As a marketer trying to keep up with the trends in 2023, one thing you’ve constantly been hearing is, “The future of search is rapidly evolving”. With the disruption that Bing created with GPT integration, we can also safely add, “The future and purpose of search is rapidly changing”.
A lot is happening in this area, and it can sometimes feel like a lot to handle, especially if you’re a marketer or a business owner. In this article, we’ll try to unpack this in a series of posts to help you better understand the entire search landscape.
Understanding SGE, aka Search Generative Experience
In March 2023, Google unveiled its new feature called SGE (Search Generative Experience), followed by a gradual beta roll-out across markets. The core philosophy of SGE, as per Google is to integrate new generative AI features into Search. By doing that, the entire search process is simplified; this accelerates understanding of a subject and helps discover fresh perspectives and insights, making your tasks more manageable”.
We took SGE for a spin to understand the context and searched for ‘Iffort’. Notice how the entire preview of your entire search experience changes.
Next-up, we looked at this whole lens as a digital marketing agency in UAE and entered a dummy search-query on service name + location in UAE.
In this example, our search was for ‘dentist in Dubai Marina Housing Community’, a prominent location in Dubai. One of the biggest game-changers of SGE is its ability to ask follow-up questions.
After this, The next follow-up question Google suggested was ‘How much is dental care in Dubai
Another follow-up question suggestion was, ‘Is the UAE good for dentistry’?
Imagine you’re doing a comparison between your favorite pair of shoes the results highlighting the key points are displayed right inside which leads to reduction in Clicks and impact on SERPs.
How do you sign-up for SGE?
SGE was launched under Search Labs, an initiative by Google to test bold new products and ideas. Sign-up for Search Labs using this link if you’re in eligible countries.
What SGE means for marketers?
Continuity of context from one query to the next facilitates a more seamless exploration. In addition, Google suggests useful starting points in web content and various viewpoints to enrich user research.
Advertiser View: So, what does the future of advertising look like in SGE? Currently, there are no controls for advertisers regarding the fresh search experience. In other words, advertisers can’t do a lot at present but expect things to change soon.
Implications for a Local Business: When you searched for a top bakeries with good red velvet cake in your area, it used to give article with top bakeries that matched the keyword. The AI led experience, will focus on user reviews too, identifying the ones that specifically talk about red velvet cake for the search term.
Reduced Clicks & Scroll down the SERP: With the integration of new generative AI features in Search, the effort required for searching will be significantly reduced, leading to a dip in search clicks. This will also potentially have an impact on SERPs as the tendency to scroll and look through the results at the bottom of the pages will reduce.
Next up, we’d be discussing LLMs and how they will impact SEO.
Iffort serves as the go-to partner for businesses seeking to responsibly and effectively implement AI in marketing. Our dedication to innovation and expertise, positions organisations at the forefront of the future. Join forces with Iffort, and together, lets’s push the boundaries even further.
