What Does Google’s New Search Generative Experience (GSE) Mean for You?
Blog/what-does-googles-new-search-generative-experience-gse-mean-for-you
Date: 2024-02-29
Google is changing.
To be more specific, the Google search experience is changing.
During the May 2023 annual I/O Developer Conference, Google announced Search Generative Experience (SGE; also referred to as GSE); a new search experience coming to Google in 2024.
What is SGE?
SGE, or Search Generative Experience, will use Artificial Intelligence to overview the top search engine results.
Think about it as Google’s new generative search results, which will work similarly to how Bing Chat on Microsoft Edge overviews 3-5 of the top pages, corresponding with a users’ search.
As Google put it in a recent article:
“We’ve made it easier to express what you’re looking for in ways that are more natural and intuitive. For instance, you can search with your voice, or you can search with your camera using Lens. And recently, we’ve been testing how generative AI’s ability to understand natural language makes it possible to ask questions on Search in a more natural way.”
-Elizabeth Reid | Google VP, Search
What does SGE mean for you?
So, what’s new?
A new AI overview showcasing the top 3 sources will now appear at the top of each search page
Pages will now contain, above organic search content, featured snippets and knowledge bars
With this in mind, it is no wonder why experts are expecting websites to have a 25% decrease in website traffic. For one, there will be 3 of the top pages appearing at the top of each search page, followed by knowledge bars / snippets, and advertisements (which will continue to appear above organic results).
What should your business do?
Despite what many marketers are speculating, no, SEO is not dead…
However, it is changing.
While SEO will continue to play a prominent and important role for search engine results, the arrival of SGE is a huge unknown.
In fact, even Google doesn’t know the impact it’ll have on search results, labelling their SGE venture as an “experiment”.
(You can try Google’s SGE experiment by following these steps)
As a business, do not worry about website traffic falling. Traffic, engagement, and views drop and fluctuate all the time.
Instead, do what has always been the most successful method of ranking high: focus on delivering valuable content for your visitors.
It has always been Google’s mission to provide users with the most relevant and helpful search results.
With that in mind, the course forward is clear; provide value and quality, and most likely, you will benefit from the results.
Remember, it isn’t a sure fact that SGE will have as big of an impact on search results as people speculate.
And as changes do arise, be sure not miss it by subscribing to our newsletter below!
