There are millions of pages on the Internet, but none are more important to marketers than search engine rankings pages or SERPs.
What is SERP?
A search engine results page (SERP) is a list of results a search engine returns in response to a specific keyword or rhetorical question.
The top search results or what an organization or individual pays for the search engine are the most relevant. You will be placed at the top of the results page.
Search engines use algorithms to rank content on a page, so the relevance of links decreases as the reader scrolls down the page.
Types of SERP Results
When you look at the results page of a Google SERP or any other search engine, you will see two types of results: paid and organic.
1. Paid SERPs
Google AdWords allows websites to appear at the top of the SERPs for selected keywords, and they pay Google every time someone clicks on their ad.
These results appear at the top and bottom of the SERPs, with “Advertisement” written in bold next to the URL.
As you know by their popularity at the top of the SERPs, these ads can play an important role in driving traffic to your website, and ad campaigns are often combined with search engine optimization (SEO).
2. Organic SERPs
We are familiar with the standard meta title and description list, but Google has recently added many SERP features.
These features, like the Featured Snippet and Knowledge Pack, can have a huge impact on traffic.
While paid advertising is a fast track to the top of the results pages (the highest bidder usually wins), the competition for organic results is dangerous and more difficult.
However, if you learn how to show your pages in the SERPs and understand how to get clicks from people, you will see a lot of traffic.
The Most Common SERP Features
1. Featured Snippet
A Featured Snippet is a large snippet that Google has taken from one page to try and summarize the most important information.
You will often see Featured Snippets at the top of the SERPs. This makes them one of the most powerful SERPs.
Below are some types of Featured Snippets:
- FAQ: A short paragraph that answers the “What” and “Who” types of searches.
- Bulleted List: For rankings and “best of” or “top rated” lists
- Numbered List: Used for directions, DIY, recipes, and ordered tasks.
- Tables: a visual representation of dates, prices, reviews, rates… or any data presented in a table, just like a WooCommerce product table listing.
2. People Also Ask
People Also Ask boxes are questions related to the original search query.
It is often displayed for keywords with informational or commercial content.
When you click on a question in the “People also ask questions” field, it expands with a special image inside. Also, a link to start a new Google search using this query.
3. Related Searches
Related questions are keywords that are related to the original search query. When you click on one of them, Google opens a new SERP using that keyword.
Related searches appear at the end of the search results page. And they are extremely common. The simplest version of the Related Searches feature is just a list of keywords.
In recent years, the number of clicks on the results of “similar questions” has increased. There is only one link per affiliate question, and for your site to rank in that position, it must be on the first page of content. Thanks for that related question.
Once there, you can make SEO changes to help Google choose your site for a “relevant question” answer.
4. Knowledge card
A knowledge card is a box on the SERP that displays selected facts about the search topic, like a small Wikipedia page. Google pulls these facts from a library of more than 3.5 billion records.
This is useful for data analysis because not only information is needed, but also relationships that the researcher may have yet to consider.
5. Local Pack
Local packs show information about nearby businesses and companies on an embedded map from Google Maps.
Local boxes are displayed for searches that may meet local needs. So, they show different results depending on where they are comfortable.
6. Image Pack
Image packs are Google’s way of displaying images in search results. Clicking on one of them will take you to the Google Images search page.
Image boxes can appear anywhere in a standard browser. Sometimes they appear as carousels. It can appear as a single line or in a large package.
Google uses a different image algorithm than text, but following these guidelines can help search engines find and rank your photos.
Make sure you use the following:
- Accurate and evocative file names
- Image captions & alt text
- Relevant adjacent text
- A correct & engaging page title
- A readable page URL
- Rectangular photos of moderate size & dimensions
And if you can upload your image on other sites, you will have a better chance to appear in the SERP Image Pack.
7. Video Results
Video results are what it looks like: a box of videos in the SERPs.
The videos are usually taken from YouTube. Each list and link can be linked to specific timestamps in it.
How Google decides what video content should be in the results is unknown. But it is based on the keyword and their split test.
8. Reviews
Sometimes review information, shown as stars, appears in SERPs after a traffic test. As expected, 4 or 5-star reviews will get more clicks.
To enter the reviews section, you must have star-rated reviews to be displayed on your website. Consider adding a plugin to your website to allow customers to share reviews and give your business a star rating.
9. In-Depth Article
For detailed or descriptive information, Google can return a block of “detailed” information that is almost impossible to discern from the user—common sense.
They follow different classification rules than the main traditional results and are controlled by major publishers. Each block of three floors has only one cultural level.
In-depth stories that win are almost exclusively from large, established publishers. They also often share these characteristics:
- Long-form content (2000-5000 words)
- Schema article markup
- Authorship markup
- Unique, high-quality writing
10. Top stories
Top stories feature the most popular articles, live blogs, and videos. Google displays a thumbnail, title, publisher name, and timestamp for each result, and it usually appears at the top of the SERPs.
Conclusion
The more you know about SERPs, the better you can organize your content and site design. Staying up to date with Google’s policies is the key to keeping your site in good shape and ranking high.
