What is SGE? Google Search Generative Experience Explained

The new Google Search is here – and it’s powered by Generative AI!

Ever since AI-powered tools (especially ChatGPT and OpenAI) have taken over the entire world, it’s no surprise that this is impacting search engines as well. But what exactly does it mean? And can we use it? Let’s find out! 

Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) is our future. It is our new approach to Google search results. It is our way of embracing generative artificial intelligence to provide quick summaries of search topics. But what exactly does that mean? What is SGE exactly?

Well, let’s say that you want to Google little things like:

• Activities to do with your cat
• Tips to take care of your houseplants
• Best Figma design systems
• Quick facts about a historical event

Traditional search engines will direct us to multiple website pages with the answers to each question. Google SGE, on the other hand, generates a personalized and concise answer compiled from various sources right at the top of our search results. 

Google search generative experience uses natural language processing (NLP) combined with deep learning and neural networks. This way, it can provide a list of contextual responses, helping us extract the information needed without having to click on other pages. 

Besides an overview of our queries, Google SGE can also include links, images (both from users and AI-generated), videos, and even suggestions for the next steps. But that’s not all! We can find out everything we need right from its search generative experience. For example, if we want to find out the definition of a specific word in the generated response, we can simply hover it, and we will get a preview with its description or other information. 

If you want to use Google Search Generative Experience, you must:

• Use a Google Chrome Browser;
• Have a verified Google account;
• To be over 18;
• To live in one of the countries where SGE is available;
• To turn on Web and App Activity.

So, what is SGE, and how do I turn it on? Well, we must remember that Google SGE is still an experiment, and to access it, we must personally opt to be part of this experiment. 

To turn it on, you must open a new Google tab, where you will see the “Labs” icon right next to the “Gmail” and “Images” buttons at the top-right of the page, and switch the toggle for the “SGE, generative AI in Search”. If you can’t find it, then Google SGE might not be available in your country. 

Google Search Generative Experience uses natural language processing (NLP) combined with deep learning and neural networks to generate AI-based content – text, images, code, video, and audio. These systems are trained on a huge amount of data that are reproduced to provide us with personalized outputs. 

Google SGE runs on a large language model (LLM) – Pathways Language Model 2 (PaLM 2), and it’s the same system that helps other Google products generate content, such as “help me write” in Gmail. 

And this is the same when it comes to search results as well. This technology understands our search query and forms a relevant and accurate response. For example, let’s say you want to search for “best skin care products for dry skin”. Using its generative AI system, Google SGE will display the top-ranked products for skin care, along with links to where to buy them and an overview of what type of products to use to improve your skincare routine. 

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Google Search Generative Experience will be the new Google Search, and it’s time to embrace it. So, make sure to prepare for the future of SEO and Google SGE!