SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page, the page you see after searching for a phrase on Google. Today it is not just ten plain blue links.

What appears on it?#

  • Organic results: pages that have ranked thanks to SEO.
  • Ads: labeled "Ad" or something similar.
  • Featured snippet: a short answer at the top of the results.
  • The "People also ask" section.
  • Maps and local results.
  • Images, video, and news.
  • AI-generated answers in some searches.

Example#

When someone searches "best café in Paris", they will probably first see a map with a few cafés, then a few articles. But for "fix 404 error" they see mostly tutorials and videos. So the type of search shapes the SERP.

Why does it matter for SEO?#

Ranking "first" doesn't always mean the top of the page. Several sections may sit above the organic result. That's why, before writing content, looking at the SERP for the target phrase shows what kind of answer Google considers appropriate.

A note#

Each user may see slightly different results: location, search history, and device all play a part. That's why there is no single "fixed" ranking for everyone.

A common mistake#

Looking only at ranking and forgetting what the user actually clicks on. Click-through rate depends on the title, the description, and the SERP features.