May 2023: Google unveils the Search Generative Experience
Covers May 2023. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.
Quick answer: Google revealed the Search Generative Experience (SGE) at Google I/O in May 2023. It was an experiment that put AI-written summaries at the top of the results page, with links to the sources used. SGE paved the way for AI Overviews, which went public a year later.
This was the first real look at how AI might sit on top of the familiar list of results. For a local firm used to fighting for the top three spots, it raised a new question: not just “where do we rank?” but “are we the source the AI quotes?”
What did Google show in May 2023?
Google made SGE available to people in the US through Search Labs. Its AI snapshots summarised answers to more complicated questions and suggested follow-ups, with the source links shown alongside.
Why did it matter to UK businesses?
SEO specialists could see how AI summaries might shove the usual results further down the screen. UK businesses started thinking about how to be a cited source, rather than simply one more link on the page.
How to get ready for AI summaries now
- Lay out your key pages so every question gets a short, clear answer close to the top.
- Build up the expertise and trust signals that help Google pick you as a source.
- Keep track of which searches in your area and trade bring up AI summaries.
Frequently asked questions
Are SGE and AI Overviews the same thing?
SGE was the trial version. AI Overviews went live for all US users in May 2024, reaching the UK later.
Do AI summaries mean fewer clicks?
For simple questions they often do. For bigger decisions, being one of the cited sources can still bring in valuable visits.
Sources and further reading
Want help with this? We help local businesses become the source AI summaries cite through our AI search and GEO service. Get in touch.
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