AI SEO Glossary

Google SGE, or Search Generative Experience, was the experimental name Google used for its AI-powered search feature during its testing phase in 2023 and early 2024. It was the predecessor to what is now called AI Overviews. SGE generated a conversational AI summary at the top of search results for a wide range of queries and was tested via Google’s Search Labs opt-in program before rolling out more broadly. The branding shifted to AI Overviews when Google launched it to a wider audience in May 2024.

Google SGE and AI Overviews refer to the same underlying functionality at different stages of development. SGE was the experimental label used during testing and the Search Labs phase. AI Overviews is the production name used after the feature launched publicly at Google I/O 2024. The core experience is the same: an AI-generated summary appearing above organic results for relevant queries. Any SEO research or case studies referencing SGE are describing what is now called AI Overviews, so the terms can be treated as interchangeable for historical context.

Why it matters: If you have been tracking SGE-related data, that body of work is directly relevant to understanding AI Overviews performance today. The terminology changed but the problem is the same.