How will AI impact your Google Search rankings?
In a recent blog I wrote about the importance of blogging and consistent content creation that your customers will love.
I am a firm believer that Google will reward you by ranking your site higher up the Search Results Pages (SERPS) if you put your educational hat on and share your knowledge and expertise on your blog.
However...there's something coming (or is already here, depending on which part of the world you are in) that is going to disrupt that big-time: SGE which stands for Search Generative Experience
SGE is Google's latest search update and which uses generative AI to give people more information and context to their searches, potentially reducing the need for the searcher to click through to a website to get more information.
According to Google SEO Sundar Pichai, SGE...
"can better answer the queries people come to us with today while also unlocking entirely new types of questions that Search can answer. For example, we found that generative AI can connect the dots for people as they explore a topic or project, helping them weigh multiple factors and personal preferences before making a purchase or booking a trip.
We see this new experience as another jumping-off point for exploring the web, enabling users to go deeper to learn about a topic."
So what does this mean for your blog and your chances of appearing on page 1 of Google?
Well, to be honest I think it's going to be increasingly difficult to rank if Google is using AI to populate the SERPS. But it doesn't mean it isn't possible. What you want is for your site to be the source of information that SGE quotes from. That means producing the best, most relevant content available on the topic in question, providing Google's AI with all the information it needs in an easily digestible way.
Marketers and business owners will need adapt to a more AI-driven approach in content presentation and SEO strategies, focusing on quality, relevance, and structured data to align with how AI interprets and ranks content. For example, images that accompany your top-ranking results on Google may become much more important as they can help guide users to click into your website since the URL of the site itself may be obscured.
So, what can you do right now to improve your chances of competing with/complementing AI-generated search results?
My advice is as follows:
continue to provide best-in-class information to your audience, focusing on the E-E-A-T Framework: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google values these traits extremely highly when deciding whether or not to show content at the moment, and it will only get more important as Google SGE rolls out in the wild. To build authority, focus on creating high-quality, expert content.
Ensure the User Experience on your site is excellent. If a user has a bad time on your website, they’re unlikely to return, make a purchase, or recommend your content to a friend. Why would an AI version of Google continue to show your website if the UX is poor?
Accessibility: Ensure users can easily find what they’re looking for on your site. Navigation should be intuitive and straightforward.
Website Speed: A fast-loading website enhances user experience, which is a critical factor in SEO. Ensure your images are adequately resized as they can slow things down significantly
E-commerce Optimisation: For e-commerce sites, streamline the purchasing process to be as quick and user-friendly as possible.
With SGE it is thought that images will play a more significant role in influencing CTR. Optimise your images to be engaging and relevant to your content...time to get a photoshoot done and ditch the stock photos?
Content is Queen but Video is King....we've been saying this for a few years now but entrepreneurs are still slow to incorporate video onto their website. Unique video content on your site can enhance user engagement and SEO.
Do a Google search for what you want to be found for, click on the best performing page (under the ads) and write a blog/page that's even better that that. Your content needs to be better than the best-ranking content.
Focus on transactional keywords and content....this means content that matches the searches of people ready to buy/hire/engage. SGE is probably going to replace top-of-funnel, informational keywords, so focus on high-buying intent. You can read more about the different types of keywords here.
Your brand name is going to be more important than ever as you show you're the expert, so ensure your Google My Business account is set-up, that your LinkedIn profile appears in search results, your other social media accounts, YouTube etc...the more your brand appears on the internet, the more 'authority' you signal to Google
SEO and Google is going to continue to evolve as it always has and it's important not to lose sleep over this stuff. However, it's useful to know what's going on in the world of search. Of course there are other ways to get people to your website via ads, backlinks and so on but the advice above is relevant in all cases. If you want a high-converting website, it's important to follow best practice and keep your customers front of mind at all times.
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