What's happening? 

Google has called it supercharged in their press release, which to me, shows how quickly they’ve had to move to roll this out by not finding a better term to describe it than the 2019 marketing phenomenon of supercharging things.

Take a look at their video showing how generative AI is going to change Google Search.

That being said, what they showed us is pretty astounding and a massive change for the search world as we know it. SGE updates are as follows… 

What is Google’s Search Generative Experience update?

• The top of the page will be dominated by an AI-powered snapshot of your search result, with links to “dig deeper”. Or, in other words, the best of the best in terms of relevance. Does this make appearing below the fold irrelevant? Potentially so. 
  
  
• You can then interact with the AI to provide a deeper response if the first one hasn’t quite hit the mark. This is where the traditional links come in and will change to best suit your specific query. Page 2 used to be the best place to hide a dead body; it could now be halfway down page 1!
  
  
• Then comes vertical search with AI. This will produce a different list of products and answers depending on the specific nuances of the query preceding it. Pretty cool.
  
  
• Once again, this is enhanced by conversational mode to dig deeper into your specific needs. An example being: "I need a climber's jacket because I'm going up Everest rather than Ben Nevis".

So, what does this mean for marketers? 

In truth, we don’t know yet; if we did, we are about to become billionaires, but Google said on shopping with AI, "Helping you shop with generative AI in Search, we can help you understand the full picture when you’re shopping, making even the most considered and complex purchase decisions faster and much easier. When searching for a product, you’ll get a snapshot of noteworthy factors to consider and products that fit the bill. You’ll also get product descriptions that include relevant, up-to-date reviews, ratings, prices and product images."

Our understanding is that currently, you won’t be able to opt out of showing ads in the new version, nor will you be able to tell if your ads are showing in traditional Google or the new AI powered version. This will likely change over time, but not in the short term. So the traditional advice applies:

1. Optimise product listings to the maximum standard
   
   
2. Add as much imagery as possible that represents your product and answers as many queries as possible
   
   
3. Make sure your free listing content is optimised and maximised
   
   
4. Utilise Google’s ML (Machine Learning) & automated ad features now, as this is where Google and the world seem to be heading. Sorry Metaverse, you have been replaced

 Organic-wise, things are a bit murkier. Position 5 for ‘Nike Trainers’ used to be a cash cow; it now may be dead.

Will Google's Search Generative Experience change the way I should create content?

High-quality and unique content that directly addresses the user has never been more important than now. We’d recommend:

• Start building out a plan around products that are critical for your business success; you know what these are.
  
  
• Analyse the intent behind the search; this will help you to identify the pain point behind the search and will allow you to create a content strategy that fills this gap.
  
  
• Create a content tree that identifies all the offshoots of the benefits of these products; is it waterproof? Does it come in 10 colours? Is it eco-friendly?
  
  
• Update onsite content accordingly to tick these boxes.
  
  
• Start building out broader content onsite that showcases these in-depth and could answer specific queries in the AI world

Not too different from what you're doing now, no? However, as marketers, we need to do it faster and better than ever. We asked our Content Manager, Billy Kelly, about how this update will change the way you should create content: 

 “Content always has and always will be about the user and the intent behind the search. Providing the user with helpful content and connecting these queries and follow-up questions will be beneficial for those who consider this when creating content. Google’s Search Generative Experience update will undoubtedly reward high-quality content that adds unique and authoritative input to the conversation.”

Visualsoft’s takeaway: this is a good reminder (for anyone worried about any update) to ALWAYS spread your risk when it comes to your channel mix.