Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is one of the most disruptive shifts we’ve seen in search in years.
By providing rich, AI-powered answers directly on the SERP, SGE reduces the need for users to click, thus changing how we measure performance, prioritize content, and show up in search.
Click-through rates? Declining.
Brand visibility and top-of-funnel content? More important than ever.
So, what does this mean for your SEO strategy?
Let me walk you through how I’m evolving mine.
How I’m Adapting My SEO Strategy for Google SGE
Search behavior is shifting, and our strategies need to meet the moment. Here’s what I’m prioritizing:
- Featured Snippets + Entity Optimization:
I’m targeting clear, concise answers and strengthening connections between concepts, people, and topics Google can recognize. - Answer-First Content Formatting:
Instead of burying the lead, I lead with it, then support it with layered, high-value content that still earns engagement and shares. - Schema Markup Integration:
I’m ensuring every page includes structured data that supports eligibility for rich results (FAQs, How-Tos, Reviews, and more). - Doubling Down on Trust Signals:
Building EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) into every piece of content with bylines, real-world examples, and updated references.
SGE isn’t the end of SEO, it’s a reframing of what it means to be found and trusted in search.
SEO in the Age of AI Summaries
SGE is pushing us to think like marketers, not just optimizers. That means shifting focus from keywords alone to holistic, value-driven content that supports the user journey—even if the click never comes.
If you’re still chasing keywords the same way you were in 2023, it’s time to evolve.
Here’s a question I’ve been asking myself:
How do we stay relevant when the SERP itself is the answer?
Off-Page SEO Suggestions:
- Backlink Opportunities:
- Submit the post to SEO and digital marketing newsletters like SEOFOMO or The Moz Top 10.
- Reach out to industry bloggers writing about Google SGE and offer a quote or link trade on adapting strategies.
- Social Media Sharing:
- Create a LinkedIn carousel with the title: “4 Ways I’m Adapting to Google’s SGE” and include a CTA to read the full blog.
- Post a Twitter thread summarizing each of your new strategy points, ending with a link and question.
- YouTube Short or Reel:
- Record a 30–60 second vertical video explaining how SGE is changing search and why schema + trust signals matter more than ever.
- Internal Link Ideas:
- Link this blog from future posts that cover:
- SEO in the age of AI
- Declining CTR and user behavior shifts
- How to write for featured snippets
- Link this blog from future posts that cover:
What About You?
I’d love to hear how you’re adapting your SEO strategies in the face of AI summaries and changing SERP behavior.
What are you doing differently today than you were a year ago?
Let’s share ideas, it’s the only way we grow.
The Optimization Edit × Rhea 
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