The Effect of Google’s New Feature on Local Searches
Earlier this year, Google decided to unveil a new feature in their search function – the Search Generative Experience (SGE). This new feature improves the user’s search experience by using generative AI technology.
In the past year alone, AI has been making a lot of waves in the digital sphere, and Google has also decided to join in on the trend and make use of this technology to enhance the search experience.
This relatively new search feature, which is currently available in Google’s Search Labs, and only rolled out in selected regions, allows users to ask specific questions in their search bar and to have an answer created in real time. This feature uses generative AI technology to create the answer and display it in a snapshot on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
The purpose of this feature is to enhance the user experience and make the information displayed valuable for the person asking the question. This is done by organizing and making sense of information that is already present, thanks to the numerous sites on Google. It also filters out any information that is not useful and otherwise irrelevant.
It gives the user a better and more digestible piece of information to the questions they have asked and provides features that will allow users to either build on questions they have already asked or dive deeper based on the information they were provided.
The purpose of this feature is to make searching easier for the user, so that you can ask Google the questions as you would a person, instead of breaking down your query into more minor queries and making multiple subsequent searches – which is not only time-consuming but it can cause the user frustration for not getting the answer in one go.
SGE Boosts Website Traffic
The best part of this new feature, which is yet to be rolled out on a global scale, is that it will drive traffic to the websites it uses to create the information in the snapshot. The snapshot will also provide links to the sites it used as reference for its information, so that users will be able to do a deeper dive and gain more insight into the topic they are searching for. Thus driving traffic to the websites that need it.
The Role Google’s Updates Play in Content Used for SGE
Over the years, Google has implemented several updates to ensure that the most useful and relevant content comes out on top when a user searches for information.
The most recent update that took place in December 2022, allows for content with valuable information that satisfies the Google E-E-A-T criteria to be brought to the forefront for users to consume. This criteria relies on four pillars which are known as Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Any piece of content needs to satisfy all four pillars for it to be considered as a source of quality information that is also relevant to the user’s needs.
This means that the content has to display authentic and credible information that can also be backed up by expert opinion. It is also important for the information to be transparent, as well as the means used for obtaining said information. This is to ensure the credibility of the information so that Google can push it up in it’s rankings.
Formerly the criteria only used E-A-T in order to be viable, however, this recent update now has in place an “experience” criteria, which considers first-hand experience to be valuable and a trustworthy source of information. So it is due to this that reviews and user-generated content can now play a part in boosting information that can be displayed in the SGE snapshots.
How Does SEO Come Into Play?
For content to have authority, the site it is based on needs to be equally authoritative. This means that the content that you put on your website needs to be optimized for ranking high on SERPs.
The first thing you need to do is to conduct a local SEO audit, to ensure that you have optimized your website to be both information-rich and user-friendly.
You can focus on link-building efforts and other tactics for both on and off the page, to enhance your website’s authority. Build your brand reputation by being present and responding to reviews about your page and businesses on the various platforms and social media.
Invest your time and efforts in Google My Business optimization, online directories and backlinking campaigns. All of this will in turn boost the authority of the content you create for your niche on your website. If you are unable to you this, you can look at seeking out services from agencies to help you out.
What Does This Mean for Local Searches?
Local SEO and local searches tend to go hand-in-hand, so you need to ensure that your website and business is local SEO primed, so that the content you have regarding local searches will be boosted when the relevant keywords are used.
The SGE feature allows local businesses to work on their website’s user experiences as well as their content to rank better than their competitors.
When creating your content, ensure that it is locally focused, list your business on online directories, and engage in local link-building efforts. It is also important to invest in mobile SEO optimization.
Local SEO makes a difference, as it gives you a visibility boost and holds you above your competition. Everything has moved to a digital sphere, so you should expect your local customers to seek your business out on a digital platform as well. Make it easier by enhancing your SEO so that your business will be at the top of the rankings when people search for keywords about your niche.
The best way to dominate your market is to become the authority in your field. With this, you can become the first and only person to speak to regarding a certain niche that you show expertise in.
AI and SEO
The automation part of Artificial Intelligence has always had a hand in search results and analyzing user information to create algorithms and the like.
This in addition to Google is using generative AI with SGE to create an optimal search experience – it begs the question if AI can be effectively used to optimize the user experience on your website.
Due to the nature of generative AI, many decline the use of AI to create content – as the quality and authority of the content drops due to it being considered generic. This does not mean that AI cannot be used in other processes in optimizing content and in other SEO practices.
AI can alternatively be used for practices such as data analysis, so that you can view patterns, trends, and popularity. It can also aid in improving productivity, and for conducting keyword research.
All this is well and good, but there are ethical concerns about using AI, which can fall under spam according to Google. This is where we circle back to putting genuine effort into creating content, as mentioned earlier in the post.
There are concerns surrounding the quality of content that the generator produces. While AI is created to mimic human though process, the way machine learning operates there will be a constant possibility of plagiarism occurring. There is also a concern regarding a lack of creativity, nuance and personalization in the content created. It still requires editing to be done by a person. Most importantly, AI lacks original ideas to use.
SGE is Beneficial to Local Businesses
Putting in effort to create content that helps boost your local SEO goals will help your content rank high on SERPs. So when Google decides to roll out SGE to all devices and in all regions, your content for local users can make it onto the generated snapshot, which in turn will boost traffic to your website if users decide to click on the links provided.
This is a signal for all small businesses to work on their local SEO strategy, as the benefits now outweighs all other reasoning. This SGE feature shows us that there is still a need for beneficial content that is relevant to users and that is hyper-niche.
The purpose of this feature is beneficial to the business, but more so it should be beneficial to the customers and users that we are trying to direct to our brand. We need to show them how we can be of use to them, and the information from us that we hope will be featured on the snapshot – should just be the tip of the iceberg of what the user can gain from us.
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