What SEO Experts Say About Leveraging SGE in 2024

Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) has significantly evolved since its experimental debut in May 2023.

Initially focused on generating paraphrased snippets for search queries, SGE now provides comprehensive summaries and source links.

In essence, Google’s SGE is an interactive generative AI-powered feature that leverages existing search results to respond to search queries. It functions similarly to a chatbot, yet it is powered by Google’s organic search results.

Every webpage indexed and displayed on a search engine results page (SERP) contributes to SGE’s knowledge base.

As intriguing (and somewhat unsettling) as this feature might be, it’s important to grasp its full potential if you aim to harness it for business advantages.

How Does Google SGE Work?

SGE provides detailed answers to search queries, akin to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but with cited sources.

To observe SGE in use:

1. Go to Google to initiate a search.
2. Input a search query or question into the search bar.
3. Observe how several search results are reformulated into an engaging response to your question.

SGE enriches your results with context and additional information, unlike the older featured snippets that offered only a snippet or sentence without full context.

Previously, searchers would navigate through multiple websites, generating traffic for each one. Now, SGE occupies the space previously held by direct webpage results, which might reduce traffic to individual websites.

How Will SGE Alter Google Search Functionality?

Many SEO professionals speculate that SGE may reduce organic traffic from top-of-funnel queries.

Several factors contribute to the potential decline in organic traffic from SERPs:

• Featured snippets offer only one clickable source, but SGE provides many. If you previously held the top position, you might now share clicks with multiple sources.
• SGE occupies more space on the SERPs, pushing traditional SERPs lower on the page, resulting in fewer clicks.
• Users can ask follow-up questions, keeping them on the SERP instead of visiting external sites for more information.

That said, pages can still attract traffic if the content efficiently answers search queries.

SGE Cites Pages Outside the Top 10

There have been instances where SGE references pages not ranked in the top 10 results, showing that data is drawn from a broader range of sources.

However, adapting your strategy is crucial as SGE moves beyond its experimental phase.

A recent study indicates that 49% of consumers show interest in AI-powered searches, suggesting that AI-generated SERPs have positive reception.

To maintain its competitiveness, especially following Bing Search’s resurgence last year, Google is likely to integrate SGE into the SERPs permanently.

Insights from SEO Experts on SGE’s Impact on Digital Marketing

Many companies depend on Google for revenue, whether from ads or organic results. SGE could disrupt both of these elements.

Impact on Organic Traffic

For organic results, securing the top 3 positions might no longer yield expected outcomes.

Impact on PPC

On the advertising front, you might maintain a degree of safety since sponsored results appear above SGE. Nonetheless, this arrangement pushes organic results further down the page.

Some experts equate SGE to a more advanced version of Featured Snippets. Ihor Rudnyk, CEO of Collaborator, remarks:

We observed sites providing simple and quick answers lost some of their traffic. Users obtain these answers directly in the SERPs, for instance, weather forecasts, currency rates, and short facts.

Businesses relying on concise, straightforward answers face challenges. Adding value for users is vital, emphasizing the growing significance of brand awareness and direct traffic.

Additionally, there will be a greater emphasis on crafting content with depth, such as original data, unique perspectives, or commentary on trends.

SEO professionals will start to become more quality-focused, and quality will be defined as bringing something new, original, or interesting to the debate in contrast to what it is defined as now — being ‘comprehensive’ (code for boringly covering the same stuff the next guy does).

— Patrick Herbert, Director at Singularity Digital

Strategies to Leverage SGE for Your Business

How can you prepare to remain relevant on the SERPs as SGE becomes dominant?

Here are some tips to get started:

1. Shift from Informational to Transactional Content

SGE poses the greatest threat to informational content, especially the concise variety.

Businesses producing thin, search-optimized content will face challenges. Developing more transactional pages could mitigate this issue.

Transactional content demands deeper research and is inherently more detailed, making users more inclined to explore product or service websites.

Additionally, this strategy enhances your chances of appearing in SGE for high-intent search terms, which is crucial for businesses.

2. Track Changes in Search Intent Over Time

In anticipation of SGE, many marketers will likely shift their focus from traditional keyword metrics like keyword density (KD) and search volume to search intent.

Even with high KD and search volume, achieving high rankings can be challenging. With SGE, pursuing such terms is only worthwhile if you’re ready to produce exceptionally in-depth guides.

This shift underlines the importance of prioritizing search intent.

Consider the following questions:

• Does the topic make sense?
• Can I realistically rank for this topic or at least be credited by SGE?