A Closer Look at Google’s Search Generative Experience

by | Jun 15, 2023 | Analytics & Tech, Google, SEO

What is Search Generative Experience (SGE)? 

Search Generative Experience (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 your own.

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

When will SGE officially roll out? 

Google has not officially said when this 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 over the next month to attempt to pinpoint when your brand will be affected.  

How will SGE’s impact organic & paid search?

Organic Impact

With this 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 can 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 someone will be a higher intent buyer by the time they reach your site. 

Consider the new AI-generated search answers equivalent to position 0, 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 so that they will be be used 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 the brand will need to bid higher to be seen.  

But the good news is that for buying-related queries, SGE will surface factors you might want to consider along with product ads, such as price, reviews, and shipping cost. This will help consumers make strong purchasing decisions. Direct Agents is ready and 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 also works for vertical search experiences, including Google Shopping results. SGE is built on Google’s Shopping Graph, which has more than 35 billion product listings and is updated every hour. 

SGE can 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, SGE can make eCommerce businesses more visible in search results. This can lead to more traffic to their websites and more sales.

Here are some of the benefits of using SGE for eCommerce businesses:

  • More relevant results: SGE uses AI to provide more relevant results for each search query. This means that businesses are more likely to appear in the search results for products their customers are interested in.
  • 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.
  • Increased traffic: By providing more relevant and up-to-date results, SGE can help businesses attract more website traffic. This can lead to increased sales and revenue.

We don’t have a crystal ball to tell us what the exact impact of SGE will be on paid and organic search, however, Direct Agents is preparing its clients to stay agile with media investment.  

Cari Bacon, Associate Director of SEO, Direct Agents

Andrea Duffy-Cabana, Associate Director of Paid Search, Direct Agents