Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), while still in BETA, is causing quite a stir as to how it will impact both paid and organic results in the SERP. We’ve talked a lot about improving paid search with AI and now with Google’s Search Generative Experience slowly rolling out, we are working to establish how this will affect advertisers both from a paid and organic perspective and how we can combat these changes.
What the experience looks like
As of today when using the Beta version of the experience, the generative AI results fall below sponsored ads, but that is likely to change once it is rolled out completely. Based on the current layout and experience, experts believe there’s a potential to lose 30% of organic traffic to your site, as Google pushes organic results further down the page, highlighting only a handful of content, and AI results in its place.
Automotive dealers specifically may be impacted the most by SGE, as potential customers searching for general Makes and Models will generate general information rather than where to buy one.
Near Me keywords, however, will generate map listings first, pushing down organic listings of dealer websites
However, some of these results actually present opportunities for advertisers. A great Merchant Center feed optimized for shopping results with reviews, promos, and imagery can help show more results to potential customers. With Performance Max and Vehicle Listing Ads now combined, we can only assume vehicle inventory will show here as well.
A solid GMB listing for your store too should help to capture the map listings traffic as well.
So what next?
As conversational search grows, we expect a return to long-tail searching & a decline in upper-funnel research traffic.
The conversational aspect of AI will give searchers the ability to be more creative in how they search, returning to more long-tail, specific queries. Instead of searching for “Ford Scape near me” or “ best SUV for new moms” In this case, paid search will have to have a broad match keyword strategy in place to capture demand while driving to relevant landing pages. Testing into broad match keywords coupled with automated bidding strategies will allow us to capture this traffic based on user behavior. On the plus side, we may see higher ROI and conversion rates due to the precise nature of these intent-based queries.
Another trend we may start seeing shifts in will have a bigger impact within paid search. A user searching for “best SUVs” may now be presented with a list of answers within the SERP resulting in fewer impressions and click traffic on paid ads for research-type queries. Google’s latest announcement has shown sponsored ads presented at the bottom of the content, which could offset this potential impression loss, but that remains to be seen.
A Push for Visual Assets
As the SERP becomes more focused on visualization, ensuring campaigns have strong visuals for responsive search ads, Demand Gen and Performance Max will be paramount to grab consumers’ attention. Shopping results and high-quality feeds will need to be assessed.
What Does this mean
Green Line Digital is embracing the changes to how search will operate in this new world. For paid search, we are encouraging our clients to refresh imagery and optimize their feeds, begin to test broad match keywords, and get whitelisted for Google’s AI-based closed Betas to get in early on major search changes.
