A search engine results page (SERP) is the page displayed by a search engine in response to a query. It lists the web pages and other content that the search engine considers relevant and authoritative to the given query.
The content of a SERP can vary depending on the search engine and the type of query, but usually includes a list of web pages as well as other types of content such as images, videos and news articles. The order in which the content is displayed on the SERP is determined by the search engine's algorithm, which is designed to rank the most relevant and authoritative content higher in the results.
Users can interact with the content on a SERP by clicking on the links or other elements to view or learn more about the content. SERPs are an important part of the search experience as they provide users with a list of relevant and useful content for their search query.
Components of SERP
The components of a SERP can vary depending on the search query and the search engine used, but there are common elements:
- Organic search results: These are the web pages that have been classified by the search engine as most relevant to the user's search query. They are usually displayed in a list with the most relevant results at the top.
- Paid search results: These are the results that appear at the top or bottom of the SERP and are marked as sponsored or as an ad. Paid search results are bought by advertisers in an auction to promote their products or services to users searching for related terms.
- Featured Snippets: These are answers to a search query that are displayed at the top of the SERP and are intended to give users a quick and easy answer to their question.
- Picture/video results: For some search queries, images or videos are displayed in the SERP, which can be helpful if the user is looking for a specific image.
- Knowledge Graph: Some SERPs include a knowledge graph, which is a summary of information on a topic and often includes links to related topics and external websites such as Wikipedia or other sources.
- Local package: Some SERP include a map with a list of local businesses that match the user's search query, their address, phone number and rating.
These are general components of the SERP, but they can vary depending on the search engine and the search query.
