What this post is about – Google’s Search Generative Experience is set to revolutionize the way that businesses approach SEO and digital marketing. These changes will mainly impact local businesses that use local SEO for marketing and sales and must focus on producing high-quality, relevant content optimized for search engines and tailored to their target audience. By doing so, local businesses can ensure that they remain competitive in the new landscape of AI-powered search engine optimization and digital marketing.
As a digital marketing agency focused on helping local businesses get results from the websites and SEO, we keep on top of new features in Google that impact our client’s digital marketing efforts.
The new Google Search Generative Experience: What local businesses need to know.
Google has announced its new Search Generative Experience (SGE), a revolutionary search experience that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) technology to provide users with more personalized and relevant search results. This new feature has significant implications for local businesses that use local SEO for marketing and sales.
Local SEO is a crucial aspect of digital marketing for small and medium-sized businesses. Local SEO involves optimizing a website’s content and structure to improve its visibility and ranking on search engines like Google. Local search optimization is essential for businesses that rely on local customers, such as lawyers, medical clinics and services, and local oriented service-based companies.
The new generative AI capabilities take local SEO to the next level by using AI to understand the context and intent behind search queries. This means that Google can provide more accurate and relevant search results for users, which can significantly impact local businesses’ visibility and sales from SEO.
Quality Web Content Creation is Crucial
Firstly, the incorporation of generative AI in search results will change traditional keyword research. Instead of just focusing on keywords, businesses will need to prioritize content quality and trustworthiness. This means that local businesses must ensure that their website content is relevant, high-quality, and provides value to their audience.
Another significant impact of SGE on local businesses is the potential for organic links to be pushed further down the page and out of sight due to the inclusion of more site links and article sources in theAI chat interface. This means that local businesses will need to work harder to ensure that their website content is optimized for search engines and that their website is easily navigable for users.
Moreover, SGE will also change the way that businesses approach content creation. With the AI chat interface pulling in sources for users, businesses will need to ensure that they are producing relevant, informative, and engaging content. This means that local businesses must focus on creating high-quality content tailored to their target audience and providing value to search engines and users.
Local businesses should focus on creating content that is easy to read and understand and directly answers common questions and queries.
Web Content Must Specifically Target Google’s Search User Experience
Finally, SGE will also impact local businesses that use local SEO for marketing and sales by changing how users interact with search results. We call this the Search User Experience.
With AI-generated answers appearing above search results listings, users are likelier to click on these answers rather than scroll down to the organic search results. This means that local businesses must ensure that they are optimizing their website content for featured snippets and other search user experience features that are likely to appear in the AI chat interface.
Takeaways for Local Businesses that Depend on Local SEO
Here are five key takeaways for local business owners to know regarding the Search Generative Experience:
- Personalized Search Results – SGE provides more personalized search results based on the user’s search history, location, and other relevant factors. This means that local businesses that use local SEO can benefit from more targeted and relevant traffic to their website.
- Richer Content – SGE also features richer content in search results, including images, videos, and other media. This means that local businesses that use visual content in their marketing can benefit from increased visibility and engagement on Google search.
- More Accurate Predictions – The SGE technology can predict what users seek based on their search history and other data points. This means that local businesses that use local SEO can benefit from more accurate predictions of what their potential customers are looking for.
- More Voice Search Optimization – As voice search becomes more prevalent, SGE is optimized for voice search queries. This means that local businesses that use local SEO can benefit from more visibility and traffic from voice searches.
- Increased Competition – With SGE, the competition for local search rankings will become even more intense. It will be necessary for local businesses to stay up-to-date with the latest SEO best practices and techniques to maintain their visibility and ranking on Google searches.
Summary
Google goes to great lengths to try and only rank the most authoritative and helpful content when it comes to local-oriented queries. Google’s Search Generative Experience is a game-changer for local businesses that use local SEO for marketing and sales. By providing more personalized and relevant search results, SGE can help local businesses increase their visibility and sales on Google searches. However, it will also increase competition for local search rankings, making it even more critical for local businesses to stay on top of the latest SEO trends and best practices.
Allan Todd is CEO of Pagecafe Digital Marketing. In 2022, Allan teamed up with Infront Webworks to provide digital marketing, website design, content marketing, SEO and strategy and solutions to local businesses. Allan lives in Colorado Springs. More articles by Allan Todd