Upcoming Critical SEO Trends in 2024 Digital Marketing Industry

Search Generative Experience (SGE) by Google

What is Google Search Generative Experience (SGE)?

Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) is a set of AI-enabled search capabilities that integrates generative AI-powered results into Google search engine results page(SERP).

This AI-powered search tool will revolutionize how users worldwide navigate the vast landscape of information whether they are on mobile(Android users) or desktop(using Google search). Unveiled at the prestigious Google I/O event, the SGE has generated notable excitement and crucial anticipations.

With its promise to transform the search experience of users into something truly extraordinary, it will likely change how users interact with the search engine and how websites are optimized to generate impressions and clicks on SERP.

It understands and responds to your queries in a more human-like manner. Also, the result includes relevant links to some of the sources and additional prompts to further explore the searched topic.

This upcoming trend symbolizes a shift towards a more interactive, user-friendly search experience than before where the algorithm understands and anticipates user needs and search intent.

The artificial intelligence(AI) market, which produces tolls like SGE, chatGPT, etc., is valued at nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars and is expected to shoot up to almost 2 trillion U.S. dollars by 2030.

What SGE considers in its results:

• expert analysis or opinions
• organized sections, lists, and bullets
• niche or topically focused
• new information on a topic

Zero Click Search Results Page

A zero-click search result means when a user searches on a search engine but doesn't finish clicking on any of the results on that page. For example, when Google puts information at the top of a results page like “How is the weather today,” or “What time it is now in USA” etc. There's no need for the searchers to scroll and check out any of the results as they find what they are looking for by Google itself.

Some more examples are conversions like feet to meters, IST to GMT, INR to USD, celebrity information, local places or businesses, etc.

Google’s SERP features, like knowledge panels, local packs, and direct conversion tools immediately satisfy user intent by providing precise answers.

How businesses should adapt to this Zero Click Search Results Page challenge?

The short answer features snippets like definitions and answers to what, how, when, etc. They can perform a SERP analysis to identify which queries display a definition-featured snippet. Then, target those keywords to secure the featured snippet and display their answer.

Answer Engine Optimization

AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization, refers to the practice of optimizing content to secure the Google featured snippet and provide direct zero-click answers to user queries. This can be on search engine results pages like Google or Bing or voice search products like Alexa or Siri or on Generative AI-powered Chatbots like Google Bard, ChatGPT, or Microsoft’s Bing.

AEO is a process of optimizing content to display on top for various answer engines. Answer engines are (normally) AI-powered technologies that synthesize information to answer conversational queries for users.

What should businesses do for AEO?

AEO prioritizes optimizing for answer-based queries. Businesses should prioritize creating clear, concise, and direct content(answer) that can easily be understood and absorbed by AI and machine learning(ML) algorithms and to be cited within AI-generated response snapshots. One best strategies is to implement Q&A format sections in all of the content to maximize this probability.

Topical Authority

Search engines, especially Google, are continuously prioritizing content that demonstrates expertise and authority. For them, topical authority is nothing but a combination of experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (also called “E-E-A-T” popularly).

Exhibiting clear expertise on a particular topic or niche can be referred to as topical authority. Attaining topical authority involves transforming into a “go-to” source for information on a particular topic or niche, and ensuring that your content extensively covers all subject matter angles.

How businesses should respond to this?

Attaining topical authority requires a well-planned approach to content and media creation and optimization which involves:

• Creating extensive, expert, helpful, and quality content across a specific topic/niche
• Creating and organizing an inventory of content on relevant topics and subtopics
• Execute a well-planned site architecture that makes it easy for both humans and bots to discover related content across your site

Evolving Search Engine Ranking Factors

Search engine ranking factors are evolving more and more with time to define the trustworthiness and expertise of newer content that instantly and satisfactorily provides the best answer to users’ search queries.

The complete list of Search engine ranking factors and their perceived importance is more in flux than you think.

According to a Statista survey of more than 3,500 SEO professionals, the three new most crucial SEO factors for search rankings globally today are:

• Machine learning/AI (11.3%)
• Core Web Vitals (10.8%)
• E-E-A-T & trusted sources (10.2%)

What can Businesses do to adapt to Evolving Search Engine Ranking Factors?

Businesses have to construct their SEO strategy aligning with the fundamental and crucial foundation at the center of Google’s search algorithm—the user experience.

The proper definition of a good user experience is hard to find as it has changed over the years, but Google has consistently mentioned and prioritized providing the best-matched results for users over other ranking factors.

• Maintaining or boosting your SERP rankings in the face of evolving ranking variables requires that each piece of content should continually deliver the most useful, correct answers in a user-friendly manner.
• Create content that showcases your extensive deep knowledge, expertise, and skill in your industry or niche.
• Leverage and optimize for Core Web Vitals, metrics that Google considers crucial in a webpage's overall user experience, to improve the overall user experience of your website.

You can depend upon us as one of the best SEO services provider in India for these upcoming challenges which will become opportunities for some.