You know when you Google something and the results include a wealth of options besides the standard organic listings? They’re known as Search Engine Results Page (SERP) features.
From featured snippets to people also ask, local map pack to image packs, Google has come a long way since the days of text-only search results, introducing a long list of features to improve the user experience.
In fact, as of 2024, SERPs can include one or more of 20 organic features and four paid search features, depending on the query.
This blog post lists the current Google SERP features and where they appear.
Why are SERP features important?
SERP features provide users with a better search experience by sharing a richer variety of results.
For example, users searching for services ‘near me’ will typically be given directory results and local map listings, ahead of traditional organic results, to provide relevant information quicker.
Google has also worked hard to introduce features to keep users on its SERPs by providing answers to search queries within its results – featured snippets and AI overview are great examples of this.
Zero click searches
The strategy has been so successful that almost 60% of Google searches now result in zero clicks.
A zero click search is when a user finds the information they need on the results page, or starts a new search, without clicking away from Google.
In Europe, 37.4% of searches end with no further action and 22.3% result in another search.
That doesn’t reduce the value of getting your website in the top positions in Google though, quite the opposite.
The power of SERP features
To ensure customers can find your brand, you need to make it as visible as possible in the SERPs by optimising for different features – even if the user doesn’t click through to your website.
Getting your website into featured snippet and people also ask positions is highly valuable for brand awareness and for gaining backlinks.
As an SEO agency, we’ve helped our clients achieve these positions, so we know how valuable they are.
An analysis of two million search results by Ahrefs found that when a featured snippet is present, it gains 8.6% of clicks, making it worth optimising for.
Understanding current Google SERP features
To ensure your customers can find the information and products they need more quickly, you need to know the SERP features available to you.
Most features are available to optimise for organic traffic – this means they require no payment or ad spend to acquire.
However, a handful of paid SERP features have also been introduced to provide additional options for retailers (and a healthy source of income for Google).
Optimising for SERP features
Optimising for these features can get your website in front of potential customers in new ways.
Optimisation typically requires a combination of keywords, helpful content and schema, which all help to signal to Google that your website is the most relevant to the user’s search.
Let’s take a look at the latest features, where they sit in the SERPs and what they are for.
Organic SERP features:
- Featured snippet – answers common questions concisely and appears ahead of all other results
- People also ask – questions and answers that are closely related to the original search and appears as an accordion under a featured snippet or between organic results. Four questions are initially displayed, but the number increases as the user clicks to view the drop down
- Find results on – local directory listings that are shown above the local map pack and organic listings
- Local map pack – designed for local searches and appears at the top of the results
- Video carousel – snippets from YouTube videos displayed as video thumbnails, results can appear at the top or in the middle of the page
- Sitelinks – links to other relevant pages on a website, such as specific product categories
- Rich snippets – organic results that provide additional detail, such as Google reviews or links to other pages on a website
- Knowledge panel – designed for informational searches about people, places or businesses and appears to the right of the SERPs
- X / Twitter cards – adds real-time updates to the search results for trending topics and news stories, and appears as a carousel within the organic listings
- Related searches – appear at the bottom of a SERP and suggest similar topics to the original search query
- Image packs – displays a carousel of images that match the search query and appears high in the results
- Perspectives – popular social media and forum posts on trending topics, including content from Instagram, YouTube and Reddit. Also appears as a carousel
- Top stories – displays the top news stories related to the search query and can appear at the top of the SERPs or beneath the featured snippet and people also ask features
- FAQs – common questions related to the initial search query are shown as an accordion, these are shown beneath the organic listing they relate to
- AI overviews – one of Google’s most recent additions, uses AI to collate information from various sources, appears at the very top of the SERPs
- Reviews – star reviews from Google Business Profile, Yelp and Yellow Pages may be shown under an organic SERP listing
- App install – apps that are relevant to your search query are displayed within the list of organic results with the install icon and link to the app store
- Flights – a table of results from Google Flights displays in the SERP above the organic listings
- Hotels pack – displays the top results – three or four depending on whether you are searching on desktop or mobile – on a map with image, reviews rating, bio and key features
- Jobs – a table of results displays in the SERP above the organic listings, results are based on location and are pulled through from recruitment websites and LinkedIn
Paid SERP features:
- Text ads – simple text-only ads that appear at the top and bottom of the SERPs
- Shopping ads – image ads that appear at the very top of the SERPs, ahead of organic results, also includes the shop name and price
- Multistore shopping ads – image ads that appear at the very top of the SERPs with the shop name and price to enable product comparison
- Local search ads – these appear in local map pack results ahead of the organic listings
Looking to optimise your website for SERP features? Contact our team to find out how our SEO services can help your business become more visible online.
