AI technologies: new realities of SEO

In this article we talk about innovations in Google search algorithms and the implementation of generative AI. This material was prepared by Roman Maksimov, a member of our community and an expert in marketing in IT, SaaS and EdTech. Roman shared his knowledge and advice on how to adapt to realities with AI and successfully move forward in the new digital world.

Roman, Maksimov, marketing expert in IT, SaaS and EdTech

At Google I/O 2024, Google unveiled a major update to its search algorithm that includes the introduction of generative AI. In the new output format, an AI Overview block will appear, where a summary of information will be presented. Previously, this block was only tested by select members of Google AI Labs. By the end of the year, the new Search Generative Experience (SGE) will be available to one billion users.

Elizabeth Harmon Reed of Google Search noted that the company is enthusiastic about using AI to generate search results pages. Initially, the new format will be used for queries related to travel planning and other inspirational topics. In the future, it will cover searches by restaurants, recipes, movies, books, hotels, shopping and other categories.

The new results page will take many factors into account. For example, when you search for a restaurant, Google will show a carousel of establishments, their ratings, Reddit discussions, live music venues, romantic steakhouses, and critic reviews. At the bottom of the page there will be a “More results from the Internet” button.

It is not yet clear how advertising will be organized in the new format. Google CEO Sundar Pichai did not directly answer the question of whether the old search results will remain in the full transition to AI, noting only that the company is committed to providing users with a variety of search methods.

SGE technology began to be tested last year, gradually expanding its coverage. It will be available to hundreds of millions of users in the US this week, and to a billion users worldwide by the end of the year. Google insists that SGE will not replace traditional search, saying that in testing, users were even more likely to go to external sites. AI will be useful for complex queries and searching for disparate information.

Gemini’s AI assistant can help users plan tasks ranging from planning family menus to organizing trips and parties by providing links to useful resources.

For SEO professionals, new changes mean the need to adapt. Already, you should focus on long queries of 6 or more words, including voice queries. There are also technical aspects to consider, such as canonical tags, Open Graph meta tags, and image alts. Pages should be carefully segmented according to their meaning.

Statistics show that long queries are becoming increasingly popular:

Examples of SEO strategies
Long Distance Moving

Was/Became Example:

Was: “Moving services from New York to Los Angeles”
Became: “How to choose the best long-distance moving company from New York to Los Angeles for families?”

Was: “Long-distance moving companies”
Became: “What are the best companies for long-distance moving from Chicago to Houston?”

Was: “Moving cost from San Francisco to Miami”
New: “Affordable moving companies for long-distance moves from San Francisco to Miami with insurance”

Was: “New York to Los Angeles movers”
New: “Find reliable full-service movers from New York to Los Angeles with packing options”

Was: “Chicago to Houston moving services”
Now: “Top-rated moving services from Chicago to Houston for a seamless relocation”

B2B SaaS:

Was: “Improve Amazon product descriptions”
Now: “How can I improve my Amazon product descriptions for better sales?”

Was: “Amazon product page design services”
Became: “What are the best strategies to create user-friendly Amazon product pages?”