Google says SGE is most liked by the youths, coming to India and Japan

Abner Li | Aug 30 2023 - 5:30 pm PT

Following the May launch in the US, Google is giving the Search Generative Experience (SGE) an international launch in India and Japan, while the company also shared early user research.

Like in the US, SGE is rolling out via Search Labs opt-in. In India, it supports English and Hindi with a language toggle to quickly switch between them. There will also be support for voice input and verbal responses. The Search Generative Experience is also coming to Japan, with ads appearing in both countries. Google says it looks “forward to expanding to even more countries in the future.”

SGE is rolling out a chevron icon that opens a carousel of “relevant web pages.” This is available in the US first and will come to India and Japan over the coming weeks.

During testing, we’ve found that people find it easier and more understandable when access to these links is presented within the overview itself.

Meanwhile, Google today shared research around people’s use of SGE, which, at a high level, is described as a “positive experience.” What’s particularly interesting is how the highest satisfaction scores are from “younger users (18-24 year olds), who say they enjoy being able to ask follow-up questions conversationally.” Why it’s most popular with this age group would also make for interesting research.

People tell us they find the suggested follow-up questions beneficial to see examples of how to refine their search, and they’re asking longer and more conversational questions in full sentences because generative AI in Search can help them quickly find what they’re looking for. Overall, we’re seeing people try queries that they never may have thought they could search for before, creating new opportunities for Google to be helpful.

The last point is interesting in how people’s expectations for what technology can do are always increasing. Google also says that people like that SGE is part of Search as “they can easily scroll and access a broad range of sources on the web.”