What is Google’s SGE Update?

You may have already seen it when you recently typed a question into Google. Depending on what you ask, above the familiar list of search results you get a summary with the heading “AI Overview.” Click the “Show more” bar, and the results expand to include a list of resources that AI used to generate the results, with the disclaimer “Generative AI is experimental” discreetly tucked at the bottom. This is Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), and this latest change to the way Google works may be the most daunting challenge businesses have yet faced in keeping their sites visible and attracting organic traffic on the most popular search engine in the world.

Key Impact For Businesses

1. Lost of organic ranking in some cases, because the AI result takes up real estate on the top of the first page
2. The need to review paid ads strategy and how you create the ad copy and keyword configuration. Companies that have lost ranking may have to consider paid Google Ads as these still show up higher than the AI result
3. A shift in how content is created, 42% of bad content was scrapped off in March this year
4. Reduced leads and revenue should issues not be rectified both in terms of content and technology

Do businesses need to be concerned? Absolutely.

SGE changes how search results are presented, pushing traditional search results further down the page, which will almost inevitably impact click-through rates for businesses. However, the rollout so far is incremental, affecting only some types of searches. (For example, as of this writing, typing in “best travel purse” results in a familiar list of sponsored links followed by ranked site links, whereas asking “what are the symptoms of jet lag” generates an AI overview at the top.) This difference helps to illustrate how SGE is going to change online search and what businesses can do to ensure that their websites don’t disappear into a sea of online noise.

A More Human-Like Experience – Creating Optimal User Experience

What distinguishes the type of Google query that, at this point, is more likely to produce an AI summary? It’s a conversational query that can be answered with informational content. The information that SGE uses to generate these results doesn’t come out of nowhere—it’s drawn from online sites that Google judges to be experts and authorities in their field. In that sense, it isn’t that much different from regular search, which pulls higher quality links to the top of results.

The opportunity inherent in this change is the flip side to the threat SGE presents. Quality, relevant, authoritative content that is optimized for user intent is more important than ever, as that is what will keep businesses at the top of search results and possibly included as resources that generate those neat SGE summaries. Those SGE results depend on strong informational content. If your business hasn’t already, now is the time to let go of the idea that generic, ChatGPT-produced content is going to do anything for your Google rankings, because SGE will screen that out even more ruthlessly than the algorithm already does.

Will Google SGE discourage people from clicking away from search results at all?

In some cases, yes, and that may depress organic traffic to a certain extent. What it is mostly likely to impact is top-of-the-funnel searches, though, where potential buyers are in the earliest stages of looking for very basic information. (Someone querying “what are the 4 Cs of diamonds,” for instance, is probably not that close to buying an engagement ring.) Those who do click through to a particular site are more likely to be higher-quality leads, which means businesses will also need to optimize for long-tail keywords and middle- and bottom-of-the-funnel content to attract those who have moved beyond basic informational search into a more focused hunt for products or services that fit their needs. Understanding user intent when they are searching will be key to effectively bringing in those promising prospects.

The bottom line is that SGE raises the stakes even higher for businesses to have websites that offer clear, concise, relevant content. If your current content strategy is already producing lackluster results, you can’t afford to wait to shift course.

At Iffel International, our CEO is focused on connecting the dots between marketing and technology that result in profitable sales transactions. We have our very own lab where our clients get the best in techniques that relate to SEO2Sales^TM, SGE, and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) to ensure they are ahead of the competition.

We know that the only constant in the battle for online visibility is change. We stay ahead of the technological curve to ensure our customers can consistently reach their target audience online. But we also know that there has never been an SEO shortcut or gimmick that beats having an authentic online presence that distinguishes your competitive advantage and showcases your unique expertise in a way that is aligned with your ideal profit strategy—this has always been, and always will be, the heart of our work for you. If you’re worried about how SGE will impact your business, we can help. Contact us to schedule your consultation today.