SEO as we know it is changing! The rise of AI is transforming how businesses get their websites found on Google. What does this mean for your website?
It means the traditional SEO methods you rely on might need an upgrade.
It also means that it’s time to familiarize yourself with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), a whole new approach to getting your business seen by your target audience in the SERPs (search engine results pages).
In this article, we’ll be breaking down everything you need to know about Google’s new search generative experience, and what it means for the future of SEO.
Gemini In Search
Gemini is Google’s new AI tool that’s shaking up search. It’s now being integrated into Google’s search results pages.
It’s designed to understand user’s questions on a deeper level and provides answers to those questions with its new AI Overviews feature.
What Are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are similar to Google’s featured snippets. They’re crafted by Google’s advanced AI to provide concise summaries that appear at the very top of the search results.
But unlike featured snippets, AI Overviews boast a deeper understanding of user queries. This advanced AI goes beyond simply providing results that match the keywords in the query.
Instead it can understand the full context behind the query. This allows it to deliver answers that are more accurate and directly address what users are actually looking for.
This is particularly helpful for complex searches with long-tail keywords, those lengthy phrases containing 5 to 20 words. With this contextual understanding, AI Overviews can provide superior results tailored to the user’s specific needs.
The Pros and Cons of AI Overviews
As with most new features, AI Overviews has its pros and cons.
The Pros Of AI Overviews
Instant Gratification
With AI Overviews providing direct answers at the top of the search results, it oftentimes eliminates the need for users to scroll through multiple links and pages. This efficiency is particularly beneficial for users looking for quick information.
Contextual Understanding
Again, we have to mention the contextual understanding abilities of AI Overviews, which allows it to understand the context and nuances of complex queries, providing more accurate and relevant answers.
Adaptability
AI Overviews is capable of addressing both simple and complex queries, due to its advanced multi-step reasoning capabilities. This makes it suitable for both simple and complex queries.
Continuous Improvement
AI Overviews has a dynamic learning ability that enables it to continually learn and improve as time goes on. As the system encounters more queries, it refines its understanding and accuracy, leading to progressively better performance.
The Cons Of AI Overviews
Accuracy Concerns
While AI Overviews strives to provide accurate information, it isn’t perfect. There have been instances where the information presented has been incorrect or misleading. This can be a significant drawback, especially for users relying on the summaries for critical tasks.
Shifting The Sands Of SEO
The introduction of this new artificial intelligence has shaken things up for some. Many businesses are concerned about the impact on their SEO strategies.
Since AI Overviews often provide sufficient answers directly at the top of the search results, users might not need to click through to individual websites. There’s a fear that this could decrease website traffic for businesses.
Mixed User Reception
Not everyone is happy with the rise of AI Overviews, and some users are even wanting a way to opt out of it. While opting out is not an option at this point, users can use a new “Web” filter to change Google’s interface so that it only displays links.
It’s also worth noting that businesses have the ability to opt their content out from being shown in AI Overviews by using Google’s “nosnippet” feature. However, if you choose to disable your content from being shown here, you could be losing potential traffic.
Will AI Generative Search Affect Your Website Traffic?
Now let’s address the question that most every business owner is asking— will generative AI have an affect on your website traffic?
The Impact Of AI Generative Search On Paid Ads
Before we get into the implications of AI search when it comes to SEO, let’s first answer the question of whether or not it’ll have an effect on paid ads.
As of right now, it’s not looking as if AI Overviews will have a direct impact on paid advertising.
When users search “shopping-intent” queries, Google is still prioritizing shopping ads above the generative engine responses.
However, Google does have plans to begin tests where they’ll be incorporating paid ads into AI Overviews. But we’ll have to wait to see how this continues to evolve.
The Impact Of AI Generative Search On SEO
The introduction of AI generative search, particularly through features like AI Overviews, is set to impact website traffic in various ways.
Current evidence suggests that informational content will be affected more than transactional content.
Transactional content refers to websites such as e-commerce brands or businesses that offer local services. These types of websites are expected to be impacted less.
Transactional queries often require specific actions, such as purchasing a product or booking a service, which cannot be completed directly within the search results. This means users are still likely to visit the relevant websites to complete these types of actions.
The extent to which your website and SEO efforts are impacted will vary depending on your industry and the specific keywords you are targeting.
For example, keywords associated with informational intent such as “how to fix a leaky faucet”, would be more likely to see traffic reductions due to AI Overviews.
Conversely, keywords with transactional intent such as “plumber near me” are less likely to be impacted because users need to engage with the website to complete their desired action.
Will AI Overviews Kill Your Visibility?
When it comes to AI Overviews, we recommend thinking of it as another opportunity for your business to be seen, rather than something that’s going to kill visibility by pushing websites further down the search results.
It’s really no different than when Google rolled out other features that affect the SERPs, such as the local Map Pack, the videos module, the “people also ask” section, and featured snippets.
All of these features are at the top of the SERPs and have contributed to making visibility more difficult for websites, if they’re not optimizing for these specific features.
But on the flip side of that, all of these features offer an additional opportunity for businesses to be seen, if they put the time and effort into optimizing for them. AI Overviews is no different.
AI Overviews actually gives smaller businesses the opportunity to compete with big brands for the real estate right at the very top of Google’s search results pages.
And we’re going to share some key tips for implementing a new strategy called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), that will be essential for maintaining and growing your online presence in this new age of AI-driven search.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Strategies
Think of GEO as another tool to add to your SEO toolbox. GEO strategies are not all that different from traditional search engine optimization.
However, it does involve adding a few new methods, as well as revamping and improving your traditional SEO practices.
There’s two primary benefits of implementing GEO. One is that it will improve your current SEO, which is imperative if you want to continue to stay ahead in this competitive landscape.
The other benefit is that it focuses on optimizing your website in a way that gives it a better chance of being cited in AI Overviews. How awesome would it be to have your website show up at the very top of a search engine like Google?
So let’s get into GEO and SEO strategies you can start implementing now.
Use Relevant Sources To Boost Search Visibility
Incorporating relevant sources into website content has been shown to improve content visibility in search by up to 40%!
Quotes
When you incorporate quotations from relevant sources, such as experts or recognized authorities in your field, it signals to search engines that your content is well-researched and reliable.
This can improve your ranking as search engines prioritize content that demonstrates expertise and credibility.
Statistics
Statistics enrich your content by offering concrete evidence to support your points. Data-driven content is more compelling and engaging for readers, and search engines recognize this.
Including relevant and accurate statistics helps establish your content as a valuable resource, which can lead to higher engagement rates and more backlinks from other sites referencing your data, further improving your SEO.
Citing Sources
By providing clear citations for the information you present, you not only adhere to ethical standards but also enhance your content’s credibility. Proper citations also help avoid potential penalties associated with unverified or duplicate content.
Implement E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T stands for Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, which are essential factors in SEO that help Google determine the quality and relevance of content.
Expertise refers to the content creator’s knowledge in a specific field, while experience involves the practical or firsthand knowledge they have.
Authoritativeness measures the credibility of the content and its creator, often influenced by external endorsements such as backlinks from reputable sites.
Trustworthiness is about the transparency and reliability of the content, including aspects like accurate information and secure websites.
Incorporating E-E-A-T into your content can significantly improve your SEO score by aligning with Google’s quality standards. Google’s algorithms evaluate these factors to ensure they provide users with high-quality, reliable information.
Websites that consistently demonstrate high E-E-A-T are more likely to achieve and maintain top positions in search results.
Be Thorough When Covering Content Topics
Optimizing content by covering topics thoroughly on your website is essential for establishing your authority and expertise in your field.
By providing comprehensive information, you not only cater to the primary query of the user, but also address related subtopics and questions that might arise.
This thorough approach signals to Google that your content is a valuable and reliable resource, which can positively impact your search engine rankings.
Users also appreciate detailed content because it saves them the trouble of searching multiple sites for information, leading to higher engagement and satisfaction. This is why Google’s algorithm favors sites that offer in-depth, well-rounded content because it enhances the user experience.
Additionally, addressing all questions related to topics of interest, even those with limited search volume, helps to demonstrate your authority. Covering niche or less popular questions shows that you have a comprehensive understanding of the topic, which can boost your site’s credibility and trustworthiness.
Jump On Answering New Questions
Being the first to answer new questions through your content is a strategic advantage for several reasons. The majority of searches often revolve around new or trending topics, creating a significant opportunity to capture traffic.
When you publish content on emerging search queries promptly, you not only have the possibility of driving immediate traffic, but you can also position your website as a go-to source for up-to-date information.
From an SEO perspective, being among the first to cover new topics can have substantial benefits.
Google’s algorithm favors fresh, relevant content, especially for queries that are rapidly gaining traction. Early coverage increases the likelihood that your content will be indexed and ranked highly before other sources catch up.
Producing authoritative content on new topics can also enhance your chances of being cited in AI Overviews. These overviews often pull information from sources deemed highly authoritative and relevant, so being a pioneer in content creation can significantly boost your credibility and visibility.
Focus On Readability
Producing easy-to-understand content has been shown to improve visibility by 15%-30%.
Content that is straightforward and simple to navigate allows users to quickly find the information they need without wading through dense or complex text. This is why your content should always be skimmable and easily digestible.
It should also be reader-friendly, meaning that writing at a lower reading level is better than alienating readers with complicated jargon or big words that might not be easily understood.
Visitors are more likely to stay on your page longer, engage with your material, and find it useful if your content is easy to read and understand. This can lead to lower bounce rates and higher engagement metrics, both of which are positive signals to Google’s algorithm.
Incorporate Different Content Formats
Incorporating different content formats such as question-and-answer content, videos, infographics, quizzes, and custom imagery is crucial for enhancing engagement and shareability.
Diverse content formats cater to different learning styles and preferences, making your material more accessible and interesting to a wider audience.
Question-and-answer style content directly addresses users’ queries making it more likely to appear in search results like AI Overviews. Videos can simplify complex information and provide visual explanations that text alone cannot achieve.
Infographics distill data and key points into visually appealing and easily digestible graphics, while quizzes and interactive elements like polls can make the user experience more engaging and interactive.
This aligns with Google’s emphasis on user experience.
This variety has the potential of keeping visitors on your site longer, and also encourages them to interact with your content more deeply. Engaging content is more likely to be shared on social media and other platforms, driving additional traffic to your website.
When users spend more time on your site and interact with your content, it improves metrics such as time on page and bounce rate, which can positively impact your SEO rankings.
Prioritize Human-Written Content
While AI can be a valuable tool in content creation providing assistance with research, outlining, and even drafting, it lacks the nuanced understanding and emotional intelligence of human writers.
Human-written content ensures that the material is engaging, relatable, and tailored to the audience’s needs, creating a connection that purely AI-generated content often fails to achieve.
Recent data indicates businesses that are using 100% AI-generated content are seeing a drop in their content quality scores. This decline can result from issues such as lack of depth, originality, and the subtle context that human writers intuitively understand and incorporate.
Integrating AI tools to support rather than replace human writers can help maintain the quality and effectiveness of your content strategy.
Establish Authority Through Mentions
Establishing trust and authority can be significantly enhanced by increasing the number of mentions your website receives from relevant and credible publications or people.
When your business or content is cited by reputable sources, it acts as an endorsement of your credibility and expertise.
Mentions from authoritative publications and websites are a strong signal to search engines like Google, that your content is credible and valuable.
These mentions, often in the form of backlinks, improve your site’s authority and can lead to higher search rankings. This is because search engines view backlinks from reputable sites as votes of confidence in your content.
Being referenced by trusted sources can also attract more organic traffic, as users are more likely to follow links from sites they trust.
By focusing on building relationships with key influencers, engaging with industry leaders, participating in relevant forums, and contributing guest posts to established websites, can help to increase your likelihood of being mentioned by trusted sources.
Organize Your Site Structure
A well-structured website helps Google understand and categorize your content more efficiently, which can improve your search engine rankings.
Clear and logical site structures allow search engine crawlers to navigate your site more easily, ensuring all pages are indexed and increasing the likelihood of your content appearing in relevant search results.
Key elements to focus on when optimizing your content and site structure include:
Header Tags
Header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) help organize content by breaking it into clear sections, making it easier for both users and search engines to understand the main topics and subtopics of a page.
Internal Linking
Internal links connect related pages within your site, which not only helps distribute page authority but also improves user navigation by guiding visitors to related content.
Logical Hierarchy
A logical hierarchy ensures that your most important pages are easily accessible and well-organized, creating a clear path from the homepage to deeper content.
URL Structure
A clean and descriptive URL structure aids both users and search engines in understanding the content and relevance of each page.
By optimizing these elements, you enhance your site’s usability and SEO, ultimately driving more traffic and improving user engagement.
Optimization and Analysis
Above all, optimization and analysis are crucial when it comes to these SEO and GEO methods.
It’s a continual process of implementing optimization strategies and analyzing the outcomes to ensure your content remains effective and relevant.
By regularly optimizing and assessing your efforts, you can adapt to changes in search engine algorithms and user behavior, ultimately driving better results and maintaining a competitive edge in search visibility.
Need Help Optimizing For Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE)?
If you need assistance optimizing for Google’s Search Generative Experience, reach out to us at Alchemy. We not only specialize in traditional SEO techniques, but also in generative engine optimization to help your business thrive in this evolving digital marketing landscape.
We’ll implement content optimization methods that will help improve your visibility in generative ai-driven search engines, as well as traditional search engine results pages.
Don’t navigate these changes alone. Call us today at 877-978-2110 to elevate your search performance and stay ahead of the competition.
