If you own a local business, it’s quickly becoming imperative to understand Google’s new Search Generative Experience (SGE) and how to adjust your local SEO strategies to maintain and even enhance your presence for optimal visibility, traffic, and revenue.
The good news is if your business has been employing local SEO and content marketing best practices all along, you are well-positioned to adjust to this evolution of search.
AI is rapidly changing how much of the digital world works.
Search engines are also evolving in how they work and deliver results to searchers.
SGE, while still experimental and currently available in 120 countries via Google Labs, is likely going to transform the way people interact with search results by pulling those results directly into Google, providing a more interactive search experience with follow-up content and link suggestions.
In many cases, this may negate the need for searchers to click through to websites at all.
SGE uses a variety of AI-based technologies, including natural language processing, machine learning, and deep learning.
These technologies enable the search engine to understand a user’s search query, process relevant content, and formulate an appropriate response.
Traditional search engine results typically provide a list of links relevant to a searcher’s query, where the searcher may need to investigate further to find the optimal answer to their question.
The goal of Search Generative Experience is to go several steps further. Powered by advanced artificial intelligence and language models, SGE aims to:
From a local search perspective, SGE looks to enhance experience via a Places module, which replicates a local pack in traditional results, including citations, reviews, and other pertinent local business details.
A recent BrightEdge study found nearly half of SGE results generated in February 2024 included a Places module, with local restaurant and travel queries being the most prominent, while it did not show up in other B2B and entertainment-related queries.
Let’s clarify SGE’s approach with an example. Imagine a consumer searching for “best hikes to see fall foliage near me.” SGE might do the following:
Herein lies an opportunity for a local provider of hiking-related services or products to appear within the results for such a query; provided they have relevant, experience-backed, trustworthy, helpful content for Google to reference.
For reference, here’s an actual result SGE provided for this search:
How are local search results pages (SERPs) changing with SGE? Here’s what we’ve seen so far:
Businesses need to focus on managing their web presence, providing helpful, relevant content, demonstrating Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), and optimizing images and videos to succeed in the world of SGE.
Specifically, areas to consider include:
Ensure the business details in your GBP and all other local listings are complete and accurate.
Far too many local businesses still don’t appreciate the value of GBP and local directories, which may be as, if not more, important than their website in many cases.
Positive reviews and high star ratings aren’t just a nice-to-have, they’ll likely influence SGE’s assessment of your business.
Encourage happy customers to leave reviews and be sure to quickly respond to any and all reviews as this speaks to the quality of service you offer.
Identify the most common questions your customers ask. Turn the answers to those questions into dedicated content pieces on your website or blog.
Look beyond simple keywords tied to services and products. What problems are people trying to solve that your business addresses?
What questions might they be asking related to your specific niche? Target long-tail keywords and create content that specifically addresses them.
Search engines love structure as they crawl across the web. Schema markup code can be added to your website, providing Google with structured data about your business and a clear understanding of your content.
Schema removes the guesswork, providing an “instruction manual” for search engines. It’s like a neatly organized label for search engines, clarifying details like;
SGE is new and will undoubtedly evolve, but schema is a standardized format, ensuring that even if the way search engine results are presented changes, your essential data will be readily crawled and understood.
Break down your content into easily digestible question-and-answer formats. FAQs and clear content sections addressing common queries will boost your chances of inclusion in SGE results.
Mobile searches dominate, particularly for local queries, as busy consumers look for answers on the run. Ensure your website is optimized for smaller screens and loads lightning-fast.
Emphasize your specific neighborhood and surrounding areas in your content to enhance your local relevance. Partner with other local organizations or participate in local events to boost your local authority.
Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness are key signals for SGE. Ensure content available to SGE demonstrates your in-depth knowledge of your services and products.
Highlight credentials, awards, or testimonials that support your trustworthiness, both on your website and any reputable external platforms.
Any solid local SEO strategy must include linking (external website links to reputable, relevant local/industry and backlinks from the same) to provide Google with additional signals of a business’ localness and topical focus; thereby enhancing local and topical authority.
Use descriptive file names and alt-text (with location data, where applicable) for images and videos as these assets will also undoubtedly make their way into SGE results.
Add captions to images and transcripts to videos. Showcase visuals highlighting your local area and establishing your “localness.”
With the call for more content and the rise of generative AI, there is naturally a temptation to just let the machine do all the work.
However, a recent Google algorithm update has already punished many websites for taking this approach. The focus, as always, should be on quality over quantity, and here are a few reasons why AI-generated content lacks the former:
So, by all means, leverage AI to ideate, create first drafts, edit or proofread your content, but be sure to add your human touch to any and all content published and shared.
SGE is relatively new. SEO best practices will continue to evolve.
Use local SEO monitoring tools to track changes in your authority/visibility and stay informed, being ready to adjust your content strategy as needed.
Search Generative Experience presents exciting challenges and opportunities for local businesses.
Similar to Google, a local business’ goal should be to equip its customers with all of the information they need to make informed, confident purchase decisions.
By understanding its mechanisms, prioritizing helpful, relevant content, demonstrating E-E-A-T, and always keeping the user experience central, you can position your small business for success in the evolving search engine results.
It’s a call to truly know your customers, provide value, and leverage technology in a customer-centric way.
More resources:
Featured Image: Thx4Stock team/Shutterstock
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