SERP features are special results that appear on a search engine results page (SERP) in addition to the regular organic results. Some of the most common SERP features are featured snippets, people-also-ask boxes, and knowledge panels. SERP features are designed to provide users with more relevant and useful information to improve their search experience. SERPs typically contain a mix of organic search results (results that are ranked based on the search engine’s algorithm) and paid search results (ads).
Most popular SERP features?
SERP features are additional elements that may appear on a SERP, such as:
Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are special results on Google’s search engine results page that provide concise answers to user queries. These answers, often displayed as paragraphs or tables, link back to the source website. Google selects featured snippets to best answer factual questions or define search terms. To optimize for them, create relevant, high-quality content and improve titles and meta descriptions for better search engine visibility.
Few tips to optimize a website for featured snippets:
- Write high-quality content: Your content should be clear, accurate, and useful. It should also be relevant.
- Write clear and concise titles and meta descriptions for your pages: Titles and meta descriptions help search engines understand what your page is about.
- Optimize your pages correctly: Make sure the names and addresses of your pages are friendly to search engines.
Featured Snippets are a powerful SERP feature that can help users find information quickly. By optimizing your website for featured snippets, you can attract users more to your website and help them find more information.
Benefits for Featured Snippets:
- They can help users find information quickly.
- They can attract users more to your website.
- They can generate more traffic and leads for your website.
Featured Snippets
Knowledge Graph
The Knowledge Panel is a distinct SERP feature prominently displayed on Google’s search engine results page. This dedicated box furnishes users with comprehensive information relevant to their search query. Typically, this data is sourced from authoritative references like Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Google’s extensive knowledge base.
Google selects and showcases Knowledge Panels based on the user’s search query and often prioritizes frequently searched topics. The primary aim of a Knowledge Panel is to offer users a succinct yet informative overview of a specific topic, enabling them to gain a better understanding and access more relevant information directly from the search results.
Benefits of the Knowledge Panel:
- They can provide users with concise and informative information about a topic.
- They can help users find more relevant information with search results.
- They can help users understand the topic better.
It’s not possible to optimize for knowledge panels, as they are automatically generated by Google. However, you can increase your chances of appearing in the knowledge panel by writing relevant and high-quality content on your website.
Tips to optimize your website for knowledge panels:
- Write high-quality content: Your content should be clear, accurate, and useful. It should also be relevant.
- Optimize your pages correctly: Make sure the names and addresses of your pages are friendly to search engines.
- Share your Pages on social media: Sharing your Pages on social media will get them seen by more people, increasing their chances of appearing in the knowledge panel.
Knowledge Panel is a powerful SERP feature that can provide users with concise and informative information about a topic. By optimizing your website for knowledge panels, you can attract users more to your website and help them find more information.
Knowledge Panel
People Also Ask
People also asked feature also helps users provide more informative and comprehensive search results. It can help users learn more about their questions and also provide them with answers to questions they didn’t think of. To optimize for the People Also Ask feature, you can write relevant and high-quality content on your website. You can also optimize the titles and meta descriptions of your pages so that they are more obvious to search engines.
Tips to optimize your website for the People Also Asked feature:
- Write high-quality content: Your content should be clear, accurate, and useful. It should also be relevant.
- Write clear and concise titles and meta descriptions for your pages: Titles and meta descriptions help search engines understand what your page is about.
- Optimize your pages correctly: Make sure the names and addresses of your pages are friendly to search engines.
Benefits of People Also Ask:
- User Engagement: People Also Ask engages users with related questions, improving their research experience.
- Traffic Boost: Appearing in People Also Ask increases site visibility, attracting more organic traffic.
- Content Ideas: People Also Ask inspires content creation by highlighting common user queries for website owners.
The People Also Ask feature is a powerful SERP feature that helps provide users with more informative and comprehensive search results. By optimizing your website for the People Also Ask feature, you can attract more users to your website and help them find more information.
People Also Ask
4. Image packs
Image packs are a prominent SERP feature on Google’s search results pages, presenting a collection of images pertinent to a user’s query. Typically, image packs appear for image-centric searches like “array images” or “tiger images.” Google selects these images based on their relevance to the user’s query and their appeal to search engine algorithms.
To enhance visibility in image packs, website owners can upload high-quality, relevant images to their site and optimize image titles and meta descriptions for improved search engine recognition. This strategy increases the likelihood of their images being featured in image packs, driving more traffic to their website.
Tips to optimize your website for image packs:
- Upload high-quality images: Your images should be clear, well-focused, and well-lit. They should also be relevant.
- Write clear and concise titles and meta descriptions for your images: Titles and meta descriptions help search engines understand what your images are about.
- Label your images with alt text: Alt text provides a description for users who can’t see the images.
- Optimize your images correctly: Make sure the names and addresses of your images are friendly to search engines.
Benefits of Image packs:
- Visual Engagement: Image packs enhance user experience by providing visual content that aids understanding and captivates interest.
- Improved SEO: Inclusion in image packs boosts website visibility and organic traffic.
- Enhanced Brand Exposure: Featuring in image packs elevates brand recognition and user trust, fostering website credibility.
Image packs are a powerful SERP feature that can help users find images alongside search results. By optimizing your website for image packs, you can attract users more to your website and help them find more information.
Image Packs
5. Video Pack
Image packs constitute a prominent SERP feature on Google, curating a collection of images directly related to a user’s search query. They typically surface for image-focused searches such as “array images” or “tiger images.” Google selects these visuals based on their alignment with the user’s query and their appeal to search engine algorithms.
To boost visibility within image packs, website owners can upload top-notch, contextually relevant images while optimizing titles and meta descriptions for better search engine recognition. This proactive approach heightens the chances of their images being showcased in image packs, thereby driving increased traffic to their website.
Tips to optimize your website for video packs:
- Upload high-quality videos: Your videos should be clear, well-focused, and well-lit. They should also be relevant.
- Write clear and concise titles and descriptions for your videos: Titles and descriptions help search engines understand what your video is about.
- Optimize your videos correctly: Make sure your video names and addresses are friendly to search engines.
Benefits of video packs:
- They can help users find videos with search results.
- They can attract users more to your website.
- They can generate more traffic and leads for your website.
Video packs are a powerful SERP feature that can help users find videos along with search results. By optimizing your website for video packs, you can attract users more to your website and help them find more information.
Video Packs
6. Local pack
The Local Pack SERP feature is a feature appearing on Google’s search engine results page (SERP) that provides a list of local businesses related to the user’s query. Local packs contain information about businesses including names, addresses, contact information, and ratings and reviews.
Local packs appear for searches that are relevant to local businesses, such as “restaurant” or “taxi”. To appear in the Local Pack, businesses must be listed as a Google Local Business.
To optimize for local packs, businesses should follow the following steps:
- List as a Google Local Business: This will allow Google to access information about the business and include it in the Local Pack.
- Keep your business information up to date: Make sure your business information, such as name, address, contact information, and hours, is accurate and up-to-date.
- Get high-quality business descriptions and reviews: A strong business description and positive reviews can help you rank higher in the local pack.
Benefits of the local pack:
- They can help businesses reach local customers.
- They can help businesses generate more traffic and leads to their website.
- They can help businesses differentiate themselves from their competitors.
Local Pack is a powerful feature that can help businesses reach local customers. By optimizing for the local pack, businesses can generate more traffic and lead to their website.
Some examples of local packs:
- Restaurants: If you search for “best restaurants,” Google will show you a list of local restaurants, including their names, addresses, contact information, ratings, and reviews.
- Taxi: If you search for “taxi service,” Google will show you a list of local taxi companies, including their names, addresses, contact information, ratings, and reviews.
- Hotels: If you search for “hotels,” Google will show you a list of local hotels, including their names, addresses, contact information, ratings, and reviews.
Local Packs
7. Job Listing
The Job Listing SERP feature on Google’s search engine results page displays a compilation of job listings tailored to a user’s search query. These listings typically contain key details like job titles, company names, locations, salaries, and job descriptions. Job listings become visible for job-related searches like “software engineer jobs” or “customer service jobs” when jobs are posted using job posting schema markup. This feature streamlines job searches, offering users a consolidated view of job opportunities from various sources. It also benefits employers by expanding their reach to potential candidates, making the job market more accessible and efficient for both job seekers and recruiters.
Tips to Optimize website for job listings:
- Schema Markup: Implement structured data using the “JobPosting” schema to provide search engines with clear job listing information, improving their chances of being featured in job-related search results.
- Keyword Optimization: Conduct keyword research to identify relevant terms and phrases job seekers use in their searches. Incorporate these keywords naturally into job titles, descriptions, and metadata.
- User-Centric Content: Write detailed and informative job descriptions that accurately convey job responsibilities, qualifications, location, and compensation. Focus on delivering content that matches job seeker expectations.
- Mobile Optimization: Ensure your job listings and website are mobile-friendly, as an increasing number of users search for jobs on mobile devices. Responsive design and fast loading times are essential for mobile optimization.
Benefits of job listing SERP feature:
- This can help users find jobs more easily and faster.
- It allows users to view jobs from different job boards and websites in one place.
- This can help employers reach more candidates for their jobs.
To use the job listing SERP feature, users can simply search Google for a job title or keyword of their choice. If there are any job listings available, they will appear at the top of the SERP. Users can click on the job listing to view more information and apply.
Job Listing
8. Top Stories
Top Stories SERP feature is a feature appearing on Google’s search engine results page (SERP) that provides a list of the most important news articles related to the user’s query. Top Stories typically appears for searches that are relevant to current news, such as “tech news” or “uttarakhand news.”
Top Stories are chosen by Google based on news articles that relate to the user’s question and are timely and relevant. Google also gives priority to news articles that come from reliable news sources.
To optimize for Top Stories, news publishers can take the following steps:
- Write high-quality news articles: Your news articles should be clear, accurate, and useful. They should also be relevant.
- Write clear and concise titles and meta descriptions for your news articles: Titles and meta descriptions help search engines understand what your news article is about.
- Optimize your news articles correctly: Make sure the names and addresses of your news articles are friendly to search engines.
Benefits of Top Stories:
- They can help news publishers reach their news articles to more people.
- They can help news publishers generate more traffic and leads to their websites.
- They can help users find the most important news articles quickly and easily.
Top Stories is a powerful SERP feature that can help news publishers reach their news articles to more people. By optimizing for Top Stories, news publishers can generate more traffic and leads to their website.
To use the Top Stories SERP feature, users can simply search Google for a news topic of their choice. If there are any Top Stories available, they will appear at the top of the SERP. Users can click on Top Stories to view more information and read the article.
Top
How can I find out what attributes my site has for SERPs?
Google Search Console: If you have access to Google Search Console, it provides valuable insights into the SERP features your site appears in. The “Performance” report in Google Search Console can show you data on clicks and impressions for different types of SERP features.
SEO Tools: Various SEO tools, such as SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz, offer SERP feature tracking and analysis. These tools can provide detailed information about which SERP features your site appears in, how often, and how you compare to competitors. SEO tools are available in market are of three types
- Paid SEO Tools: These tools helps you in keyword research, Finding the low competition keywords, backlight profile of competitor, SERP status of keywords, etc. Examples of paid SEO tools are Ahref, semrush, Moz, ubbersuggest.
- Semi Free: These tools are provided by paid SEO tools company but with limited features, you can use paid features for limited time and after that you have to paid to used then, You can think it like a free trail for some time. Examples are Ahref keywords generator which provides keyword difficulty of top 5-7 generated keywords.
- Free SEO Tools: These tools are provided by Google which are Google analytics and Google search console. GSC provide in depth analysis of your website, on which keywords which of your article rank, and it also provides other SEO services like Google discover, and Google news articles analysis.
Perform Searches: Begin by conducting searches related to your website’s content or target keywords. Note the SERP features that appear alongside the organic results. Steps to perform search test for SEO:
- Search your keyword on Google
- Check top 5 ranked website
- Check their domain authority
- Check their backlink profile
- Create article back on Google helpful content policy.