Key Takeaways

  • Google’s new Search Generative Experience (SGE) is the latest update to the search engine results page (SERP) that leverages AI to provide generated answers to questions.
  • Google SGE provides opportunities for publishers to rework old content and hone in on their specialty to deliver premium content.
  • The top five things publishers need to do to benefit from this search engine shift are: consider article format, include schema markup, diversify your content strategy, think of content like a holistic ecosystem, and stay on top of further updates.

 

Over the past few years, the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has felt a bit like a haunted house with Google algorithm updates and AI regularly popping out of the shadows at publishers and content creators. Making searchable content for the internet has never been trickier.

The latest jump-scare: Google’s SGE — or Search Generative Experience. A brand new interface for Google users that completely turns the former SEO game on its head.

We understand that change can be frightening. Luckily, we’re pulling back the mask of this unknown monster to prove that it’s not so scary after all.

To do this, Playwire VP of Marketing, Courtney DeLaura, sat down with SEO expert and zombie slayer, Joy Youell, to help us all understand how to successfully navigate through the unknown of SGE and evolving SEO best practices.

Joy is a CEO and marketing consultant who has worked as a fractional CMO, communications director, and marketing growth consultant for companies like Johnson & Johnson, American Express, and Indeed. She is also the founder of Winsome Marketing, formerly known as Hire a Writer, a world-class digital copywriting agency. 

This article is packed with monster-sized Google algorithm insights. As Joy puts it, the topic could constitute a 6-week intensive course, but today, we’re running you through the basics. 

Think: How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse for Dummies. Let’s get started.

What is the Google Search Generative Experience?

Let’s start with the basics. You can’t win against a monster you know nothing about.

So, what is the Google Search Generative Experience (SGE)?

Google functions based on an algorithm; a set of rules by which Google organizes answers to queries. 

Algorithms get a bad rap for being these big scary things. Google’s algorithm, in particular, is something of a behemoth.

But that’s essentially all it is. A set of rules to organize information.

As artificial intelligence and large language models have evolved, Google was able to take its biggest resource — language data — to build AI systems that leveraged the existing technology of matching queries to answers while simultaneously synthesizing and creating answers.

Like Dr. Frankenstein, Google stitched multiple disparate parts together and brought them to life to create something entirely new.

And that's what the search generative experience is. 

Let’s take a deeper look.

BARD

Google BARD was the initial monster — err, model, that Google put to market. And like many first-runs, it had its issues. So the company rebranded, retooled, and reinvented the tech. 

Now it’s known as…

Gemini

Gemini is the current model that Google is using for artificial intelligence and organic search. 

You’ve probably already seen it. You ask a question, then at the very top of the search engine results page (SERP), Google gives you its own answer based on info from highly ranked pages.

That’s where the increasing importance of SEO comes into play. Publishers who master the art of SEO get featured by Gemini.

AKA: You learn how to outsmart your opponent and raise the ranks of Google.

How Do Google’s SGE Updates Impact SEO?

Recently, Google’s AI features have evolved even further, throwing a wrench into many marketing teams’ already complex SEO strategies. 

First, Google sunset pagination. The result was a collective scream from publishers, marketers, and content creators around the world, as they were required to transition to infinite scrolling.

Search Generative Experience is this new version of the SERP. 

It hasn't launched yet, but it will soon. And if you want to get a little preview of what it looks like, you can obviously just… Google it.

But to sum it up in writing:

The very first thing you’ll see on the page is the Gemini-generated answers from the top sources, which will be the leading results.

Google SGE (Questions)

What follows is a list of suggested related questions, which point to the direction in which Google is heading.

Google SGE (Gemini Results)

If you've handled SEO for any length of time, you know that semantic relationships are a big deal with SEO strategies.

Strength in numbers and all.

It’s like those scenes in scary movies where the group decides to split up… (Why would anyone think that’s a good idea?)

That’s why we employ topic clusters, related language, and related ideas to build topical authority. With SGE, these strategies will be more important than ever to stay relevant.

So if you must investigate that noise coming from upstairs… please bring a buddy. 

Better yet, bring several.

Google SGE Opportunities for Publishers

I know all these changes seem scary, but whatever you do, don’t panic. 

This is an opportunity for everyone who’s a step ahead of the crowd (if you’re reading this, that includes you).

The days of SEO gaming the system, keyword stuffing, and black hat tactics are long gone. But for a moment, it looked like AI was going to re-open that door. Then the last Google update de-indexed huge swaths of spammy AI-generated content. 

This was a win for the good guys like us.

So, if you’re genuinely committed to producing quality, unique content for your readers, Google’s updates shouldn’t scare you.

The entire function of Google is to match a search query to the best possible answer. This means high-quality topical authority will always win. Always.

Changes like this are an invitation to create research-level, premium content that is truly valuable, unique, and demonstrative of your mastery over a specific subject. Content like that is beneficial for more than just your SEO strategy. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate your dedication to authenticity and sharing your expertise. 

If you’re looking to embrace the opportunity of these updates, ask yourself: what does my audience want to know? And, am I really the authority on that? 

There’s a good chance that you are. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in business.

For those who aren’t, as Joy puts it: “Audiences can sniff out that inauthenticity pretty quickly.”

Great news for you, but bad for those who have been cutting corners. And any other spammy demons hiding within the shadows of the internet.

Strategizing Content for Google’s SGE Updates: 5 Tips and Best Practices

Ok, so you’re not afraid of Google’s updates anymore.

Fantastic.

What’s next?

Joy gave us five actionable strategies you can employ right away to prepare you for algorithm updates and — surprise, surprise — they all require you to learn SEO best practices.

1. Consider structure: The way you format your content can have a massive impact on user engagement. This includes a key takeaways section (like we have at the beginning of this post) that allows your readers to get the answer they came for without having to scroll too far.

2. Structured data: Otherwise known as schema markup. This is a technical SEO practice that involves including code in your web page’s infrastructure to help Google understand exactly what your content is. Joy says data taxonomy in general is something many creators fail terribly at. So if you want to get ahead, it’s a great place to start.

3. Diversify your strategy: Google may be a megalodon, but it’s not the only fish in the sea. Did you know that TikTok and YouTube are search engines? Other platforms are emerging as competitors as well. So if you want to stand a chance against the updates, you’re gonna need a bigger boat.

4. Think of your content like an ecosystem: Social, long-form, email, and other forms of content aren’t disparate systems that function separately. They are a part of your overall brand strategy. Understanding the value of each as well as how they interact with each other can make or break your ability to scale.

5. Stay up-to-date: Follow news outlets and content creators who give timely, factual updates about changes to algorithms and best practice recommendations. If you want to make the most of the opportunities that these changes present, you need to stay one step ahead of them. 

You Tell the Story, Playwire Finds the Readers

Joy might seem fearless in the face of Google algorithm updates, but there is one thing that frightens her.

“People like us get into content creation because we love telling stories and connecting with humans,” she says. “I think there's a real risk when you start to understand the business side. You can get really ambitious and lose the love of the craft.”

She says her biggest fear with content creation is turning her passion into a business and beginning to resent it.

Sound familiar?

That’s where Playwire comes to your rescue.

You’ve got the content craft covered. We’ve got the tools, tech, and team to help you turn it into a business and RAMP® up your ad revenue.

If you’re ready to face your fears, contact us and we’ll get you started.

Are you interested in catching a future Playwire Live episode? Please join us every other Tuesday on LinkedIn and YouTube where we’re joined by a variety of guest speakers across digital media, ad tech, and content creation to have important discussions centered around helping you drive more revenue for your business.

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