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SERP (Search engine results page)

What are SERPs?

SERP, an acronym for Search Engine Results Page, refers to the ordered pages of results that a search engine returns when a user performs a search. In other words, it is the list of results in order of relevance, and the order and placement of those results are directly related to SEO and SEM.

If, for example, someone tells you that you have a result on the second SERP for the query “bulk email sending”, they mean that you have managed to rank on the second page of results for those keywords.

1. Elements of a SERP

As Google is the predominant search engine, let’s take as an example the elements or areas that we will generally find in a SERP offered by Google.

That said, SERPs are constantly evolving and keep improving the way they present results.

These elements vary depending on the search term and are added to the conventional text-only results, which show a title, a short description and a small URL.

  • Videos. YouTube results are embedded to display video information for certain searches that have relevant results on YouTube.
  • Images. You get image results at the top of the search, but only when several images have gained enough prominence to appear as a search result.
  • News. It comes as no surprise to find news from media outlets when you search for keywords related to current events.
  • Maps. Of great interest for local searches in Google Places, where Google adds a Google Maps box alongside the regular results and ranks local results (related to the searched keywords).
  • Google Shopping. Google’s image-based product showcase for stores lets them display offers and products related to the searched keyword.
  • Featured Snippet. They are simply pieces of content that serve as a direct answer to the search intent, so the user can find the information without having to visit another website.
  • Instant answers. Usually at the top of the page, these are results that directly answer very specific questions.
  • Knowledge graph or knowledge panel. They are the featured pieces that are generally placed in a column at the top of the SERP to provide basic and very useful content on a very particular topic.
  • Related questions. This is the area that shows searches previously made by other users that match the keywords we have used.

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