SEO Consequences of SGE Partial Release

Google expanded the generative search experience even further last month laboratories, its testing program. A limited number of searchers now see AI snapshots in results, regardless of whether they’ve signed up.

Many observers believe it is the first step towards SGE going fully public this year. Google hasn’t changed much of the SGE in Labs for months, perhaps showing its satisfaction so far.

I have followed the developments of SGE closely. Here are my observations and expectations.

Overestimated traffic losses

Authoritas, a search engine optimization platform, has been testing SGE in Labs i publication of the results. In March, testing found that SGE appears in 91% of US search results for brand and product terms in two ways.

First, the results could contain a “Generate” button that only produces an AI-based answer when clicked, such as this “best laptops” query.

Clicking the “Generate” button produces AI-based responses. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Second, the search results could contain an instant answer, like the example below for “How healthy is spaghetti squash?” Clicking “Show more” expands the explanation.

Instant SGE responses like this example appear automatically. Clicking “Show more” expands the explanation. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Instant response takes up a lot more SERP space and will likely steal more clicks from organic listings by pushing them further down the page.

Fortunately, according to the same Authoritas study, clicks on the “Generate” button lead to 81.4% of SGE responses, much more than an instant response. This indicates that organic listings will not be affected much, at least for now, as there is no interruption of the page unless the button is clicked.

Displaced organic listings

However, when SGE is enabled, organic results appear well below the home screen.

For example, searching for “smart TV” and clicking “Generate” produces an AI response that takes up an entire screen on mobile and desktop.

Authoritas estimated an average drop in organic listings of 1,243 pixels, depending on the search term. SGE results more or less eliminate the visibility of organic listings, especially for queries looking for consumables such as home goods.

Even before SGE, organic visibility was increasingly limited due to the various features Google inserts at or near the top, such as ads, “People also ask” boxes, image packs, local packs and much more.

Opportunities at SGE

The good news is that SGE responses contain links, an opportunity for organic visibility. Authoritas claims that SGE snapshots, on average, contain five unique links, and only one matches the top 10 organic listings below. Maybe it’s because snapshots often address related queries.

For example, SGE’s snapshots for the search for “best laptops” list many brands and models, as well as links for the best laptops for students, budgets, and coding. Organic “best laptops” lists do not include these additional options.

SGE snapshots for “best laptops” list many brands and models, as well as related links, such as “Best Laptops for Sims 4” (for students). Click on the image to enlarge it.

So, after optimizing for important keywords, consider creating supporting content for related queries, increasing your chances of appearing in SGE results. For ideas, keep an eye on “Related Searches” because these keywords seem to appear in SGE.