Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) AI: How to enable and Test [Easy 2 min guide]
If you haven’t been testing SGE before it gets released, here’s a quick guide we’ve set up that literally takes 2 minutes. Pictures included to make it even easier!
What is true as of November 2023:
Google has taken a ground-breaking leap with the introduction of the Search Generative Experience (SGE), as detailed in their October 2023 public report, “An Overview of SGE.”
Launched in 120 countries on November 8th, 2023, SGE is set to become an integral part of the digital experience, changing the search engine results page and with it, search behaviour (full list of countries with SGE). For the rest of us, mostly thinking of my fellow Aussies here, Worldwide adoption expected to be completed by February 2024. We are down the road and on the cusp of the precipice to real change.
There’s plenty to read about SGE, let’s get into what you came here for: 2 minute set up guide.
Step 1: Connect to a VPN in One of the 120 Countries
Before you begin, ensure you have access to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service. Connect your VPN to one of the 120 countries where SGE is being rolled out. This step is crucial as SGE might not be available in your region by default.
Step 2: Log in with a Non-Workspace Gmail Account
Use a non-workspace Gmail account (e.g., example@gmail.com) to ensure a seamless testing experience. Log in to your Gmail account before proceeding to the next steps.
Step 3: Navigate to the SGE Testing Platform https://labs.google/sge/
Visit the official SGE testing platform by going to https://labs.google/sge/. This is the dedicated hub where you can enable and customise your SGE experiments.
Step 4: Enable SGE Experiments and Agree to Terms
Once on the SGE testing platform, you’ll find options to turn on various SGE experiments. I recommend to enable all four experiments for a comprehensive testing experience, because why not? After that, Google Labs will ask you to carefully read and agree to the Terms and Conditions presented on the platform, to which you must opt into.
Step 5: Check for the Beaker Icon on Google Search and You’re In!
After enabling the experiments, go to the Google Search homepage. Look for a beaker icon located on the top right-hand side of your screen. The presence of this icon indicates that SGE is activated. That indicates that Google Labs is allowing SGE AI Snapshot results alongside your queries and you can begin to test them.
With SGE activated, you can now start testing various search queries to observe how the AI generates snapshots of information. Experiment with different topics, keywords, and formats to understand the capabilities of the generative algorithms.
Important Notes:
- Ensure that your VPN connection remains active throughout the testing process.
- Be mindful of the Terms and Conditions to comply with Google’s policies during testing.
- Take note of any patterns or changes in search results as you experiment with SGE.
- Document what you see and let us know how you went or if you found this guide helpful 🙂
Explore the possibilities, see if your site’s most commercial terms or queries that earn the most traffic will be affected and happy testing!
