We see a major shift in search engine results pages (SERPs), with generative AI being used by both Google and Microsoft to offer searchers a new way to find the information they need.

Google’s Gemini (formerly Bard), is a next-generation AI model that is not only trained on text but has been designed from the ground up to be truly ‘multi-modal’, meaning it has been trained content across text, video, audio, and image. Gemini exhibits much greater reasoning and problem-solving capabilities, Google states that its capabilities will be more advanced than ChatGPT-4. The user experience is also changing with the development of  AI-guided search results User experience is also changing, answers are quickly accessible without having to sift through multiple tabs and pages.

Gemini Advanced is far more capable of highly complex tasks like coding, logical reasoning, following nuanced instructions, and collaborating on creative projects. Gemini Advanced not only allows you to have longer, more detailed conversations; but it also better understands the context from your previous prompts. Google states that Gemini Advanced can be a personal tutor, provide coding advice, and help content creators generate new ideas.  

Google is in the testing phase of a new way to generate and display search engine results. Called Search Generative Experience (SGE), the new approach uses generative AI to deliver more meaningful search results to users’ queries. It is not clear if Search Generative Experience will be available in 2024, but we know that there is huge progress, and once launched may affect website traffic. For now, it’s important to optimize your web pages to rank in SGE results by answering long-form questions.  It will be a major game changer, and digital marketers need to understand how it optimize content to be visible in SGE. 

How Will Gemini and Other AI-guided Search Results Impact SEO?

SGE results will feature website links, however, if Google answers the user’s query, they will not need to click the link to learn more, which will affect your web traffic. Due to this, SEO managers need to rethink their content strategies to ensure that they are relevant and visible. 

Since we still don’t have a clear picture of how this AI system works, it’s crucial to stay up to date on this new technology and to pivot quickly in adopting a strategy that keeps your brand relevant. 

Gemini Google, the Search Generative Experience, and AI will continue to be a huge part of Search, its impact on marketers lies in its potential to revolutionize search engine results. With its enhanced reasoning, planning, and logic capabilities, Gemini could provide more accurate and useful information to users, potentially exceeding the value delivered by website visits. This dynamic shifts the focus from driving traffic to optimizing structured data and gaining exposure in Google’s search results.

SEO strategies may need to shift to accommodate Gemini’s capabilities, but the Core principles remain intact. Providing Relevant and valuable content, optimizing structured data, and leveraging digital PR will continue to play a pivotal role in achieving online visibility and success.