Search engine result pages (SERPs) are precious to digital marketers and website owners. It’s the first thing people see when they search for content online. Thus, it is commonplace to see several websites in fierce competition to rank for organic and paid searches.
Why? It’s highly competitive for websites to be ranked on SERPs. As Google constantly implements changes to ranking websites. Thus, it is increasingly becoming more sophisticated to anticipate and prepare for search engine and user needs.
Knowing how SERPs work and the steps to optimize your website for visibility and traffic is essential. This article explores all you need to know about SERP in digital marketing and its unique features.
Let’s dive right in.
What is SERP in SEO?
SERPs are a search engine’s response to a user query. These are the pages provided to users when searching for online content using any search engines available. When a user includes specific keywords, Google bots search for relevant content from millions of web pages and present these results to users.
SERPs website ranking is particularly unique to every user’s search query. Thus, two people can search for the same thing and get different results. Even when the results appear the same, there may be subtle differences in how each SERP will be displayed. But the interesting thing about it is that each result will be relevant to their needs and provide an excellent user experience.
For the sake of this article, we will be focusing on Google, as it takes over 80% of the market share of searches.
Components of a SERP
SERPs is a unique Google feature that comes in different components. Each of these components is particularly unique to user experience during searches. These components include:
Paid Search Ads
Paid search ads are result pages paid to be showcased by a digital marketer or an advertiser. Initially, these sections take limited ads and are only text-based. However, they can display several results and web forms.
The central results are considered the prime positions for search ads. Most digital marketers and web admins work to bid for the keywords and optimize their web copy to appear there and receive clicks.
There are image-based ads also displayed. Most of these shopping ads are from eCommerce retailers like Amazon. These special ads feature the products, their star reviews, product availability, and links leading to the product page on the retailer’s website.
Getting on these sections on SERPs would require you to have a high-quality website and a better bid than others bidding for the same SERP website ranking space. Why? It’s what people see when they search for a particular keyword before seeing organic results.
Organic Search Results
Organic search results are pages that appear as a result of the user search query. Digital marketers focus on their Google SERP analysis on this particular component. Thus, you’d see them conducting website optimization to rank better in organic searches.
Organic search results feature all the web pages that have been optimized and contain relevant SERP management on the search query. Organic search results feature several elements:
One such element is the Knowledge Box. This feature provides concise answers to user questions in a particular section of the SERP results. For instance, when you type a famous personality’s name, you will find information such as age, date of birth, height, name of their children, and links to websites where their biography is expressed in detail.
You should structure your website to be optimized for organic search results because it is long-lasting and cost-effective in the long run.
Local Search Results
Local search results (sometimes called Local SEO) is a SERPs review section that displays content based on your location. Most of the results are displayed in the form of Maps and search content.
Local search results come into full effect when people conduct ‘near me’ searches on Google. For instance, if you type ‘Fast food restaurants near me’ Google will provide customized results based on the device location.
Immediately Google detects that you’re performing a local search query, it will display Map Packs leading you to businesses close to your device. It will also display other SERP competitions such as Google My Business listings. You will typically find details such as business name, address, URL, contact number, photos, videos, and customer ratings and reviews.
If your website caters to a local audience, you should optimize it for local search results. The reason is that 30% of all searches are related to a location. 83% of people use Google search to learn about local businesses.
Related Searches
As the name suggests, related searches are SERP results that show queries related to your initial search. With this panel at the bottom of SERPs, you can conduct further searches and learn more about your original intent.
Your website should not only focus on SERP competition on organic and paid searches but include related searches. The reason is that users also find out information about those searches.
It also offers you a unique opportunity to know your target audience and what they’re looking for. Thus, you can prepare better SERP management by publishing high-quality content.
What is a SERP Feature?
A SERP feature is a unique search feature unrelated to organic search results. Some of the most common SERP analytics features include:
● Knowledge panel. This panel shows concise information about celebrities, weather, or other details. It is meant to feed the user with answers to their search query.
● Paid results. These results are typically displayed at the top of SERP competition pages and sponsored by brands looking to rank for specific searches.
● Universal results. These are additional results that are displayed alongside organic results. These include videos, news, and featured snippets.
● Rich snippets. This result shows a visual representation of a search query. Review stars and customer reviews are SERP examples of rich snippets.
● People Also Ask. This section of SERP pages reveals the questions people ask about your search.
How to Enable SERP Features for Your Website
While most people think it’s a complicated process, you can optimize your website to reveal SERP features. Follow these simple steps:
● Conduct SERP keyword research.
● Use schema.org to structure your website data. You can also follow the General Structured Data Guidelines to apply structured data on your website.
● Optimize your website for sitelinks.
● Submit your sitemap to Google.
● Use Google Analytics to track your website performance.
● Write high-quality content.
How to Check SERP Ranking
Having your website appear on SERP is essential for generating leads, improving traffic, and boosting sales for your brand. There are several tools you can use for your SERP position analysis.
They include:
● AhrefsWhat’s My Serp
● Serpwatch
● Serprobot
You need to include your URL and the keywords you’re looking to rank for, and you’ll see the results.
Rank in SERP With Abstrax Web
Ranking higher in SERPs require you to implement on-page and off-page optimization. Some of these strategies are quite technical. That’s why hiring an SEO agency is recommended to handle these strategies seamlessly.
Abstrax Web is a leading consultancy that helps small and big brands rank competitively on organic and paid search. Our services include keyword research, website optimization, web design and development, content marketing, and many more.
Reach out to us to see how we can help promote your business.