What are SERPS
What are SERPs Search Engine Results
SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) are those pages that the Google search engine, just like other search engines, shows in response to a searcher’s query. They include organic and paid search results.
Why SERPs are so Important for SEO
Most search engine users click on the organic results they get on the first page of the SERPs. They rarely go to page two. For this reason, website owners are looking to rank high to be on the first page of SERPs. After using Google Search Console and seeing your SEO metrics aren’t doing well, or you search for your site and discover it’s below page one, it means your visibility is near to nothing.
Nevertheless, ranking on the first pages of search engines doesn’t necessarily imply that you’ll get all the traffic you need. This could be so for several reasons, such as:
Most of the clicks go to the first few positions (first three links).
Also, sponsored results mostly push the organic results down in the search results pages.
At times, Google provides SERP features that answer the query your page intends to answer in the SERP. When Google provides an answer for a question on a search result page, why would anyone want to click on your site?
How to get in the SERPs
Search result pages may appear different for each search, but they are all built for similar three building blocks which include:
- Organic results
- Paid ads
- SERP features
We’ll discuss each of these building blocks in detail and explain how you can get your pages there.
Organic results
Organic search results are simply unpaid pages from Google’s index.
As a result of the thousands of matching results, Google sorts pages using several ranking factors. Therefore, high-quality and the most relevant pages typically get the top position on the first page.
Google displays organic search results by showing the title, URL, and a descriptive snippet.
You can quickly tell Google what to show in the SERP by setting the particular page’s title tag, meta description, and URL slug.
While Google mostly shows that hardcoded title tag in the SERP, it also selects something different from the snippet meta description.
For web pages with structured data, Google shows rich snippets alongside that typical organic result too. If you want your page to appear in the organic search results, you have to focus on creating that most relevant result for the query you intend to answer. You also need to ensure that Google can index your pages and be fully optimized for search.
Paid ads
On search results pages, paid results sometimes come before organic results. The only difference between the two types of results is that those paid ads carry a tag that reads “Ad.”
Paid ads function with a Pay Per Click (PPC) method. This means that advertisers pay Google for each click made on their site’s link. The highest bidders mostly get prime placement. However, Google also considers other factors, such as the ad’s relevance to a query and CTR.
SERP features
SERP features are different from the paid ads and organic results and can take any form to answer a query. However, they can be organic, paid, or pulled from Google’s Knowledge Graph.
While the main aim of SERP features is sometimes to generate revenue for Google directly. The purpose is to provide information in the search results pages without having to click any link.
For this particular reason, SERP features have a significant effect on SEO.
Therefore when you hire SEO companies in Bangkok, they can help you get your content linked to one of the SERP features.
Being featured in SERP features can increase clicks on your website and that’s what your company need!
The possibility of your pages showing up on SERP features depends on the type of feature.
What SERP Features are there
Google search engine show dozens of SERP features in the search results, and they are usually testing new ones. We’ll look at some of the most common SERP features, their sources, and whether it is possible to appear in them to generate more traffic to your website. They include:
- Featured Snippets
- Knowledge Card
- Knowledge Panel
- Sitelinks
Featured Snippets
Featured snippets show a clip of content from some of the top-ranking web pages. They’re typically displayed at the top of the search result page, but other results mostly appear above them.
Snippet formats include:
- Paragraph
- Table
You should note that not all featured snippets are text. At times, Google shows videos, mostly referred to as suggested.
Can your content appear in Featured Snippets?
Short answer: yes, most times. Google usually pull the snippet from one of the top five sites.
Knowledge Card
Knowledge Cards usually appear at the top of the search results. They offer a brief, definitive answer to the query. They typically come in a variety of formats.
There are three primary sources of data used in Knowledge Cards. They include data partners, Google’s Knowledge Graph, and other highly-trusted sources like official government bodies and Wikipedia.
Can your content appear in Knowledge Cards?
Appearing in a Knowledge Card isn’t possible for all sites since the data is derived from Google’s trusted third-party sources.
Knowledge Panel
This SERP feature provides information concerning the central issue of the query. They can be seen at the top of the SERP on mobile devices, and for desktops, they can be seen at the right-hand side.
Contents here are only from Google-trusted sources, just like the Knowledge Cards.
Can your content appear in Knowledge Panel?
Google usually shows branded Knowledge Panels for business in the Knowledge Graph feature, so yes, your content can appear in the Knowledge Panel.
Sitelinks
These are links to other pages. They are more of an augmentation to regular organic results that a typical SERP feature because they appear as ‘extra’ links below a search result.
Can your content appear in Sitelinks?
Yes. When people search for websites or queries related to your website, you’ll likely appear as Google regularly show sitelinks for branded queries.
Conclusion
To get your pages to rank higher on Search Engine Results Pages, you have to be conscious of your SEO metrics. And you can keep a close track of your site’s performance by utilizing the Google Search Console or hiring us 🙂