In an industry as rapidly changing as digital marketing, it is surprising how many search marketing fundamentals have held for so long. For more than a decade, SEO specialists have carefully curated keywords and content optimisation in order to hit Google’s front-page results. However, this is set to drastically change imminently.
Last year, Google unveiled its biggest disruptor to the search marketing landscape – the Search Generative Experience (SGE). As an apparent competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, SGE aims to create faster and more conversational browsing experiences using artificial intelligence.
In a similar vein as ChatGPT, SGE generates text, images and content through prompts, curating AI-generated information from web sources. No longer will users have to jump from link to link to receive an answer. To keep the conversation flowing, SGE will also allow deeper exploration through follow-up questions.In terms of user experience, these changes could present an unparalleled experience enhancement. However, for marketers, the future of SGE is more uncertain.
Marketers who have spent years trying to ‘win’ the organic search engine visibility game may feel understandably crestfallen by this latest disruption.Moreover, a recent study revealed that 94 per cent of Google SGE links are different from organic search results. Marketers once again have to adapt and innovate their search marketing strategies to meet a new set of parameters, of which the variables are shifting constantly.
Be an authority
One fact marketers must face is that organic clicks will be harder to get than ever following these changes to Google’s search results page. Organic traffic will no longer be a case of ensuring your website has the correct keywords and content, but a longer game that spans the wider web.
In 2024, a brand’s online visibility depends largely on its footprint across different platforms and publishers, especially those known for high-calibre content. Through public relations, brands can elevate themselves as an authority on specific topics, offering guides and thought leadership aligned to topical and trending subjects.
SGE notably places high emphasis on producing informative responses that are corroborated by reliable sources. As such, brand content should meet the SEO standard of E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness.
Brands that cover topics robustly and create multiple content pieces are more likely to appear as a true authority on a subject. As a result, they are likely to be referenced once or more by Google in the same SGE answer.
Marketers can create topic clusters and robust guides to showcase this authority, which will both deepen keyword research and help steer search users to a brand’s channels. Marketers can tailor these authoritative takes to content that meets users’ different search intent and the different stages of a buyer’s journey.
Getting mentioned throughout the internet, whether achieved through public relations or social media campaigns, is not necessarily a guarantee of traffic, but it will still improve brand visibility. Marketers can always boost their footprint by using generative AI to create more content, but should never rely on it solely. No matter how advanced the AI, human editing and review are always essential.
Another significant change to Google search will be less reliance on broad keywords. These words, which include the likes of car traders or cat food, have previously helped steer larger volumes of traffic to a brand’s page but are insufficient to meet SGE’s standards.
Instead, marketers should aim to optimise long-tail keywords, which are longer and contain more precise phrases and point to a more specific query.
As long-tail keywords are less competitive than broader keywords, they should be easier to rank. And because they are more targeted, they attract more qualified traffic to a brand’s website. Since AI-based answers are contextual, longer keyword phrases offer a higher chance of aligning with user intent.
Changing semantics
What stands out significantly about SGE in contrast to Google’s traditional search is the high emphasis on multimedia content.
Rather than focus on written articles alone, marketers are encouraged to diversify their online content spanning imagery, videos and infographics – all of which help a brand appear within an SGE search.
A diversified content range shows a brand caters to a broader audience and therefore makes them more likely to be highly ranked in a search result. Indeed, some queries have more YouTube search volume than Google, which should impel marketers to build more video content for these high search queries.
In addition to video, voice has fundamentally changed the semantics of search marketing and this will only increase with the use of generative AI. In a similar manner to voice-based search – as seen with Amazon Alexa and Google Voice –, AI chatbot searches are far more casual and conversational. These queries almost harken it back to the original days of search when new internet users would type entire questions into the early engines of AskJeeves and AOL.
Yet, while marketers focus on the big changes and strategic pivots, there are often many basic measures that are holding their brand back from search success.
Simply updating a website regularly can make a huge difference in improving search results. Websites that have a clean and modern layout are much more detectable than those with outdated looks. Marketers should also ensure all information is up-to-date while keeping pace with trends and search habits.
Last but not least is the importance of conversion rate optimisation (CRO) and user experience (UX). There is nothing more frustrating for an internet user today than poor UX – and frankly there is no excuse for it in 2024.
Investment in CRO and UX ensures that even if a brand receives less traffic, it is still set up to gain the highest conversion rate possible. Good CRO and UX can make up for any traffic lost. Conversely, poor UX can tarnish a brand’s reputation, decrease conversions and negatively impact it long-term.
Google SGE will provide a wake-up call for any search marketers resting on their laurels over recent years. No longer will they be able to simply imprint key words and hope for the best, but instead focus on high-value, expert-driven multimedia content that aligns with valuable human experience and keeps them relevant for a new generation.
This article is written by Gary Cheung, General Manager of NP Digital Hong Kong & Taiwan.
The insight is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series under What’s NEXT 2023-2024. What’s NEXT 2023-2024 is a multi-platform industry initiative which features marketing and industry leaders in APAC sharing their marketing insights and predictions for the upcoming year.
