Google Search Generative Experience is coming soon. Imagine you are planning a family trip to a national park, and you want to find out which one is better for your kids and your dog. You type in your query on Google, and instead of getting a list of links, you get a concise overview of the pros and cons of each park, with factors to consider and pointers to explore more. You can also ask follow-up questions in a conversational way, and get relevant answers from Google’s generative AI. Sounds like a dream, right?
Well, this dream is becoming a reality with Google Search Generative Experience (SGE), a new feature that Google introduced at the Google I/O conference in May 2023. SGE is an experimental feature that uses generative AI to provide you with more information and context to your searches, helping you understand topics faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights, and get things done more easily. From marketers point of view, this can expedite your SEO and Copywriting efforts.
In this blog post, I will share with you what SGE is, how it works, and how you can try it yourself. I will also show you some examples of how SGE can improve your search experience, especially for complex and considered queries. Let’s get started!
What is SGE and how does it work?
SGE stands for Search Generative Experience, and it is a new way to search with generative AI. Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content or data from existing data, such as text, images, or audio. For example, generative AI can write a summary of a long article, generate a caption for an image, or compose a song based on a genre. You can leverage generative AI in your content creation with these tips.
Google has been using generative AI for various purposes, such as improving Google Translate, creating Google Photos animations, and enhancing Google Assistant conversations. Now, Google is applying generative AI to Search, to help you get more out of your queries.
With SGE, when you search for something on Google, you will get an AI-powered snapshot of key information to consider, with links to dig deeper. Below this snapshot, you will see suggested next steps, including the ability to ask follow-up questions, like “How long to spend at Bryce Canyon with kids?” When you tap on these, it takes you to a new conversational mode, where you can ask Google more about the topic you are exploring. Context will be carried over from question to question, to help you more naturally continue your exploration. You will also find helpful jumping-off points to web content and a range of perspectives that you can dig into¹.
SGE is built on Google’s Knowledge Graph, which is a database of billions of facts and entities, and their relationships. SGE also uses Google’s natural language understanding and generation capabilities, which enable it to comprehend your queries and produce coherent and relevant responses. SGE is an early stage feature, so the quality and coverage may vary. According to Google, your feedback will help Google improve it over time.
How can you try SGE?
SGE is currently only available in the US (English), and you can try it by opting into SGE in Search Labs. Search Labs is a new way to access early experiments in Search, and you can find it by tapping the Labs icon in the latest version of the Google app (Android or iOS) or on Chrome desktop. Once you opt into SGE, you will see a badge on the search results page indicating that you are using the new experience.
You can also visit this page to learn more about SGE and see some examples of how it works. You can also watch this video from the Google I/O conference, where Google’s Vice President and GM of Search, Elizabeth Reid, explains the vision and the technology behind SGE.
How can SGE improve your search experience?
SGE can improve your search experience in many ways, especially for queries that are complex, considered, or exploratory. For example, if you are shopping for a product, SGE can help you understand the full picture, by providing you with a snapshot of noteworthy factors to consider and products that fit the bill. You will also get product descriptions that include relevant, up-to-date reviews, ratings, prices, and product images. SGE is built on Google’s Shopping Graph, which has more than 35 billion product listings, making it the world’s most comprehensive dataset of constantly-changing products, sellers, brands, reviews, and inventory.
Another example is if you are researching a topic, such as nuclear fusion. SGE can help you quickly get the gist of the topic, with factors to consider and pointers to explore more. You can also ask follow-up questions, such as “What are the benefits of nuclear fusion?” or “How close are we to achieving nuclear fusion?” and get AI-generated answers that are based on reliable sources. SGE can also help you discover different perspectives and opinions on the topic, by showing you links to web content that cover various aspects and viewpoints.
SGE can also help you with personal or lifestyle queries, such as finding a new hobby, learning a new skill, or planning a trip. SGE can give you suggestions and tips, as well as links to resources and guides that can help you achieve your goals. You can also ask Google for advice or recommendations, such as “What are some easy hobbies to start?” or “What are the best online courses for learning Python?” and get personalized and relevant responses.
Conclusion
Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) is a new feature that uses generative AI to provide you with more information and context to your searches. It can help you understand topics faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights, and get things done more easily. You can try SGE by opting into it in Search Labs, and you can also learn more about it on Google’s website or watch a video from the Google I/O conference. SGE is an experimental feature, so your feedback will help Google improve it over time. I hope you enjoyed this blog post, and I encourage you to give SGE a try and see how it can change the way you search.
