What is SERP?

A search engine returns this page after a user submits a search query. Paid search and pay-per-click (PPC), On search engine results pages (SERPs), advertisements frequently appear alongside organic search results. Thanks to search engine optimization (SEO), ranking positions on a SERP may be quite competitive since visitors are more inclined to click on developments near the top of the page. SERPs are becoming much more complex due to the introduction of schema markup to anticipate user needs. More than 90% of all user visits land on the first page of results for a Google searchDon't worry if your website still needs to be there. You can use strategies to improve your ranking, but first, The structure of search engine results pages and how they rank content must be understood.

What are the various search query types?

The features that appear on the SERP after a search are determined by the type of search query entered. Most search queries fall into three categories: navigational, informational, or transactional.

  • Navigational 

When someone is looking for a specific website but does not know the full URL, they use navigational queries. Getting to the first page of these results can be challenging unless the searcher is specifically looking for you. Consider purchasing ads for the keywords you want to rank for, such as your company's name, to benefit from website navigational inquiries.

  • Informational

When people want to learn something, such as background facts on a topic or how to perform a specific task, they use an informational query. Although the searcher isn't usually looking to buy something, the right content can lead them to a particular brand. That's why creating relevant content that caters to your target audience's wants, needs, and interests is critical.

Including multimedia on your website might aid in attracting visitors from informational searches. Here are a few examples to think about.

• A how-to video with references to your product or service

• A blog post with helpful hints for your target audience.

• An easily shared infographic

• A whitepaper or guide that can be downloaded

  • Transactional

When people consider purchasing something, such as a specific product or an item from a broad category, they use transactional queries. Because transactional queries have the highest revenue potential, keywords with many bids for pay-per-click spots tend to have a lot of requests. This means that, besides organic search results, people will see relevant paid results for their transactional queries. Paid ads are popular among businesses because they work; according to research from online advertising firm WordStream, paid ads account for nearly 65 percent of clicks on transactional SERPs.

Paid ads vs. natural listings

On a Google SERP, paid and organic listings look very similar. And because they can both help you increase traffic to your site, you should consider combining the two into a single strategy.

The Benefit of Paid Ads

Google usually displays four paid ads at the top of the search results page on a desktop computer and three on a mobile browser. Because more than four businesses typically compete for the exact search term, Google must also decide which ads appear on the first page of results. When making that choice, The bid price, the quality of the website visitors are led to after clicking your ad, the ad's quality, and the ad's relevance to the search are all factors that Google considers. You'll appear on the first page if Google determines that your site is better and more relevant than the competition.

The worth of natural listings

Search engine optimization (SEO), an ever-changing set of techniques for helping your site rank higher on SERPs, earns organic listings their place. You need a high-quality location to get a good organic ranking, just like paid ads. The rules, on the other hand, could be more precise. Google's algorithm is constantly being tweaked to provide the best results, so staying on top of any new or upcoming changes is critical.

Current Google SERP features

The SERP of today is more visually diverse than in previous years. Images, shopping suggestions, Tweets, and information cards can be returned in addition to generic search results that display the site name and metadata. Each feature can be classified into one of the following groups:

• Knowledge graph features appear on the SERP in a panel or box, usually on the right side.

• Rich snippets: These add visuals to a result, such as stars in product reviews or photos in news results.

• Paid results: These can be purchased by bidding on relevant keywords. Paid results will have a label at the top indicating advertisements.

• Universal outcomes: These are unique outcomes that appear alongside organic effects.

Featured snippets in search

The featured snippet appears in a box above the search results list on the SERP. It catches the eye because it shows content from the site containing relevant search terms. People are more likely to click on that link if they find the displayed helpful information. Your first focus should be to get your site on the first page of search results because it is the prerequisite for receiving a featured snippet. Meanwhile, ensure your page's content is informative and contains all the desired keywords.

Image collection

When Google's algorithm determines that visual information is particularly relevant to a search, a row of images and a link to a Google Images search will appear on the SERP. Although Google's algorithm for images differs from written content, following the best practices listed below can help search engines find—and rank—your image content.

Use:

• File names that are accurate and descriptive

• Captions and alternative text for images

• Text that is relevant to the context

• A page title that is both accurate and interesting

• A page URL that is easy to read

• Moderately sized and dimensioned rectangular photos (think 16x9, 4x3, and squares)

If you can get your picture embedded on other pages, your chances of showing up in the SERP image pack will be considerably greater.

In-depth article

Google launched in-depth articles to give longer-form pieces with evergreen content more visibility. They aren't always the most recent or up-to-date articles, but they contain timeless information and are frequently written by credentialed authors or reputable publications. In 2019, users began to notice that the box for in-depth articles had vanished. According to Google, these articles have remained and still get top priority, but they no longer have their section.

Knowledge card

A knowledge card, similar to a miniature Wikipedia page, is a box on the SERP that displays select facts about the searched topic. Google culled these statistics from a database of over 3.5 billion data points. They're helpful for informational queries because they provide the requested information and connections the searcher may have yet to consider. For example, you might find links to his books and the IMDb profiles of the show's voice actors in the knowledge card for The Simpsons creator Matt Groening.

Knowledge panel

A knowledge panel is similar to a knowledge card, but it is more focused. A knowledge panel with the restaurant's address, phone number, website, and ordinary visiting hours can appear due to a navigational search for a particular restaurant. 

Local pack

When a local pack appears when someone types in a query that includes a location name or when Google's algorithm discovers that a searched item is available nearby. The local pack is displayed as a map with pins indicating businesses that may be related to the search term. Google lists the names, ratings, and contact information for the marked companies below the map. For example, if you search for "pharmacies," you might get a local pack with the addresses and phone numbers of the closest pharmacies.

Local teaser pack

The local teaser pack is similar to the local group but includes more details about each business. You can learn more about a company's products and services by clicking the photo next to its name.

News box

News boxes appear if a search yields time-specific results and recent news stories. You may submit your website to Google's News Publisher Center, whether you have a full-fledged news website or a news section. Because Google's news algorithm crawls accepted pages automatically, the news box is a great way to get views if you have the right content.

Related questions

A slew of similar searches uses different words for each inquiry. Frequently, they may be found on Google's search engine results pages (SERPs) under the headers "People also ask" or "Questions related to [search term]." Recently, there has been an upsurge in clicks on "related questions" results. There is only one link per related question, and your site must be on the first page of the results for that related question to get that spot. Once there, you can make SEO tweaks to help Google choose your site as a "related questions" response.

Reviews

Review data (displayed as star rankings) may appear on a SERP following a transactional query. Results with 4 or 5 stars, predictably, receive more clicks. It would be best if you had detailed reviews with star ratings on your website to use the reviews feature. Consider including a plugin on your website that allows customers to leave testimonials and rate your company.

Shopping Results

For many transactional queries, shopping results appear in the SERPs. There are only eight results per keyword, typically displayed at the top of the page or in the right-hand column, so there's plenty of competition. It would help if you bid high enough to have your business represented in the shopping results. Additionally, the item should have impressive sales figures, competitive prices, and top-notch photographs.  The one snag? For shopping results, you can't choose your keyword; Google Merchant Center does it for you.

Sitelinks

Sitelinks assist users in locating specific pages on a website. If you search for "change my Amazon password," the site links feature will display a link to Amazon's account page nested beneath the main Amazon URL. Google's web crawlers will pick up site links from your website, so make sure your site is organized with clear and relevant headings like "Products" or "Blog." The more site links you have, the easier it will be for visitors to find their way around your site.

Tweets

Since 2015, Google has included tweets in some SERPs. Although tweets aren't always visible (they're most likely to appear when a topic is trending), this feature can help people find their way to your Twitter feed.

Video

Google video results will appear if a site has embedded video content relevant to the search. Ensure your video's description, surrounding text, and title is accurate and descriptive, just like your images.