Faced with the increasingly rapid evolution of ChatGPT and its integration with Bing, Google is determined to maintain its leadership by offering a new, intelligent, conversational search engine. After the timid Bard, it's now time for "Google SGE" to revolutionize the way we search for information and your SEO strategy!
Kodak, Nokia, Yahoo... History has shown us that all giants can fall. Today, despite its 93% market share worldwide, Google seems to be trembling (we already talked about it here) and wants to reinvent itself by transforming the search for information into a fluid, intuitive conversation.
As you've already noticed, for some years now, the answers given by Google have been coming up more and more relevant. Movie times, weather, news, or even products—it's often no longer necessary to visit a site to extract the information you're looking for. This ease of use has driven many press publishers mad, even if they seem to have found common ground with Google.
Google, a search engine out of action?
However, since the rise of GPT chat and its integration into Bing just over a year ago, these important agreements have become the least of the Mountain View SEO king's worries. Indeed, in 2023, Microsoft's search engine recorded an increase in traffic at the expense of the market leader.
A hype effect? Possibly. But even so! Google is aware of the emerging threat posed by Bing and ChatGPT. In fact, the company hastily presented its own generative artificial intelligence, Bard, which did not meet with unanimous approval, either in our offices or in those of Google.
For Google, it was high time to come up with a real answer.
Google SGE, why do users already love you?
The arrival of ChatGPT gave Google a hard time and prompted it to unveil its own innovation: Google SGE, for "Search Generative Experience." Designed to transform the way we search online, Google SGE offers an intelligent interface powered by AI.
The goal? To be able to respond to user queries with precision while creating a conversational and personalized context, thus going far beyond a simple search for information. Take a look!
Google SGE's key features include the ability to handle complex questions, generate relevant summaries, and provide enriched answers from a multitude of sources (commercial or news sites, social networks, etc.). In short, an ultra-sourced and, let's face it, less stupid ChatGPT?
These changes are not simply technical; they are fundamentally focused on the user experience, making interactions with the search engine more fluid and natural.
EMS: an evolution? No, sir, it's a revolution.
The question of whether Google SGE represents an evolution or a revolution in the world of SEO raises an interesting debate.
On the one hand, you could argue that it's a natural evolution, an extension of keywords to questions and phrases (long-tail keywords) and queries formulated in natural language, reflecting the way users interact with search engines.
But I don't necessarily agree: the emphasis on artificial intelligence, inspired by OpenAI's ChatGPT and Bing's advances, suggests a revolution. In fact, Google SGE pushes the limits of what was once considered impossible in responses to user queries, marking a transition to a new era.
Welcome to the future of search!
Google SGE pushes the boundaries of what's possible with three innovative search modes:
- Snapshots offer a quick overview of the information requested, with text answers, visuals, and links to reliable sources presented at the top of the page.
- Conversational mode enables an interactive search experience using the context of previous queries, offering more precise and relevant results.
- The vertical experience, particularly useful for commercial and local searches, offers a list of products and services, including visuals, prices, reviews, and detailed descriptions, making it easier for users to make decisions by providing them with an in-depth understanding of the products or services they are looking for.
A revolution in which companies won't be bystanders
As a B2B or B2C player, you will become an essential component of generative search. And why? Because your ability to produce relevant, high-quality content is fundamental to Google's ability to respond to complex queries, to develop conversational capabilities, and to remain competitive with Bing, boosted by ChatGPT's AI,.
The arrival of Google SGE therefore invites companies to think deeply about the future of their SEO strategies. More than a simple adaptation, it's a re-invention that's called for, where empathy, originality, and relevance of content become the pillars of lasting visibility.
The impact of Google SGE on SEO strategies: our practical advice
As we've seen, Google SGE is forcing companies to rethink their traditional approaches, focusing on a more nuanced understanding of user queries and the generation of more relevant (and, above all, richer) content that's also personalized, engaging, and informative.
So, to emerge tomorrow, here's a quick ranking of the first things you need to put in place.
Above all, don't forget the ABCs: the EEAT.
- Experience: real, direct experience of the subject matter.
- Expertise: Have the necessary knowledge and understanding of your audience's expectations to respond effectively to their questions.
- Authority: Be THE reference in your field: backlinks, mentions, and shares on social networks.
- Trust: Be reliable (cite your sources) have a privacy policy page, a visible and accessible contact method, and, above all, a secure site.
Tip 1: Dynamic long tail!
With the introduction of Google SGE and its innovative new features such as snapshots, conversational mode, and vertical experience, rethinking your SEO strategy becomes essential.
Rather than relying on generic keywords with high "keyword difficulty," it's crucial to focus on specific phrases and questions that your audience is likely to ask.
This paradigm shift means that your SEO success now rests on your ability to anticipate and answer specific user questions, going beyond simple keyword matching.
A case in point?
Imagine you're a CRM publisher. Instead of limiting yourself to generic terms like "CRM software," gear your content towards more specific queries such as:
- "How do I choose a CRM for sector X?"
- "What are the advantages of Brand X's CRM?"
- "How does a CRM differ from other CRMs?"
- "What functionality do I need in my CRM to do X or Z?"
This sounds like the exercise where salespeople answer your prospects' questions and objections. Don't hesitate to actively involve them.
This enriched content strategy, incorporating direct answers and practical advice, is optimized to take advantage of the innovations powered by Google SGE.
By focusing your content on the precise needs of your customers through a detailed FAQ, you demonstrate a deep understanding of the issues specific to your sector. This approach not only reinforces the relevance of your offer but also establishes a direct connection between your prospects' questions and the solution you propose, aligning perfectly with the conversational searches and expectations of Google SGE users.
Tip no. 2: content in all its forms, adapted to conversational mode!
The creation of content, whether articles, YouTube videos, or images, must result in rich elements. In reality, the equation is simple: if Google aims to provide its users with personalized, high-quality content, your website must embrace this same ambition.
Let's take the example of a B2B company specializing in cybersecurity solutions. To align itself with the innovations of Google SGE, this company can adopt a new approach to its content strategy, exploiting the new capabilities offered by the search engine:
- Content optimized for conversational mode: write blog posts that not only detail the latest trends in cybersecurity but are also structured in a question-and-answer format, anticipating users' need for further information. The ideal? Write blog posts in the form of interviews! Not only does this allow you to adapt to Google's new search mode, but the embodiment of the articles allows for greater audience engagement. With this conversational approach, your content is more likely to be given prominence in search results.
- Explainer and demo videos: Create videos (published on YouTube, TikTok, or LinkedIn) that explain key cybersecurity concepts, with solution demonstrations and case studies illustrating how the solution has helped customers overcome specific challenges. These videos should be optimized with keyword-rich descriptions and transcripts to take advantage of Google SGE snapshots, making visual content easily indexable and relevant to user searches.
- Infographics and visuals for the vertical experience: Design infographics and visuals optimized for Google Images, presenting key cybersecurity statistics, best practices, and the benefits of your company's proposed solution. This visual content should be accompanied by detailed descriptions in the metadata (alt and title attributes in your web page's HTML code) to display effectively in Google SGE's vertical experience, enabling users to quickly find specific information via image searches.
Tip 3: Keep your e-reputation at the top!
To integrate review management into your SEO strategy, in line with Google SGE innovations, the use of specialized tools such as Trustpilot, Trustfolio, and Capterra can be particularly effective.
Here's how these platforms can reinforce your strategy:
- Trustpilot: By enabling customer reviews to be collected and shared seamlessly, Trustpilot helps build trust and improve online visibility. Integrating Trustpilot reviews into your site can enrich content with authentic feedback, improving your snippets and performance in Google SGE's conversational mode.
- Trustfolio: Specifically designed for the B2B market, Trustfolio facilitates the collection of qualitative customer testimonials that can be used to refine the vertical experience on Google SGE. By showcasing real-life use cases and business recommendations, Trustfolio helps highlight your company's expertise and reliability.
- Capterra: As a platform for reviews and comparisons of B2B software and tools, Capterra is an important lever for technology companies wishing to improve their visibility. Reviews collected via Capterra provide valuable insights into how your products are used, which can help Google SGE better understand and value your offering in specific search contexts.
By combining these e-reputation tools into your SEO strategy, you not only maximize the collection of relevant reviews but also ensure that these reviews contribute positively to your SEO strategy and are aligned with new Google SGE features. This integrated approach strengthens your online credibility, supports your visibility in local searches thanks to Google My Business, and positions your business as the first choice for your increasingly competitive B2B prospects.
I know this isn't new, but if these issues were important before, they'll be crucial to emerging tomorrow.
At the agency, we all agree that inbound marketing is far from dead (Walid talked about it here). Better still, it's being reborn!
The IMS revolution won't happen without you (or us).
Think about it: at a time when the famous 10 results per page are tending to shrink to 7, tomorrow Google will remember only one. And it has to be yours.
So you need to improve your user experience now to better respond to users' search intentions and optimize your ranking in Google's SERP in 2024, before EMS becomes widespread.
Don't let this revolution happen without you. Take the lead and contact me now for a flash SEO audit! Together, we can see where you are in your strategy and what concrete actions we can take immediately to climb the SERPs.