I Tried Google’s Generative Search. It Will Change Blogging Forever.

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses Google's new Search Generative Experience (SGE), a generative AI-powered search feature that generates short blog post-like summaries in response to search queries instead of displaying traditional search results. The article explores the implications of SGE for web publishers, bloggers, and content creators, and provides strategies for adapting to this new search experience.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE)

1. What is Google's new Search Generative Experience (SGE)?

• SGE is a new addition to Google's search engine that uses generative AI to write short blog post-like summaries in response to search queries, instead of displaying traditional search results from external websites.
• With SGE, Google leverages the technology behind its "Bard" tool to read webpages on the topic of the query and quickly summarize them in a few paragraphs at the top of the search results page.

2. How does SGE differ from traditional Google search?

• In a traditional Google search, the results display a mixture of different websites, such as from a meteorological organization, a local newspaper, or a weather-focused publisher.
• With SGE, Google cuts out the middleman and provides the summary directly, without surfacing results from multiple web publishers and blogs.

3. How does the speed of SGE compare to other generative AI tools like ChatGPT?

• Bard, the AI model powering SGE, is much faster than ChatGPT in generating responses, taking only a few seconds compared to ChatGPT's several minutes.
• This speed is a key priority for SGE, as users are not willing to wait the several minutes it takes for a tool like ChatGPT to generate a response when using a search engine.

[02] Implications for Web Publishers and Bloggers

1. How does SGE impact web publishers and bloggers?

• SGE poses a significant threat to websites that rely on providing simple answers to quick questions, as well as those focusing on product reviews, as the generative search results can directly answer these queries without users needing to click through to the original content.
• Even websites that go deeper on topics like dining and travel destinations could see a big hit, as users may be satisfied with the summary provided by SGE and not feel the need to read the full blog post.

2. What strategies can web publishers and bloggers use to adapt to SGE?

• Diversify traffic sources beyond relying solely on Google search, such as by optimizing content for Google Discover, which is less likely to be impacted by generative search.
• Focus on building brand loyalty and credibility, so that users continue to seek out your content directly rather than relying on the SGE summaries.
• Enhance the user experience of your content, such as with compelling visuals and titles, to encourage users to click through and read the full article rather than just the SGE summary.

3. How might Google's approach to SGE evolve in the future?

• It's possible that when Google rolls out SGE more broadly, they may restrict its use to only a subset of searches, as they need to find a way to monetize it without cannibalizing their existing highly lucrative advertising business.
• The article notes that during testing, SGE refused to answer a direct question about whether it would "destroy blogging," suggesting that Google is still figuring out how to best implement and position this new search feature.