For digital marketers who haven’t integrated how-to videos into their strategy, Google’s recent update might trigger a rethinking of your tactics.
The tech giant has just introduced its AI-enhanced Search Generative Experience (SGE), which prominently features relevant video results from YouTube at the helm of the Search results page.
As demonstrated in the new generative AI component, Google will start offering visual solutions to specific search queries. This change is expected to boost the visibility of how-to content substantially.
According to Google, the integration of images into AI-driven overviews helps users grasp certain concepts better. When you look up terms like ‘tiniest birds of prey,’ the search results will quickly give you a visual idea of what you’re looking for and pull relevant information from the web. In the following week, Google plans to include videos within some overviews, especially when an animated demonstration would be beneficial, such as yoga poses or stain removal techniques.
Although the integration of images into search results isn’t new territory for Google, the emphasis on specific how-to content will likely extend its reach, thanks to the inclusion of dedicated videos in AI-curated answers, readily accessible within the stream.
Google remains somewhat reserved in deploying its generative AI elements, in contrast to Microsoft’s extensive integration of OpenAI into its search engine, Bing. Despite Bing’s significant uptick in downloads resulting from this approach, Google has expressed reservations about the dependability of generative AI-produced results. This concern explains Google’s steady testing and refinement of its tools and its attempts to seamlessly incorporate them without jeopardizing its central ad business through the devaluation of promoted links.
Google’s adoption of in-stream visual elements will undoubtedly influence its core business, but the company is keen on finding innovative ways to integrate its generative AI tools into search. This is a crucial update for everyone involved in SEO.
The continuous development of these tools will transform user discovery behavior over time, and each update will have its own ripple effects. As these tools become commonplace in our everyday search experiences, it’s essential to contemplate their potential impacts, both on a micro and macro level.
In a parallel update, Google has also improved the speed at which it generates SGE results and included dates in SGE-provided links to provide more context. Observing Google’s constant efforts to enhance Search with these new tools is intriguing, especially when contemplating the implications for your SEO strategy.
