). Curious about what it means for businesses like yours? We'll explain everything you need to know and be sharing some tips on how you can best prepare.

If you’re interested in optimising your marketing budget spend (and, let’s face it, who isn’t?), get ready to mark your calendars as we’ll be providing an update on our next live webinar. Expect insider tips and game-changing strategies. Trust us; it's going to be epic so don't miss out!

And finally, we’ve got some good news of our own to share; we've snagged some awards and nominations, and it's all thanks to you being part of our journey ??, read on to find out more.

Listen in

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding Google’s Search Generative Experience, but what exactly will it entail? And how will it affect businesses? Here’s everything we know so far:

What is Google SGE?

Google Search Generative Experience is an experimental search feature that heavily incorporates artificial intelligence. Simply put, SGE provides users with a quick overview of the topics they're looking for, without having to click on individual web pages to get their answers.

SGE is currently in the early stages of development and is being tested in Google's Search Labs, with a general release expected in 2024.

According to Google, SGE enables users to "quickly find the web page’s key points" and "find questions answered on the web page and jump to the relevant section to learn more." Say you're searching for the best SEO tools for your company's website. Typically, you would get paid ad results at the top of the page, followed by organic results gathered from different websites. With SGE, Google will show you the SGE result first, followed by the paid ad results, and finally the organic results.

The SGE results may also contain topic-related pre-populated questions that you can click on to delve deeper into the topic. Additionally, you can also ask your own follow-up questions using a chat interface. It's important to remember that, as the technology is still developing, some AI responses may be inaccurate or not up-to-date.

How can businesses prepare for Google SGE?

With all the changes that Google SGE is expected to bring, it's crucial that you adapt your SEO strategy to the following machine learning-friendly tactics:

?? Focus on user intent

Analyse what your customers are searching for and focus on their underlying intent. Make sure you customise your content to meet their intent, as well as the anticipated follow-up questions.

?Answer your customers' questions

The best way to make your content SGE-friendly is to answer questions directly. Anticipate what your customers might ask, and shift your content strategy towards responding to these queries.

?? Make sure your content is readable

Headings, subheadings, lists and short paragraphs are essential in ensuring your content is easy to read and navigate.

??? Optimise keywords and metadata

So far, SGE seems to be encouraging users to search for detailed queries instead of short phrases. Therefore, it's important to prioritise long-tail keywords and leverage title tags and meta descriptions. Avoid keyword stuffing, as this can do more harm than good.

??? Pay attention to technical SEO

With SEO becoming an increasingly competitive field, it's crucial that your technical SEO is up to scratch. This includes XML sitemaps, site speed, URL structure and image optimisation.

?????Take care of local SEO

If you're a brick-and-mortar business, optimise your local SEO by claiming your Google My Business Profile. Check that important business information - such as your shop address - is the same across all your online platforms.

?? Monitor results

Set up your website on Google Analytics to monitor traffic, identify popular webpages, analyse how users behave once they visit your website, and check which webpages need to be improved.

?? Quality over quantity

Churning out low-quality content is never a good approach when trying to optimise your website's SEO. It's an even worse strategy with SGE added to the mix. Instead, focus on writing high-quality content that meets all the above criteria.

When will SGE be available in the UK?

After initial tests in the US, Japan and India, Google SGE was officially launched in more than 120 territories in November 2023. In addition, Google introduced Spanish, Portuguese, Korean and Indonesian as languages currently available for SGE alongside the already available English, Japanese and Hindi. There is currently no set timetable for when SGE will be available in the UK and Europe. However, once it's available, users can opt-in to participate in the experiment via Search Labs.

Prepare for Google's AI-powered search features

The introduction of Google's Search Generative Experience marks a significant milestone in the convergence of user intent, AI and search engine optimisation. It highlights the ever-evolving landscape of digital technology and its impact on our daily lives.

Adapting your business' SEO strategy to SGE can be daunting. With the right partner, however, you can leverage the unique opportunities that SGE offers and ensure your business remains ahead of the curve in this new era of online search. Get in touch to learn more about how we can help you do just that.

Want to learn more about SGE? Read the full blog here:

Tune in

If you’ve been subscribed to this newsletter for a while, you’ll already be familiar with our rather brilliant live webinars.

We’ve just finalised the details of our next one and we’re really excited about it, here’s the key details:

?? Tuesday 5th March 2024

?? 12:00 – 12:45 PM GMT

As with all our webinars, we wanted to focus on answering the questions that get asked the most. These aren’t sales pitches, these webinars are us trying to give back and provide genuine, helpful content.

This month we’re focusing on SEO and PPC budget management. Both channels that can lead to a lot of budget wastage if they’re not carefully managed. We’ll have expert advice and tips to not only ensure that you avoid wastage, but that you allocate your budget in a way that ensures maximum return on investment and improves online visibility.

Registration is completely free, just sign up here:

Dig in

And now for some exciting news! ??

We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that we’ve been awarded with the Microsoft Rising Star award at this year’s Europe Microsoft Advertising Partner Awards.

The Microsoft Advertising Partner Awards recognise digital marketing partners who go above and beyond to uncover hidden opportunities, innovative strategies, and fresh perspectives for their clients, and in so doing stand out across the digital marketing industry.

To be recognised by Microsoft is such a big honour for us, and we hope to continue our work in delivering outstanding Microsoft Advertising results for our clients throughout 2024 and beyond.

Interested in getting started with Microsoft Advertising? Read our blog here.

See you next month!

The LOCALiQ UK team