What are the Impacts of AI on Organic Search Results for Businesses?

Explore how Google’s new Search Generative Experience (SGE) impacts organic search results and what strategies businesses can adopt to stay competitive.

Brandon Painter, M.B.A., M.S., M.Ed. | Date: May, 20th, 2024

Summary: This blog explores the profound implications of AI-driven search, particularly Google’s new Search Generative Experience (SGE), on organic search results for businesses. It delves into how SGE enhances the search experience, impacts visibility and click-through rates, and necessitates adjustments in content and SEO strategies to maintain competitiveness.

This blog aims to help small to medium-sized business owners understand how AI, specifically Google’s SGE, is changing the landscape of organic search results and what strategies can help them stay competitive.

Imagine running a small business and relying on search engine visibility to attract customers. Suddenly, the rules change as AI begins generating rich, intuitive search summaries right on the results page, overshadowing traditional organic links. Understanding and adapting to these changes becomes crucial to maintaining your business’s visibility and competitiveness.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize various aspects of business operations, its integration into search engines has profound implications for how businesses appear in search results.

Google’s recent launch of the Search Generative Experience (SGE) on May 14, 2024, marks a significant milestone in this evolution. This blog will explore how AI-driven search impacts organic search results, particularly for small to medium-sized businesses.

Enhanced Search Experience with SGE

Google’s SGE aims to enhance the user experience by providing AI-generated summaries and insights directly on the search results page. This feature aims to make search more intuitive and comprehensive, helping users find the information they need more quickly and efficiently (Reid, 2023).

Visibility and Click-Through Rates (CTR)

One of the most significant impacts of SGE is on the visibility and click-through rates (CTR) of organic search results. With AI-generated content appearing at the top of search results, traditional organic links may see reduced visibility. Users might find the AI summaries sufficient, decreasing the likelihood of clicking through to individual websites (Reid, 2023; Search Engine Land, 2024).

Displacement of Featured Snippets

Featured snippets, once a prime target for SEO strategies, might be replaced by more detailed AI-generated summaries. This shift could lead to a further decline in traffic for websites that previously benefited from being featured snippets. As noted by Extreme (2024), “featured snippets may be replaced by more detailed AI-generated summaries.”

Traffic Quality and User Intent

Despite potential drops in overall traffic, the quality of visitors may improve. Users who do click through from SGE are likely to be more informed and have higher intent, making them more valuable leads. This filtering effect can help businesses attract more serious inquiries and potential customers. Reid (2023) and Yoast (2024) highlight that “users who click through from SGE are likely to be more informed and have higher intent.”

Content Strategy Adjustments

Emphasis on High-Quality Content

With SGE prioritizing content from credible and authoritative sources, businesses need to ensure their content aligns with Google’s E-E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) guidelines. High-quality, user-focused content will remain critical to maintaining visibility. According to WordStream (2024), “high-quality, user-focused content will remain critical.”

Importance of Multimedia

Incorporating relevant images, videos, and meta images into content will become increasingly important. These elements can help businesses stand out in AI-generated summaries and related cards within SGE. Search Engine Land (2024) and Yoast (2024) note that “relevant images, videos, and meta images will help businesses stand out in AI-generated summaries.”

SEO Adaptations

Long-Tail Keywords and Conversational Queries

As SGE handles more complex and conversational queries, optimizing for long-tail keywords becomes essential. Creating content that addresses specific, nuanced questions can help capture traffic from these sophisticated search queries. As highlighted by Reid (2023) and WordStream (2024), “optimizing for long-tail keywords becomes essential.”

Technical SEO Enhancements

Ensuring a technically sound website with fast load times and mobile optimization is crucial. These factors can influence whether your content is included in SGE results. According to Yoast (2024), “technical SEO enhancements are crucial for inclusion in SGE results.”

Opportunities in New Formats

SGE’s ability to generate interactive and comprehensive results offers new ways for businesses to engage with potential customers. Leveraging various content formats like blogs, videos, and social media posts can help businesses maintain visibility within these rich, AI-driven search results. Yoast (2024) notes, “Leveraging various content formats can help businesses maintain visibility.”

Conclusion

The introduction of Google’s SGE presents both challenges and opportunities for small to medium-sized businesses. While traditional organic search visibility might decline, focusing on high-quality, user-centric content and adapting to new search behaviors can help businesses thrive in this evolving landscape. By staying informed and adjusting strategies accordingly, businesses can leverage AI advancements to their advantage.

For more detailed insights and strategies for adapting to these changes, refer to authoritative sources like Google’s official blog and expert analyses from SEO-focused websites like Moz and Search Engine Land (Reid, 2023; Extreme, 2024; Search Engine Land, 2024).

References

Extreme. (2024). Google’s AI Search Generative Experience: The Impact on SEO. Retrieved from https://www.madebyextreme.com/blog/google-ai-search-generative-experience-impact-seo

Reid, E. (2023). Supercharging Search with Generative AI. Retrieved from https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-search

Search Engine Land. (2024). 94% of Google SGE Links are Different from Organic Search Results, Study Finds. Retrieved from https://searchengineland.com/google-sge-impact-organic-search

WordStream. (2024). The New Google Search Generative Experience: What It Means for You. Retrieved from https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2024/05/14/google-search-generative-experience

Yoast. (2024). Search Evolved: Exploring the AI-powered World of Google’s SGE. Retrieved from https://yoast.com/blog/search-evolved-google-sge