Fishtanks Guide to Surviving the AI Search Revolution

Slowly but surely, we’ve all spotted the ‘AI Overview’ that now sits at the top of Google, ready to answer some of your questions. You’re probably wondering–what is it, how does it work, and what does it mean for your marketing activities?

We don’t want to overcomplicate things, so we’ll focus on Google here. Other search engines like Bing do have their own versions, however, so feel free to check those out, too. 

Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) integrates generative AI into search results, directly providing users with conversational, context-rich answers on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). While SGE does boost user experience by delivering immediate answers, it is also set to reshape how organic and paid content is displayed, meaning we now need to dive into new Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Pay-per-Click (PPC), and content marketing approaches.

We love changing with the tides, so our wonderful Digital Marketing Manager, Thomas Smith, has begun to explore the implications of these changes and how businesses can effectively adapt, including top tips and best practices for achieving success with SGE. Don’t say we don’t treat you.

It’s all experimental!

Before we get started, one thing to keep in mind is that Generative AI is experimental! Google does let you know this in print below the SGE results, but you may have to select to show more for this to become apparent. As with anything experimental, there is always a chance the results may not be as expected, so a degree of caution is always required, and best judgment should be used. 

The age-old adage ‘measure twice, cut once’ applies when sourcing information online, so checking the source and other sources presenting the same answer is a safe tactic.

What are the Key Impacts of SGE? 

With the introduction of AI-generated summaries at the top of SERPs, traditional organic results are going to be pushed further down, impacting visibility and traffic dynamics. 

SGE-generated answers are more than likely going to provide enough information for the user, which will reduce the need to click through to websites. A shift towards natural language queries will mean that long-tail keywords become more important than ever. Paid ads are no longer guaranteed to remain at the top of the SERP either; they are now potentially being replaced by SGE-generated content. To put it simply, ads could now appear directly below SGE-generated content, which impacts their visibility.

We’re sorry to say that competition for top placements in SGE-driven results is going to be intense, so putting out higher-quality, authoritative content and aiming to be recognised by sources such as Google Knowledge Graph is crucial. The tricky part here, however, is understanding how to access Google Knowledge Graph. 

You can’t just sign up for it like Google Business Profile; your content is instead selected if it is deemed valid and authoritative. Annoyingly, if there is an existing answer on the Knowledge Graph, your content may not replace this.

For e-commerce sites, SGE makes it easier for users to compare products directly on the SERP, which can improve the customer experience but pose challenges for brands trying to capture conversions. This is because your competitors’ products will be seen directly next to yours, meaning users are able to compare items easily on the search results page.

How can you optimise content for SGE?

To navigate this new landscape effectively, businesses like yours must adapt their SEO strategies to align with SGE’s capabilities and requirements. This adaptation has led to the creation of an entirely new area: Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). This approach leverages generative AI’s capabilities to optimise content for human audiences and AI-driven search engines. 

To optimise your content for SGE, you’re going to have to get to grips with GEO. This approach involves creating and structuring content that resonates with both human readers and AI-driven search engines (we promise it’s not as confusing as it sounds).

Copy

A key copy strategy is to develop content clusters, which are groups of related articles that cover various aspects of a topic. This approach ensures that content is well-represented in AI summaries, increasing the likelihood of being featured in SGE results. Additionally, implementing and optimising structured data, such as schema markup, is going to be crucial. This structured approach helps search engines and AI models understand and index content more effectively, enhancing visibility in AI-generated summaries.

To research relevant topics, we recommend using keyword research tools to identify issues your audience cares about. Validating these topics’ relevance to conversational AI tools ensures your content answers questions likely posed in natural language by your target audience.

From there, developing high-quality, engaging, and authoritative content addressing identified topics is vital. Including reputable sources, quotes, and industry-specific language to enhance credibility will assist with your SGE ranking. 

Content quality remains a top priority for SGE, so blogs and articles must be designed with both readers and AI in mind. This can be accomplished by using clear subheadings to break up content, highlight important points, and make information easily understandable. A natural language style should be incorporated, using a conversational tone that reflects the natural flow of dialogue and aligns with how users phrase queries in SGE.

Tailoring content to align with user intent behind search queries ensures that your content fulfils the audience’s needs and aligns with ever-changing AI algorithms. This will evolve and change, so frequent reviews and updates will be required, as is the case with the existing SEO strategy.

Visual Media

Visual content is highly valuable in SGE and often wins prominent SERP placements, so integrating images, videos, infographics, and other interactive elements to engage users and appeal to AI-driven search engines is essential. Key factors to consider with any visual content are ensuring that your images and videos align with the conversational nature of search queries and directly answering user questions.

To further enhance your visual content, schema markup, such as VideoObject or ImageObject, should be employed to help search engines understand and rank your content effectively. As with current SEO best practices, optimise images for web use by resizing, compressing, and ensuring responsiveness. Include descriptive file names, alt text, and appropriate metadata.

Business Profiles

SGE integrates local business information, making optimisation critical for Google Business Profile (GBP). A GBP can be crucial, especially for local SEO, allowing you to appear in ‘near me’ search queries and for potential customers to find you in suggestions for local services. 

To stay on top of SGE changes, focus on adding high-quality photos and videos and regularly update your GBP with new, professionally shot images and videos to keep content fresh and relevant. Enabling, actively seeking, and showcasing reviews can add value to your business profile, as they can be featured in AI Overview.

Performance

The shift to SGE will also impact measurement metrics. With potentially reduced organic traffic, focusing on metrics like engagement and on-site behaviour becomes essential. For SEO, tracking how content performs in terms of user interaction and time spent can provide insights into its effectiveness, creating strategic opportunities. 

If you want to succeed with SGE, having suitable tracking and analytics set up alongside regular monitoring and maintenance needs to be a priority. Assessing and responding to changes in user behaviour sooner rather than later and using the right tactics has always been a challenge, but now that we’re in the era of AI Overview, it is a challenge worth overcoming.

What about Pay Per Click (PPC) and SGE?

Jumping back to PPC, monitoring click-through rates, conversion rates, and lead quality will be essential to ensure that paid traffic remains relevant and high-quality.

The integration of AI summaries into SERPs necessitates a refined approach to PPC. The prospect of paid ads losing their position at the top of the SERP and falling below AI Overview is game-changing, meaning it is now crucial to optimise ad copy and targeting strategies. This involves crafting compelling ad content that captures attention amidst the AI-generated summaries and exploring new ad formats and targeting options that align with the evolving search environment. For any visual media used as part of your PPC campaigns, you need to ensure it is crafted with the GEO best practices in mind.

5 Tips to Prepare Your Website for SGE

1. Create Content Clusters: Organise related content into clusters that comprehensively cover a topic, linking subtopics back to a main pillar page to build topical authority.
2. Encourage Customer Reviews: Actively gather and showcase customer reviews, as SGE values authentic user feedback and prominently features it in search results.
3. Update Schema Markup: Regularly review and update your schema markup to ensure it accurately represents your content, making it easier for AI to understand and utilise.
4. Write Thorough, Engaging Content: Focus on creating detailed, well-researched content that directly addresses user questions and needs, enhancing your chances of being highlighted in SGE.
5. Use AI-Friendly Formats: Structure your content in ways that are easily digestible for AI, such as using clear Q&A formats, bullet points, and structured data to enhance readability and search relevance.

So, how is Fishtank positioned to help with SGE/GEO?

We recognise the need to stay ahead of industry trends and continuously evolve our strategies to help our clients thrive in the SGE era. With a dedicated team of experts, we keep a vigilant eye on industry developments and emerging technologies.

Our thirst for innovation and close collaboration with our clients allows us to experiment with new content formats and optimisation techniques to tailor strategies to their unique needs. Ensuring our clients can effectively leverage SGE opportunities in a changing search landscape is always at the forefront of what we do.

As SGE continues to evolve, Fishtank is committed to guiding our clients through these changes, ensuring they remain competitive and thriving in the dynamic digital marketing environment. By staying ahead of the curve and embracing innovation, we aim to help our clients harness the full potential of SGE and achieve sustained success.

How will this change affect digital marketing?

With the impact affecting both SEO and PPC, this is potentially one of the biggest shake-ups to digital marketing in recent years. It will require a paradigm shift in strategy and execution that could see those who embrace the change making gains and those who resist losing out.

More than anything, this offers those who adopt an AI-integrated strategy a wealth of opportunities. The key to success will be not only using AI for digital marketing but embedding it into every facet of your business to drive innovation, communication and data-led decision-making.

Thoughts on AI taking such a prominent role in search?

This day was always going to come and, to a degree, has actually been here for a number of years. Google has integrated some form of AI into its systems for some time, and this is just the next big step. AI isn’t going away; it will continue to grow and integrate into different areas, especially when it comes to marketing, so we need to accept it and even embrace it.

Fancy a chat with our dedicated digital team? Email us at digital@fishtankagency.com!