Google SGE (Search Generative Experience) and your SEO strategy
Senior SEO-specialist
The introduction of Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) fundamentally changes how visibility in search results works. Where traditional search revolved around positions in the organic results, an AI-generated answer now appears at the top of the page. These changes have direct implications for SEO strategies. I therefore actively steer content that is usable within this new environment.
What exactly is SGE?
SGE is the AI layer that Google adds above regular search results. When a user asks a question, Google instantly displays a summary answer built from multiple sources.
Sometimes links are shown with them, sometimes follow-up questions or additional explanations. All this happens above the classic search results, which directly affects click-through behavior and visibility.
Whereas achieving first position used to be the ultimate goal, that has now shifted. Being visible in SGE’s generated output is the new aspiration. That visibility is determined by how useful, reliable and clear your content is. Not just by technical SEO, but by the content itself.
Why content is becoming more important
What I see is that through SGE, Google primarily looks for content that is clearly written, content strong and transparent about provenance. It’s less about exact keywords and more about content value. If a page cannot stand on its own as a response, it is simply not eligible to be included in the AI block.
That’s why I focus texts on one clear question per page, with a logical structure. A strong introduction, a well-founded middle section, and a conclusion that actually answers the question. That is the structure that Google can use in this new layer of the search engine.
Conversational search changes how people search
Another shift I see is in search intent itself. Users are asking questions in natural language. No longer “best link building strategy 2025,” but “how do I build a natural link profile for SEO in 2025? That shift requires content that responds to complete questions, with a tone that matches how people think and formulate.
Therefore, I no longer optimize on single search terms, but write answers to specific queries. Pages built this way fit better with the pattern that Google recognizes and uses in AI generation.
E-E-A-T becomes more important than ever
Expertise, experience, authority and reliability have long been the basis of good content, according to Google. In SGE, that premise is reinforced. Google wants to incorporate only reliable sources into AI answers. Therefore, I make sure I always make it clear who I am, why I know about something and how current the information is.
An author page, references to relevant resources and sharing experiences help in the image people have of you. Not only for the reader, but also for Google. Real expertise makes all the difference.
Aan de slag met SEO? Neem gerust contact op.
SGE and classical SEO work together
Although SGE adds a new layer, the organic results remain. And those remain important. What I notice is that well-scoring pages in traditional search results are more often used as sources for SGE. So the bridge between SEO and SGE is not a separation, but an interaction.
I don’t completely adapt the strategy, but I extend it. I make sure the content both scores well and is usable in AI context. That means clear HTML structure and strong titles and headings. There are also internal links, as well as content quality that answers.
What does this mean for the best approach?
Every page I write must independently cover a topic. No vague superficiality, but concrete information, well-supported. I write as if Google needs every part of the text to create its own summary. That’s exactly what SGE does, too.
I also follow developments in how Google displays sources, how users interact with SGE blocks and how often brands or pages return as sources. In this way, I make continuous adjustments based on behavior, not just technology.
Summary
Google’s SGE fundamentally changes SEO, but the underlying principle remains the same: Whoever creates content that really helps wins. Only now it’s less about positions, and more about relevance in an AI summary. I don’t see that as a threat, but as an opportunity.
By investing in quality, transparency and focus, I increase the likelihood that content will remain visible in this new landscape. SGE is not a temporary position, but a harbinger of how search develops. I anticipate that immediately.
