Google Introduces Search Generative Experience (SGE), Raises Concerns for Publishers
Google has recently introduced a new form of search called Search Generative Experience (SGE), powered by generative AI technology. This innovative feature generates summaries in response to users’ search queries, providing them with a quick overview of content-related information. The AI-generated summaries are prominently displayed at the top of the Google search homepage, along with links to “dig deeper” and explore further.
While this development has been hailed by many as a major leap forward in enhancing user experience, publishers have expressed concerns regarding web traffic, accreditation, and compensation for their content that is utilized by Google’s AI tools. With the automatic generation of summaries, publishers fear that users might be less inclined to click through to their websites, thereby decreasing organic traffic and potentially devaluing their content.
Responding to these concerns, Google has introduced a tool called Google-Extended, allowing publishers to block their content from being used to train AI models. This gives publishers more control over their content and mitigates the risk of unauthorized usage. Nevertheless, publishers are still uncertain about how to optimize their websites specifically for the new SGE summaries, as Google has not provided clear guidelines on this matter.
Moreover, publishers are also grappling with decisions about content availability to AI. While some publishers are completely blocking their content from being accessed by AI, the percentage appears to be higher for OpenAI’s query-answering chatbot, ChatGPT, compared to Google-Extended. This discrepancy might be attributed to publishers’ varying concerns and preferences when it comes to protecting their content from AI-driven platforms.
In response to the concerns raised by publishers, Google has emphasized that the SGE tool is designed to highlight web content and improve search experiences. Google believes that the potential impact on organic traffic is speculative and aims to work with publishers to address any apprehensions they may have.
As the debate over AI-generated summaries continues, publishers are eagerly awaiting clearer guidelines from Google to ensure their content can be effectively optimized for the new SGE feature. While some publishers remain cautious, the overall consensus remains that technology advancements should ultimately enhance the user experience while adequately valuing original content.
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