Google is promoting its own AI summaries while penalizing others

• Google is developing a feature using AI to summarize Google search queries, deviating from traditional hyperlink listings. This Search Generative Experience (SGE), initially available to select users, is now being tested with a broader group in the US, aiming to simplify complex searches by providing AI-generated summaries at the search results’ forefront.
• The introduction of SGE could lead to significant shifts in the digital advertising landscape. If widely adopted, SGE’s top-of-page summaries might reduce the need for users to click through to actual articles, potentially decreasing ad revenue for publishers who rely on site visits for earnings.
• Google’s efforts to refine SGE include addressing spam and security issues, ensuring the new search feature aligns with user safety and content quality standards. The company’s ongoing tests and updates aim to balance innovation with user protection, though the full rollout timeline remains undecided.

Google is experimenting with a feature that leverages AI to create concise summaries directly from Google search queries, moving away from the conventional series of hyperlinks. Last year saw the introduction of the Search Generative Experience, which provided summaries based on generative AI for search results, albeit only to those who chose to participate.

As reported by Search Engine Land, Google has expanded the trial of these AI-driven summaries to a select group of users in the US, without the need for them to have previously opted into SGE. These summaries are displayed in a distinct shaded area at the top of the search results page for certain searches, especially those that Google identifies as complex or necessitating insights from various sources.

SEO expert Lily Ray recently noticed unusual recommendations during a brief search with Google’s SGE. Following her inquiry, SGE proposed visiting several questionable and potentially harmful websites related to her search query:

OH GOOD.

SGE WILL EVEN RECOMMEND THE SPAM SITES AS PART OF THE ANSWER. pic.twitter.com/wqgFFXqbMB

— Lily Ray