4 Different SERP Features Seen on Google

A SERP is a search engine result page. It is what you see when you type a word or phrase into a search engine interface and hit enter. SERPs often return organic results, paid results, and several other features businesses can leverage for higher content visibility and better SEO performance. Regardless of the SERP variation you want to use, this article outlines the four common SERP features seen on Google.

Featured Snippets

Image via Flickr by jacksonvilleseo11

Features snippets provide an instant answer to a user's query. They often appear near the top of the organic results and link to a site. When a user searches for terms related to events, sports, colors, personalities, and events, Google returns a featured snippet for the query to provide a specific answer to the user's question. As you might have guessed, Google featured snippets can be force multipliers for SEO. If your content has several featured snippets, users are more likely to click through to your site, which increases engagement and rankings. 

While Google featured snippets appear at the top of the SERPs, don't confuse them for PPC results. Businesses pay for PPC or pay-per-click results so they can rank for specific keywords. Meanwhile, you can win as many featured snippets as you can if you know how to optimize your content specifically for users' search intents. 

Local Pack

A local pack is a SERP feature Google returns when a user's query includes a local intent. For example, Google will return a local pack when people search for "coffee shop in New York." Local packs are important for SEO if your business operates in multiple locations. A local pack will show three locations most relevant to the search, including the addresses, reviews/ratings, and company name. To get the best out of local packs for SEO purposes, update your Google My Business listing and ensure every detail about your business is correct. 

Knowledge Panel

The knowledge panel is a SERP feature that delivers a comprehensive block of data when users search for information about public personalities, businesses, and other entities. Google aggregates this data from its knowledge graph, a database that gathers factual information from a wide range of partners such as Wikipedia and branded webpages. To leverage this feature, ensure your branded webpages provide factual and up-to-date information about your business. 

Images

Google SERPs also return images that apply to a user's search intent. The image pack is an element of organic results, and clicking it takes you to a separate search tab for images. It is especially useful if you deal with data, as you can optimize your charts and graphs to show up in the image section of the SERPs. To improve your Google rankings with this feature, include keywords in the title and file names of images, compress image sizes, and add descriptive ALT texts to your visuals. 

Knowing how to use the different SERP features on Google can help you rank faster, grow your business, and optimize your SEO efforts. Use this article to gain a better understanding of how these features work and how to use them.