How will Google’s SGE affect website traffic? 

What exactly is SGE?

SGE stands for ‘search generative experience’ and it’s been coming for a while. Put simply, it’s the integration of AI-generated answers in search results.

To recap, Google unveiled this revolutionary interface change at the I/O 2023 event. At the time, it felt like a shotgun rebuttal to Bing’s integration with Chat GPT, but as the beta version rolled out to testers in the US initially, it’s clear that this isn’t just a chatbot loaded into an existing search interface.

It’s a shift in how users interact with Google, using their most advanced language model lamDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) to ‘mimic speech’ by ingesting trillions of words from the internet.

Here’s what search results are likely to look like:

Here’s a quick summary:

1. When searching, Google is likely to generate an AI response or snippet (in the same way as Chat GPT).
2. There are three ‘tiles’ that link to various sources.
3. There may or may not be links to sources in the AI answer itself (Google is still testing this).
4. Users will have the option to ‘continue’ the conversation by asking follow-up questions.
5. AI answers will sit above the traditional blue links

A Timeline of Updates:

• Google announces SGE – May 2023
• SGE goes into Beta testing with early access 
• Google tests link attribution in new UI – Aug 2023
• Google SGE expands to 120 countries. – Nov 2023
• 2024 – Google SGE released? TBC!

Updates for April 2024

What has changed since my last update:

1. There are rumours that SGE might launch as soon as May 2024 at the Google IO event, though some sources disagree.
2. Previously, the answers included a limited number of links to websites. Recent testing shows that they are now showing more links to sites, offering new chances for content to be found. However, it’s unclear if people are actually clicking these links (analytics and analysis is key). Google has mentioned they’re still focusing on strategies that direct valuable traffic to publishers.
3. There were question marks around the types of queries that would show AI answers A study by Authoritas found that Google shows a Search Generative element in 91.4% of all searches.
4. Will AI answers show across all industries? The study also found that the lowest presence of SGE was found in YMYL verticals such as Insurance (52%), Finance (71%), Professional Services (83%), and Health & Wellness (87%).
5. If a website ranks well now, will it also do well in SGE results? In the study, 62% of generative links came from sources that are not in the top 10 ranking organic domains – presenting opportunities to leapfrog competitors.

Which businesses could win?

• Businesses that have established brands and authority.
• Businesses who’ve invested in growing topical authority by answering very specific user questions.
• Businesses who’ve invested in building and demonstrating EEAT (more on this below – scroll to ‘how can I rank in AI answers?’

So What Does This mean for your B2B SEO Strategy?

Those who have studied how search engines work and rank content in the last 20 years have grown used to incremental modifications over the past two decades.

Yes, the traditional 10 blue links remained the core of modern search but, we’ve witnessed a slow but sure erosion of the highly coveted ‘first position’ with several SERP (search engine result pages) additions pushing the first result further down the page.

SGE further exacerbates this – but contrary to popular belief, it won’t kill search. It could provide lots of opportunities for additional clicks as the emphasis goes from ‘ranking in the first position’ to ‘mentions in AI answers.’

In effect B2B ‘Search Engine Optimisation’ could be rebranded as ‘ Answer Engine Optimisation.’

Remember, as long as users are searching for something, there will always be search engine optimisation.

It initially looked as though Google was looking to provide answers to searches in the search result itself, evading your website entirely, however, since the initial demonstration, it appears that Google is experimenting with links or ‘jump off points’ to websites as below:

Google affirms its core mission is centred on directing attention to online content, striving to channel valuable traffic to a broad spectrum of websites as they delve into the realm of generative AI.

So here is how the pending changes may affect your website.

Change	How will this affect your business?
The conventional blue links find themselves relegated further down the page, resulting in a loss of digital real estate.	This shift may lead to a decrease in click-through rates for those occupying current top positions. However, an opportunity arises for inclusion in the top 3 reference links or in AI answers, effectively becoming the new ‘first position.’
SGE may trigger for a high % of search queries – The examples presented during the keynote primarily revolved around intricate, long-tail keywords, inquiries related to product comparisons, and other research-oriented questions.	Traffic could be affected for all queries. You may see a reduction in ‘blog’ or ‘research’ traffic as it’s likely that Google will generate its own answers in search results, with links to relevant sources.
AI results can include search ads – in one demonstration, we could see that search ads could be included in results.	This presents opportunities for an increase in paid clicks, with ads naturally included in AI answers. With changes, you may see AdWords become more effective.

Be part of the conversation

SEO is often considered the glue that holds all B2B marketing activity together. It’s key to businesses getting noticed by potential clients actively seeking the solutions they provide.

Your customers will still be searching for your products and services, but think of this new technology as your customers ‘having a conversation’ with Google to outline their requirements.

In essence, SGE encourages B2B businesses to shift from a keyword-centric approach to a more context-oriented, holistic SEO strategy.

It’s no longer just about getting on the first page of Google; it’s about being part of the AI-powered snapshot that SGE generates for every type of question that your potential customer may have.

SGE will have the biggest impact on how information is collated by your potential customers during the B2B sales funnel. Typically, those looking for B2B searches will carry out in-depth research at the top of the funnel before identifying a number of potential solutions.

To get ahead of SGE, focus on the following:

1. Focus on becoming a topical authority: The most important activity that B2B businesses can do to take advantage of SGE changes is to become a ‘topical authority in their respective niche.’For B2B companies to be recognised as a reliable source of information by SGE, their content must cover a broad range of related queries and sub-topics. Those who are continuously providing their users with informative, valuable information and solutions will position themselves for maximum visibility.
2. Include as much detail in your content as possible: SGE can handle very detailed searches and give specific results. Google has always wanted to answer even the most specific questions, and using AI automation helps move in that direction.Is your content detailed enough to rank for highly specific terms? For example, if you operate in the commercial CCTV space, users could be searching for… “I need a CCTV solution for my warehouse that operates 24/7 and will send notifications to my phone if there is a breach.” In this case, the landing page must cover each of these topics to stand a chance of being referenced in AI answers.
3. Focus on building EEAT – With the use of AI tools to generate mass content – how does Google decide which content to rank? This is where the importance of EEAT (experience, expertise authoritativeness and trustworthiness), comes into play. Focus your efforts on building your content around the expertise of the people in your business. Established brands that consistently showcase expertise and authority over time are likely to emerge as the major winners. Can you answer the questions below?

How can I rank in SGE Answers? An AI answer ranking checklist

How can businesses best position themselves to rank in AI answers? Since SGE isn’t currently live and in the wild, it’s difficult say exactly how to be referenced in AI answers, but Google’s recent updates and references to EEAT are a major clue. I believe the aim is to be seen as a ‘referenceable authority.’

Building a base level of Authority:

• Have you been featured in the news lately / in the past to build positive coverage can build trust?
• Is your brand mentioned and referenced on other websites (both linked or unlinked)
• Do you have active social media profiles for your business? While it doesn’t affect Google rankings, it demonstrates your business’s legitimacy and can be key to building trust.
• Are you actively getting quality backlinks to boost your authority?

Informational Content Optimisation

• Are you producing content to satisfy user questions relevant to your solution or business?
• Is your content accurate, fresh and relevant with an updated and visible date?
• Does your content provide a short and succinct summary answer to the user’s question where possible?
• Is your content broken up by logical headers, with a table of contents to aid in content navigation?
• Is content broken up into bullet points or tables where appropriate?
• Is the rest of the content generally helpful to the user?
• Is the tone conversational and easily ‘referenceable?’
• Do you reference reputable third-party sources and use up-to-date statistics?
• Is your content supported by custom graphics, video insights or mixed media where relevant?
• Does your content have anecdotal insights from subject matter experts from within your organisation that can provide unique insight to readers?

Local Optimisation

• Are you collecting positive Google reviews on your GMB profile?
• Are you responding to your reviews – good or bad?
• Is your business information up to date with appropriate service offerings added to your GMB profile.
• Is your business and address referenced on third-party websites?
• Does your content reference the locations you cover?
• Are you demonstrating local knowledge relevant to your vertical?

Service page Optimisation

• Do Service pages show experts or key people in the business with links to their profiles?
• Do Service pages show testimonials?
• Do Service pages show case studies providing evidence of work provided?
• Unique quotes from people in the business?

EEAT Checklist

• Do you have author biographies in place for your article content?
• Does your site have clear policy pages for privacy, returns, and terms and conditions?
• Does your site have up-to-date reviews, testimonials and case studies?
• Do you have a detailed about us page?
• Do you have a detailed meet the team page?
• Are you making use of schema such as ‘article’ ‘reviewed-by’ ‘organisation’ and ‘citation schema.’

Frequently Asked SGE Questions:

Will SGE kill website traffic?

The answer is no. Your organic traffic is unlikely to be completely wiped out as Google tests ways to provide ‘jump off’ points to your content so that users can find out more. However, it’s important to embrace in-depth, contextual content to answer the queries that your potential customers may have.

Will this make SEO ‘harder?

The answer is yes. It seems that search real estate is decreasing, meaning it will come at a premium. Search marketers at the top of their game are likely to be the biggest winners – there will be less tolerance for substandard SEO work.

What about copyright issues?

Fundamentally, Google’s language model ‘learns’ from the existing content available to crawl on the web. But what about content creators who have worked tirelessly to produce this content only for Google to consume and regurgitate it as its own?

They’ve opened a can of worms in the content marketing community for this reason – plagiarism. If Google is going to scrape content and keep users on its platform, where is the motivation for creators to keep creating this content?

News publishers are concerned that AI answers will infringe copyright laws and replace Search traffic, leading to less revenue, lost jobs and other damages.

We’re yet to see how Google will attribute its ai generated responses to the content creators that have ‘educated’ the algortihm for the last 20 years, but the debate is rapidly evolving.

We’re now seeing some websites block major chatbots from crawling and using their content, which could be a solution if Google attempts to gobble up all of the search traffic and leave publishers in the cold.

Are you ready for the change?

In summary – change is coming.

But with change comes opportunity.

Earning high-quality, relevant traffic in search will mean a shift from focussing on ‘first position’ rankings to ‘being part of an ongoing conversation.

Those who have followed traditional SEO fundamentals (i.e. building content, focussing on EEAT and authority) are well placed to capitalise on additional click opportunities.

Those who haven’t should start now! Do you have a B2B strategy for 2024?

Are you looking for an SEO partner to prepare your site for SGE? I work closely with B2B brands as the ‘SEO’ arm of your marketing team, leading and coordinating your organic growth strategy to achieve exponential business growth.

 If you’re looking to discuss the effects of SGE on your organic traffic, get in touch today at 01622 231 644.