What is SGE and what does it mean for your content?

SGE (Search Generative Experience) is what you see at the top of your Search Engine when you type in a query and it’s the result returned by the Search Engine’s own AI tool. This means that the first answer offered up is AI-generated and it impacts search results because now, instead of showing an article or information created by a human, it’s trawling its own collection of data.

Understanding SGE

But… it’s not all doom and gloom. AI in its current form suffers from ‘hallucinations’ – that’s code for ‘talks a load of shit’ 😉 because it doesn’t always get the answer right – it either makes stuff up – or, is using information which was incorrect in the first place.

Furthermore it’s not all thrashed out yet. Whilst there was initial buzz and hype about the usage of AI – right now late 2024 everything is still up in the air because Google quickly discovered that users don’t like it and aren’t really clicking through. They still want the real deal. All the search engines right now are figuring out how to use SGE but still give the users (that’s us people on the ground) what they want to see when they fire up their browser.

The risk for content creators and those who use SEO as their primary marketing channel is that the SGE will just produce a quick answer which the user will read and then close their browser – so in theory, never even bothering to scroll down the page and see a more in depth view which potentially damages your website views.

I’m a big believe in ‘silver linings’ and I’ve been around the block enough times to know that there’s more than one way to skin a cat – and that everything, but everything in life evolves. And while SGE presents challenges, it also offers new opportunities for businesses to optimize their online presence and continue to bring in leads and sales.

The Future of SEO in the Age of SGE

E-E-A-T: 

Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. This is a new acronym you might not have stumbled across – but it’s essentially your stamp of authority to say “I know what the fuck I’m talking about“. Google are now looking to see who wrote the article you posted on your website – and, once they’ve got the measure of you – will handsomely reward you with higher rankings.

Unique Content: 

In an age of low-quality AI (which is fucking ironic right when the search engine’s own machines can throw out garbage) – they’re still wanting to see original, high-quality content that provides value to users. There’s nothing wrong with getting some help from AI in terms of ideas or structure – but, there’s a real danger that if you basically ask your AI bot to generate your entire blog post, that the algorithms will quite clearly spot this and not reward your site. Why would they send traffic to your site to read your AI-generated article when their own computers can do it themselves? Posts and pages written by humans for humans will always out. We’re fickle beasts us humans. Would you want to get stuck into an AI written book when you’re lying on the beach on holiday?

Technical SEO: 

When competing against these mega-clever AI computers and algorithms, it’s never been more important for you to optimise your website using technical SEO. This includes page speed, mobile-friendliness, and site structure. Wanna beat the computers? Feed them the language they love.

AI-Powered Tools:

Explore how AI can be leveraged to enhance SEO efforts, such as keyword research, content optimisation, and competitor analysis. Although I truly believe that written content is best done (or at least heavily tweaked) by a human who knows their subject… there is big scope for using AI to help you plan your SEO strategy. Using AI for competitor analysis is useful – but – as always, run the AI results through your own filter. Real life example: AI is telling me that one of my competitors is getting huge traffic to her site… so obviously I dug a little deeper because problem-solvers gonna problem-solve. Turns out it wasn’t her services drawing clients in – but instead, a bunch of ‘hidden content’ regarding a popular book series. So yeh… huge traffic numbers. Pointless traffic. Google aren’t daft – they know the difference between SEO for business and “Sweet Valley High”!

Voice Search Optimisation: 

The big search engines have been saying for years that we’ll shift over to voice searches. Probably not me tbf… I’m an introvert and the techies over at Amazon are wondering why my Alexa never reports anything as it’s so quiet around here. Most of the time it’s just me telling my cat how pretty she is. I digress! To optimize for voice queries it goes back again to ‘human content creation’ – when you write the way people speak – that’s when you’re going to come out on top – plus using long-tailed keywords – i.e., the phrases real people use when real people are asking questions.

Local SEO: 

If you offer in-person services then frankly AI just doesn’t cut it. When a real person is needed in the room you can’t be replaced. Local SEO allows you to stand out in local search results.

Strategies for Success in the Age of SGE

Focus on User Intent: 

Leverage the long-tailed keywords and create content which directly addresses your users questions and provides valuable information to help them make an informed decision.

Build Strong Brand Authority: 

Leverage the E-E-A-T and continue to produce quality articles to establish your brand as a trusted source of information and authority.

Leverage Structured Data: 

This is the brief overview you see in Search Engine results. Implement schema markup to help search engines understand your content and display it in rich snippets. You can use an SEO plugin to help you achieve this – my recommendation is AIOSEO.

Monitor and Adapt: 

Continuously monitor search engine algorithm updates and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly. Absolutely nothing in life stays the same, so we’ve always got to be moving with the times. By working with me, you can let me do all the worrying about algorithm changes and I’ll figure out the best strategy.

Conclusion

Marketing strategies are continuously evolving as are technologies such as AI and SGE. However, being human we will always crave human connection – and that’s where your Organic Marketing Strategy will win out against AI.

It’s important to adapt to the changing search landscape – but that could be said of any marketing channel you’re currently using – be it any of the Social channels with their regular platform changes – through trends in graphics, fonts, colours and design.

Although it can seem daunting to feel like you need to ‘pit your wits’ against those clever machines over at Google (and other search engines) – it is not a lost cause. By establishing your authority and expertise, putting the effort of human touch into your work – and staying ahead of the ever-changing search landscape, you can continue to rank high (and be quoted + linked within AI results) on which every search engine your users are typing – or talking – into.