Unveiling Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE): A Paradigm Shift in the World of Search
Artificial Intelligence(AI) technology has taken the industry by storm and will continue to do that for the foreseeable future. Digital marketing is no exception, Microsoft Bing and ChatGPT have already changed the world of search, but one key player has been missing from the discussion. Not anymore. In May of 2023, Google announced Search Generative Experience(SGE), and Liz Reid, vice president of Google search team said, “The future of search is about blending the best of search and the best of generative AI. It’s not either- or.”
Read more: Highlights from Google Marketing Live 2023
Given the significant shift involving AI integration into the search engine, which covers 93% of all searches conducted, numerous questions arise; What impact will it have on paid ads? Will conventional SEO practices remain relevant? Which content will hold the utmost value? Prior to addressing these crucial industry inquiries, it’s imperative to comprehend the nature of SGE.
What is Google’s Search Generative Experience?
As per google, SGE provides web results in a new layout which is designed to provide the user with a more extensive result.
SGE expand the traditional search experience with richer and better features such as:
- Users can ask more detailed, complex and unique questions and the search results will be more personalised than ever before.
- A new feature is something Google refers to as a “snapshot”. The SGE snapshot is a summarized cluster of relevant links and information that is provided to the searcher.
- Early signs may suggest that the SGE snapshot will replace the currently important aspect called featured snippet SERP ranking. The featured snippet actually already uses AI to give the most relevant match for the searcher’s query.
- Similarly to the way of interacting with ChatGPT, SGE gives the searcher the option to interact in conversational-style questions and dialogue in the process of finding the most relevant information on the web.
This means that searchers will see a snapshot on the top of the search result page that contains an overview of the options available, links, information and important factors to consider depending on the theme of the search. Finally, the more detailed the search is, the more personalized it will be.
To illustrate the concept in more detail, consider a scenario where you are exploring vacation destinations and decide to search on Google. For example, imagine that you are performing a search for a family trip to the alps for your family (like in the first example picture). You might have first searched using a generic query like “best alp village to visit for a family”. Currently, the result page will generate a list of destinations related to the search terms.
However, with SGE the search experience gets more customised and enlightening where you can use a more detailed search inquiry. With a more detailed search query like “top family – friendly alp village for experienced skiers in France with ski in-ski out possibilities”. The generated snapshot will provide a much more detailed and customized overview of different alp villages that perfectly align with your preference and needs. It is safe to say that we stand before a paradigm shift in the world of search and that SGE will provide a better experience for the users.
This marks the first installment of a series here on the Nimble blog that delves into how SGE will impact the world of search. Subsequent parts will explore the effects of SGE on SEO, SEM, and provide insights into how we at Nimble are preparing for this new era of search.
