SGE - AI in Google Search

Have you heard of Google Search Generative Experience (SGE)?

SGE is the new way of searching using AI. We've seen Bing introduce Bing chat, and recently Google has been experimenting with the AI tool Bard in their search engine too! In this blog, you can read more about it!

AI is becoming increasingly important in our field. We see it more and more, being used for multiple purposes. Bing and Google are also experimenting with this.

What does SGE do exactly?

SGE enhances user interactions by providing clearer and more concise answers to search queries. There is a shift towards a more interactive and user-friendly search experience, where the algorithm better understands and responds to user needs and preferences. This also applies to image searches. Behind the scenes, this also impacts websites, which will generate impressions and website traffic differently. To avoid confusion, SGE is part of Google and does not work like ChatGPT.

What should we consider?

It's still unclear which factors influence the links shown as snippets, but there are some notable points to consider. AI results will be displayed above organic results, known as the AI-Snapshot by Google. Previously SHERP results are now CHERP results (Chat Engine Results Page). The AI-Snapshot can include text, images, and videos.

• SGE seems to merge information and analysis from multiple sources to deliver a response, optimizing the results.
• Advertisements are currently less common in AI search results. They only appear when you expand the results further. The AI Snapshot is not generated automatically, so ads are immediately visible in traditional SERP results.
• AI will become increasingly important, but this does not mean SEO best practices should be disregarded. There will be a slight shift in user behavior, but traditional organic results will still feature in search results.

Exciting! When can we test this?

Currently, SGE is only available to a few people in the U.S. (possibly accessible with VPN). The rollout date for Europe is still unknown. If you can't wait to try SGE, you can experiment in Google's Search Lab.

Will users readily accept AI-generated results, or continue to search further in traditional SERP results? It's too early to say what impact SGE will have on user behavior at this stage. Hopefully, we'll find out soon!