Table of contents:
1. How will AI transform the travel industry?
2. How is Google’s SGE structured?
3. How does Google’s SGE work?
4. SGE deep dive for the travel industry
5. Conclusion and take-aways
TL; DR:
- Search Generative Experience (“SGE”) is a new Google feature that will provide AI-generated answers to (complex) search queries directly in search results.
- Across all industries, traffic losses from the SEO channel can be expected in the future, especially with regard to so-called “zero click searches”.
- Travel ecommerce companies should develop an SGE strategy early on that identifies potential traffic risks and defines levers for good SGE performance.
- In addition, they should invest in a strong brand (respectively “EEAT”); this includes investing in expert content for their own niche and – especially for local search queries – a good local SEO strategy.
Data and key findings of this analysis
- As part of this analysis, the SGE content of approximately 900 transactional keywords related to “hotel” was evaluated.
- For the majority of the keywords analyzed, an SGE result is generated only “on demand”.
- Domains that rank in the top 3 in Google search are not guaranteed to rank in positions 1-3 in the SGE carousel.
- Three strong travel brands are most frequently linked in SGE: tripadvisor.com, hotel.com and expedia.com.
- The “Google Local Pack” is the central content element for the majority of the SGE snapshots examined.
- In SGE, the Local Pack has an average of five listings; in Google search, it only has an average of three listings.
- For informational keywords related to travel, smaller providers also have a chance of an SGE placement if they offer expert content in their own niche and include first-person reviews.
- SGE is very visual: It prominently integrates images, especially for brand inquiries.
How will AI transform the travel industry?
2023 is the year when artificial intelligence has arrived in everyday life. Millions of users are experimenting with chatbot technologies based on generative language models, such as OpenAI’s Chat-GPT or Google Bard. The Expedia Group has dubbed an entire generation “Gen AI” and is preparing for AI technologies to have a significant impact on online travel planning.
Google entered the online travel business years ago with the Hotel Finder and Google Flights. With the beta launch of it’s AI-based Search Generative Experience (SGE) in June 2023, the search engine is once again positioning itself as a travel assistant:
“Whether you’re booking far-away travel or making local plans for the weekend, our generative AI-powered experience (SGE) in Search Labs is now better equipped to help you research places like restaurants, hotels, or tourist attractions (…).”
In the future, SGE will provide AI-generated answers to (complex) questions directly in the search results. Google has highlighted the use case of SGE for travel and/or local search queries:
“We’ve added new capabilities to SGE for local and travel searches, so if you ask detailed questions about a place or destination in search, you’ll see an AI-powered snapshot that brings together the most helpful information available”.
Industry experts predict that SGE will significantly change the traditional Google search:
“Google’s SGE represents a major transformation of search results that will significantly impact the entire spectrum of search technology”
Bastian Grimm, SEO & AI Expert
Google dominates the search engine market – almost 9 out of 10 users search on Google. In the future, when SGE could answer queries perfectly, clicking on a website may soon be obsolete (current buzzword: “zero-click searches”). In addition, SGE’s built-in conversational mode allows users to ask SGE any number of follow-up questions on a topic – a distinct advantage over traditional Google searches. Across industries, SGE could lead to lower CTRs and less traffic coming through the SEO channel in the future.
SGE is currently still in testing. Access to the beta version is available through Google Search Labs in more than 120 markets, including the US market. It is not yet clear when SGE will be coming to Germany, but it is only a matter of time.
This should be done by calculating traffic loss scenarios at an early stage and compensating for a potential decline in organic search traffic with traffic from other channels. Identifying levers to be listed for relevant search queries in SGE should be prioritized. By evaluating selected hotel keyword data from the travel industry this analysis takes the first step. Online travel ecommerce business will find answers to the following questions:
- How often is an SGE result triggered?
- How is SGE content structured?
- Does a top ranking in Google also promote a top ranking in SGE?
- Which websites appear most often in SGE content?
- Which content formats are most successful in SGE?
- Is the SGE user journey different from the organic search user journey?
- Which keyword types are likely to lose traffic? Which are not?
- How can travel ecommerce companies best prepare for SGE?
2. How is Google’s SGE structured?
SGE consists of three elements – AI snapshot, conversational mode, and vertical experiences:
SGE Snapshot:
The SGE snapshot summarizes information for each search query from a variety of external sources, including websites and/or Google’s own data (e.g., Hotel Finder data). It consists of one or more paragraphs of text containing clickable links to the web pages whose content is referenced by the SGE in the snapshot. Images and videos can also be part of the snapshot.
A link carousel is placed at the top right of the snapshot. (“top carousel”). It lists the main sources of the SGE snapshot. The top carousel consists of at least three sources.
SGE snapshot for the keyword [hotel los angeles]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.12.24_Keyword: hotel los angeles
In each SGE snapshot, Google notes the experimental status quo of SGE: „Generative AI is experimental. Info quality may vary“.
The SGE snapshot is either automatically generated or generated only when requested. The SGE snapshot is placed above the traditional Google results page, making it highly visible. The “classic” features of Google search, such as organic links or images, are moved further “down” the search results page.
SGE search result for the keyword [hotel near me with hot tub]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.17.24_Keyword: hotel near me with hot tub
Vertical Experiences:
For many transactional hotel search queries, SGE integrates a knowledge panel with detailed provider information, including ratings and comparisons based on Google Travel data. The panel opens when a user clicks on a hotel listing in the snapshot. From the Knowledge Panel, users can either go directly to the website, to other booking sites or to Google Travel.
SGE snapshot for the keyword [beach hotel san diego]:
Source: SGE_Date:01.17.24_Keyword: beach hotel san diego
Conversational mode:
Conversational mode is the SGE’s chat feature. Users can either click on the predefined follow-up questions at the bottom of a topic or ask their own questions by clicking on “Ask a follow-up”. There is no limit to the number of follow-up questions that can be asked.
The SGE conversational mode:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.12.24_Keyword: hotel near me now
3. How does Google’s SGE work?
SGE is based on generative language models called Large Language Models (LLMs). LLMs are trained on large amounts of text data and can process, interpret and generate natural language. Using a variety of LLMs, SGE understands complex search queries, matches appropriate website content or Google’s own data and generates answers in real time.
For example, you may have had to google the question “What are the best hiking trails in North Iceland in March?” several times before, but SGE now condenses the answer into a single box.
In addition to answering informational queries, SGE also assists with commercial searches for products or services.
For certain financial, health, or personal safety topics – so-called “YMYL” topics (“your money, your life“) – there will be no SGE snapshot or SGE will display a warning (e.g., “This is for informational purposes only. This information does not constitute medical advice or diagnosis“).
4. SGE Travel Analysis
4.1 Data and time period of the study
In January 2024, we ran 852 hotel-related transactional keywords through a Google account with SGE enabled.
Example keywords:
- [hotel near me], SV 13.600.000
- [atlantic city new jersey hotels], SV 301.000
- [best hotels in los angeles], SV 33.100
- [best hotel deals], SV 8.100
- [cheap hotels in panama city beach], SV 18.100
The analysis data is summarized in the following table:
| Keyword set size | 852 keywords |
| Total search volume keyword set (US): | 21,329,000 |
| Investigation period | 10.01.24 to 19.01.24 |
| Viewport | Desktop |
| Market | USA |
Disclaimer: The results shown are based solely on SGE snapshots of the keywords that were analyzed as part of this study. Since SGE is still in testing phase, it is possible that the results may not be reproducible at a later date.
4.2. Findings
The following section presents key findings from the SGE data collected for the above set of keywords. These findings are supplemented by further “qualitative” SGE content analysis of additional selected travel-related keywords.
How often is an SGE result triggered?
For the majority, i.e. for 78% (665 keywords) of the keywords, an SGE result is displayed.
In none of the 665 cases is an SGE snapshot automatically generated. In 94% of cases, the question “Get an AI-powered overview for this search?” appears. In 6% of cases, the SGE content is only partially visible. In this case, the full snapshot will not be displayed until you click “Show More”.
“Generate an AI-powered overview for this search?” For the example keyword [cheap hotel santa monica], users must first actively click on the “Generate” button.
SGE snapshot for the keyword [cheap hotel santa monica]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.14.24_Keyword: cheap hotel santa monica
SGE with „Show more“ button:
SGE snapshot for the keyword [doubletree hotel near me]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.14.24_Keyword: cheap hotel santa monica
What domains are most frequently linked in SGE?
In the keyword set analyzed, tripadvisor.com and hotels.com are the most frequently linked sites (also counting domains, that are linked multiple times). They are followed by expedia.com in third place.
On average, there are 132 URLs linked in the SGE content. Leading the statistics is the SGE snapshot for the keyword [hotel near the airport]. 261 links to external web sites are found here. Links are usually placed below the first text paragraph or below an individual local pack listing. Often there will be a paragraph of text underneath the local pack listing box (for example, in the screenshot below: under “Other Hotels”).
SGE snapshot for the keyword [hotels near iah airport]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.17.24_Keyword: hotels near airport
Which domains are most frequently linked in the SGE Top Carousel?
In the top carousel, Google’s most common link is to itself. For example, for the search term [hilton hotel near me], there are five Google results pages in the carousel. It is questionable to what extent this adds value for users.
SGE snapshot for the keyword [hilton hotel near me]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.17.24_Keyword: hilton hotel near me
Source: Google_Date: 01.17.24
Excluding Google listings, the domain hotels.com is at the top of the statistics. It is followed by the review site tripadvisor.com. In fourth place is another booking platform: expedia.com.
On average, the top SGE carousel contains links to 21 URLs. The “largest” SGE carousel in terms of number of links is generated for the keyword [best hotel in vegas]: 30 top carousel links were counted in the top carousel (including multiple listings).
Does a good ranking in the Google search favor a top position in the SGE carousel?
To find out whether a top position in Google search also favors a top position in the SGE carousel, we compared the domains in positions 1, 2 and 3 in the SGE top carousel with the domains in positions 1, 2 and 3 in Google search and counted the following cases:
- “0”: The Top 3 SGE carousel and the Top 3 organic search positions are completely different
- “1”: One result in the Top 3 SGE carousel is also positioned in the organic search Top 3
- “2”: Two results in the Top 3 SGE carousel are also positioned in the organic search Top 3
- “3”: All results in the Top 3 SGE carousel are positioned in the organic search Top 3
The chart shows: In more than 50% of the cases, the top 3 SGE carousel domains and the top 3 organic search domains are either completely different or have only one domain in common. Only 19% of all domains positioned in the top 3 SGE carousel are also positioned in the top 3 organic results. This means: Domains that rank in the top 3 in Google search are not guaranteed to rank in positions 1-3 in the SGE carousel.
Note: The data is based on 670 of the 852 keywords. As there were complications with scraping the SGE results at the time of the survey, not all keywords could be included.
What is the most common content format in SGE?
Of the 665 keywords for which an SGE result is available, the “Local Pack” content format is the most common, appearing in approximately 98% of cases.
What is the Google Local Pack?Google Local Pack displays local businesses or services relevant to your local search queries in Google Search. For example, if someone searches for “hotels in Berlin”, the Local Pack will show list of hotels in Berlin, often with information such as address data, reviews, opening hours and photos. The Local Pack often appears at the top of the first page of Google search results making highly visible. Google gets the information for the Local Pack primarily from Google My Business listings. Businesses can enter information such as address, hours of operation, and services. Google also uses user ratings and comments, as well as information from other websites to supplement and update the Local Pack. |
The “local pack” in SGE
The SGE snapshot for [beach hotel san diego] shows a Local Pack that is similar in structure to the organic search Local Pack: In addition to a Google Maps integration, it lists the locations that appear in Google Maps. For example, for the keyword [beach hotel san diego], the SGE lists five hotels. For each hotel listing, the SGE lists the following information:
- Hotel features (e.g. “beach access”)
- Star ratings
- Short AI-generated description
- Price
It is striking that Google has obviously understood the meaning of “beach access” in this case, as the label “hotels with beach access” shows.
SGE snapshot for the keyword [beach hotel san diego]
Source: Google Search_Date: 01.17.24_Keyword: best hotel in cancun
A Local Pack also appears in the classic Google search for all keywords analysed. The Local Pack is usually integrated at the top of the Google page:
SGE snapshot for the keyword [best hotel in cancun]:
Source: Google Search_Date: 01.17.24_Keyword: best hotel in cancun
How is the SGE Local Pack different from the Organic Search Local Pack?
The SGE Local Pack contains an average of five listings in the keyword set examined, see the keyword [beach hotel san diego] as an example. The Organic Search Local Pack, on the other hand, only shows an average of three hotel listings in the keyword set examined.
SGE snapshot for the keyword [beach hotel san diego]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.17.24_Keyword: beach hotel san diego
Organic Search Local Pack for the keyword [beach hotel san diego]:
Source: Google Search_Date: 01.17.24_Keyword: beach hotel san diego
This shows that the SGE Local Pack gives websites more opportunities for placement. Also noteworthy: Google provides a hotel description in the SGE Local Business. For the “Ocean Beach Hotel”, there is an AI-generated description “Relaxed, Mediterranean-inspired hotel across the street from the beach“. In the Organic Search Local Pack, the listing has a user rating: “Very close to the beach“.
In addition to the number of listings, the two Local Packs for the example keyword also differ in the selection of hotel listings. Only the “Ocean Beach Hotel” is included in both the SGE Local Pack and the Organic Search Local Pack.
Google lists the following criteria that may favor a placement in the Local Pack:
- Relevance: How well does a Google Business profile match search intent?
- Distance: The closer a location is to a user’s local intent, the greater the chance of ranking.
- Prominence: Refers to the level of awareness of a business. Google looks primarily at user reviews, site content, and backlinks to evaluate a page’s prominence.
Since the selection of Local Pack results (in the sample test) is different, it can be assumed that Google may weigh some factors differently in the SGE than in Google Search. Due to the high “visibility” of Tripadvisor in the SGE, the placement in Tripadvisor content and on other well-known review sites may play a greater role in SGE. However one thing is for sure: Online travel businesses that get a high share of traffic from local searches will need a good local SEO strategy in order to rank in the Google Local Pack.
Vertical Experiences in the Local Pack
Clicking on an SGE listing opens a hotel knowledge panel, clicking on “Check Availability” opens Google Travel search, and clicking on “Website” opens the domain stored in the Google Business profile. The “Compare Prices” button allows users to compare rates from other travel sites. In this example, the price shown in the listing is based on the Expedia deal ($164). Notice that the Expedia price is not the cheapest.
SGE Hotel Knowledge Panel for [beach hotel san diego]
Source: SGE_Date: 01.17.24_Keyword: beach hotel san diego
Overall, the vertical experience in SGE is very similar to the Organic Search Knowledge Panel. The only difference: The SGE panel lists four vendors for the “Compare Prices” example. In the Organic Search Knowledge Panel, there are only two. Also, the Organic Search panel has direct integration of user reviews. The SGE panel does not.
Organic Search Knowledge Panel for the keyword [ocean beach hotel san diego]:
Source: Organic Search Hotel Knowledge Panel_Date: 01.12.24_Keyword: ocean beach hotel san diego
Informational search queries in SGE
SGE provides an accurate result for many complex searches with an informational intent. For the question “can a beginner hike the Appalachian Trail?”, SGE adds beginner tips and human reviews to the answer.
For each statement, Google will list the source to which the statement is referred. The answer “Yes, beginners can hike the Appalachian Trail” comes from the blog post https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/can-you-hike-the-appalachian-trail-with-no-backpacking-experience/. Google even highlights the paragraph used:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.18.24_Domain: thetrek.co
SGE snapshot for the keyword [can a beginner hike the appalachian trail]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.18.24_Keyword: can a beginner hike the appalachian trail
The SGE content links to the official appalachiantrail.org website, the travel blog thetrek.co and the online forums quora.com and reddit.com. Google is clearly focused on the EEAT factor here.
What does EEAT mean?EEAT is a Google concept that stands for “Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness”. Google describes the criteria in the “Google Quality Rater Guidelines”. The guidelines provide Google’s human reviewers with instructions on how to evaluate the quality of web pages and search results in order to help improve the search algorithm. Experience: This evaluates whether the content is based on personal experience or knowledge. Google prefers content that has been created by people who have actual experience with the respective topic. Expertise: This refers to how well informed the authors are about the topic. Experts in a particular field are considered more trustworthy, especially for complex or specialized topics. Authoritativeness: This refers to how recognized and respected the author or website is in a subject area. High authority is often achieved through citations or recommendations from other experts or leading sources in the field. Trustworthiness: This criterion measures how reliable and credible the content and sites are. Issues such as clear contact information and accurate and transparent information contribute to trustworthiness. |
For questions about the Appalachian Trail, there is probably no other site that has more expertise, trust, and authority than the official website. For “expertise” and “experience,” it has a report from an experienced hiker and a discussion thread on the topic on quora.com. The sources below are from Google Maps:
Source: Google Maps_Date: 01.18.24
The example shows that once users have read an informative SGE Snapshot with human testimonials, they may choose not to return to searching on Google.
In response to the informative-transactional question “what are the closest hotels to Disneyland?”, SGE lists a Local Pack with 5 hotel listings including distance information. The “distance” detail was clearly understood here. The top sources include the official Disneyland website and the Tripadvisor and Expedia articles, which were presumably selected according to EEAT criteria.
SGE snapshot for the keyword [what are the closest hotels to disneyland]
Source: SGE_Date: 01.18.24_Keyword: what are the closest hotels to disneyland
What keywords do not trigger SGE results?
SGE often does not provide an SGE result for health and safety issues (so-called “YMYL” issues):
Source: Organic Search_Date: 01.10.24_Keyword: is is safe to travel to tirupati now
Also noteworthy: No SGE result is triggered for flight booking requests (after random testing). Google first integrates its own Google Flights product above-the-fold and then lists the results of the Google search.
Source: SGE_Date: 01.17.24_Keyword: flight new york to rome
Source: SGE_Date: 01.17.24_Keyword:_flight to japan
4.3 Brand representation in SGE
For (hotel) brand queries, the snapshot content of the (randomly) tested keywords includes, in addition to the brand website, links to other external websites. For the example [hyatt san francisco], the SGE lists:
- The official website of San Francisco Airport
- A review from the review portal thepointsguy.com
- A booking listing
The website of the Hyatt San Francisco will appear later in the SGE carousel.
SGE snapshot for the keyword [hyatt san francisco]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.18.24_Keyword: hyatt san francisco
The SGE content for the keyword [best western chicago] shows a different result however: It links to the Best Western location URLs: It links directly to the Best Western location URLs.
- https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/chicago/hotel-rooms/best-western-plus-hawthorne-terrace-hotel/propertyCode.14151.html
- https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/chicago/hotel-rooms/best-western-river-north-hotel/propertyCode.14112.html
- https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-chicago/best-western-river-north-hotel/propertyCode.14112.html
SGE snapshot for the keyword [best western chicago]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.18.24_Keyword: best western chicago
Also noteworthy: For (hotel) brand searches, SGE content is very visual. In many cases images of the exterior and interior of the hotel are included. Often, these are images that have been posted by users on Google.
SGE snapshot for the keyword [four season dallas]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.18.24_Keyword: four seasons dallas
SGE snapshot for the keyword [marriott berlin]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.18.24_Keyword: marriot berlin
The snapshot content for the tested keywords often includes reviews. In many cases, these are Google reviews. However, they are often several years old. Since Google provides up-to-date reviews, this comes as a surprise.
SGE snapshot for the keyword [marriott berlin]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.18.24_Keyword: marriott berlin
Source: Google Travel_Date: 01.18.24
4.4 Conversational mode in action
We have tested SGE‘s conversational mode for various hotel reservation inquiries and hotel service requests. The following examples show that the SGE chat feature is still a work in progress.
The result of the first question “show me cheap family friendly hotels in Dresden Germany“ delivers acceptable results. The answer consists of a local pack with 5 listings, including two locations of the budget hotel chain Ibis. The only point of criticism here is that only one of the hotels is labeled as “family friendly”. In addition, two of the listings are not hotels at all, but hostels.
SGE conversational mode
Source: SGE_Date: 01.12.24_Keyword: show me cheap family friendly hotels in hamburg germany
For comparison: Google search returns local pack listings that are clearly marked as “kid-friendly”. The top 3 Google rankings also include the reference “family-friendly”. In response to the follow-up question “show me other cheap options“, the same hostel providers (Hostel Mondpalast Dresden and a&o Hostel Dresden) appear in the SGE results. Users are also familiar with the “ibis budget Dresden City” and the “Super 8 by Wyndham Dresden” from the first question. Only the “Azimut Hotel Dresden” is new. Again, there is only one family-friendly offer.
Google Search for keyword [show me cheap family friendly hotels in berlin Germany]:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.18.24_Keyword: show me cheap family friendly hotels in dresden germany
SGE conversational mode
Source: SGE_Date: 01.18.24_Keyword: show me other cheap options
Observation: The SGE follow-up questions often return outdated and sometimes incorrect answers. For example, the SGE result for the follow-up question “what to do with your dog when you go to Disneyland“, shows an outdated review from 2020 and refers to a dog daycare center that has been closed since January 2023:
SGE conversational mode:
Source: SGE_Date:01.18.24_Keyword: is disneyland anaheim pet friendly
SGE conversational mode:
Source: SGE_Date: 01.18.14_Keywrod: is disneyland anaheim pet friendly
Source: Google Search_Date: 18.01.24
5. Conclusion and Take Aways
The analysis has shown that for the majority of the keywords studied, an SGE result is generated. For transactional hotel keywords, it can be concluded that SGE is likely to have a significant impact on the classic Google search results, as traditional Google features such as organic links, featured snippets, etc. are moved “further down” the search result page.
It should be noted, however, that all of the keywords used in this study require the SGE to be clicked on first. It also became clear that the local pack is the central element of SGE. At the same time, it happens to be the first visible feature when searching on Google.
This could mean that the organic local pack of Google Search already perfectly matches the user’s search intent. Users may have no incentive to request the SGE result if their intent is already met by clicking on the organic local pack. Google may have come to the same conclusion and will only provide an SGE result when specifically requested.
With an average of 132 links in the SGE content and two additional listing positions in the Local Pack, the SGE content offers great traffic potential for websites. Online travel ecommerce business should thus seek to position themselves for relevant search queries in SGE. Three well-known travel brands, hotels.com, tripadvisor.com and expedia.com, are among the most frequently linked domains in SGE content. As with organic search, it is likely that Google gives special weight to established brands in SGE. In addition to a well-known brand, high positive user ratings and an optimized Google Business Profile are essential for a good Local Pack ranking.
The fact that SGE is still a work in progress was particularly evident when testing the conversational mode. In response to many specified queries, SGE often returned a redundant result that did not always match the search intent. In some cases, SGE also returned incorrect information.
For informational queries, however, the SGE content was largely convincing in the sample test. Answers to questions about hiking advice, were technically correct and supported by expert quotes. Especially for niche topics (e.g., “Hiking tips for the Appalachian Trail“), smaller travel blogs seem to have a chance to rank in SGE. That is, if they can demonstrate niche subject matter expertise. Personal experience appears to be equally important as evidenced by the integration of discussion threads from Reddit and Quora. Sites that provide “generic” content without (human) expertise will most likely lose traffic in the SEO channel in the future, especially for topics that are advisory in nature.
How do (travel) websites prepare for SGE?
Good SEO performance requires actions that go beyond traditional on-page factors. The foundation of an SEO strategy remains a well–thought–out keyword strategy. But in the future, SEO will provide better answers to increasingly complex questions, especially when it comes to informative travel topics. Travel content should be able to provide answers to long tail search searches. Generic “SEO content” will not stand much of a chance in SGE – this is where it becomes important to invest in expert content that is based on human experience. The EEAT concept should be familiar to any online travel ecommerce business that focuses on organic search traffic. In this context, the following EEAT best practices are of critical importance:
- Create expert content for your niche
- Create author profiles
- Provide comprehensive “about us” information
- Cite expert sources and use trust seals
- Collect (brand) mentions and citations from high-authority media in your vertical
- Ensure consistent company data on external sites (e.g. LinkedIn and Wikipedia)
- Focus on positive user reviews
Experience has shown that structured and well-prepared content is more likely to be read and therefore more likely to appear in SGE. To increase chances of being listed in SGE, follow these best practices:
- Provide short content summary above the main content of the page
- Structure (HTML) content with meaningful headings, schema markup, sorted lists and tables
- Enrich content with FAQs
- Use high-quality, authentic images that match the search intent (preferably not stock photos)
- Properly resize images and place them prominently in content
- Describe images well with meaningful alt text, file name/path, and image title
- Reference images in HTML content with structured data and social tags (e.g. Open Graph)
Websites that receive traffic from local search queries, such as multi-location hotel chains, should implement a local SEO strategy including the following best practices:
- Create custom landing pages optimized for local keywords for each location
- Provide NAP data for each location: full name, address, and phone number
- Use structured data to help Google better understand local relevance
- Verify website in Google Business Profile and add information such as business name, matching categories, reviews, and hours of operation
- Prioritize online reviews and reputation management, including Google, third-party portals, and your own website
- Invest in local PR and build local citations and links, including hotel-specific business directories and local news sites
In order to rank in organic search and SGE, they must first be indexed. Basic crawling and indexing management best practices can’t be stressed enough:
- Control page indexing:
- Monitor GSC reports and fix indexing problems for ranking-relevant pages (e.g. “Crawled – Not indexed”)
- Regularly update XML Sitemaps
- Trigger indexing of new pages, e.g. via the GSC
- Correct Robots.txt setup: Ensure that Googlebot can crawl relevant content
Conclusion:
Even though Google SGE is not yet available in Germany, companies should start monitoring their SEO performance for relevant keywords today and watch for new developments. SGE is still a work in progress, but one thing is clear: it is here to stay.
