There are millions of pages on the Internet but the ones that are on the top of the search engine pages are most important. Google is always on the verge of trying out new things and coming up with different search algorithms.
Google is undoubtedly the most popular search engine in the world and processes over 3.5 billion searches per day.
However, the constant changes and tinkering of the search results can be frustrating for SEO professionals.
Furthermore, the Google algorithm is always changing and the search results are also not stable.
In search, you can rank number one in the organic results, but not be seen at all unless people scroll down multiple times from the top of your SERP because of how many other features there are to look at on a page.
Read further about the SERPs and why are they so important for search engine rankings?
What is SERP?
Search Engine Results Page or SERP is the page of search engine results. It's a page where you see what is the search result when you enter a keyword in your browser, so it is important to rank high on SERPs.
In other words, Search engine results pages are the page you see after entering a query into google, yahoo, or any other search engine.
Each search engine SERP design is different but since Google is the most popular – holding over 80% of the market share – we’ll focus on their features and algorithms.
Besides the organic results, the SERPs also include paid ads or PPC results, featured snippets, images and videos, and other features.
For this reason, ranking in search engines like Google has become extremely difficult unless you analyze what SERP would be better to rank.
For example, the main keyword iPhone 13 Review gives the following SERP pages.
Why are SERPs important for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
The purpose of SERP is to determine the best results to display to the user in search queries. In other words, SERP is what you see when you search for a keyword and this is why SERP optimization is so important.
The objective of the SERP is to provide a good user experience for users who are searching for products or services, so it’s important that you optimize your content for this purpose.
For this reason, SERPs are very important because they determine how your site will be displayed to the user and also determine how your site will be found.
SERP is designed to help users find the information they need quickly and easily. Hence, it’s important that you optimize your content for the purpose that appears in the SERP feature.
If you rank well in SERPs, people will see your website's page more often because they are on the top of their search results. This is why ranking high in SERPs has become so important for SEO.
SEO professionals have been working hard to create content that ranks high in SERPs and use other strategies to improve their SEO results.
What are the different types of search queries?
Search queries are the words or phrases entered into a search engine to retrieve the search results. When it comes to Google, there are various search queries it determines to filter the search results.
Navigational queries
Navigational search queries are searches that are made by someone who wants to navigate to a particular website.
For example, when you go to google.com in your browser, the search engine knows you want to go to google.com, producing search results specific to that purpose.
In such a search query, the user might not remember the exact URL, but they use another navigational objective to reach.
Informational queries
Informational search queries are made by someone who wants to find information on a particular topic. When you search these types of queries, you'll get information from a website with a lot of information on the topic, or you'll get results from a search engine specializing in informational searches.
Here are some ways to generate informational search queries related to content:
- How-to videos and how-to guides.
- Product reviews.
- Whitepaper or e-Books.
- Infographic or shareable template.
Transactional queries
A transactional search query is a search query that is meant to help users make a purchase online. In a transactional search query, the user will usually intend to find a product or service they want to buy.
Transactional queries have the most money potential, so keywords tend to get a lot of bids for pay-per-click ads. That means that there are other organic search results alongside the transactional results and keyword searches for things like clothing and makeup brands on Google.
To increase conversion, you need to optimize your transactional search queries with a business-oriented tone. You can do this by optimizing the landing page and the content copy on it for conversion. Use transactional words like "buy" or other terms that make the searcher's intent clear.
What are the features of a SERP?
The SERP is a page that shows up in the search results on Google. Search engines often return results that are neither actual metadata nor the content itself but instead may include information cards or Tweets about various topics related to the query result set and images from the web.
The SERP is a critical part of any website, as it determines the number of people who see your content. It's essential to optimize for organic and paid search results to determine how many visitors arrive at your site from Google organic searches.
Google Ads
Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords, is a pay-per-click advertising platform that allows businesses to promote their websites or services to customers.
The primary goal of Google Ads is to increase website traffic, and this has led many marketers to optimize the ads they are placing on AdWords for conversions. However, Google AdWords can also be used as an effective way of targeting potential customers with offers based on geography, interests, time of day, or other criteria.
Google Ads SERP feature allows you to reach the top of the SERP. It is a feature that allows you to target high-quality, high-paying keywords. This feature allows you to reach the top of the SERP and increase your website's visibility.
Featured snippet
A featured snippet is a snippet of text which appears to the right of a search result page that provides additional information about the search result without having to click through the result.
It appears as a box on the page that includes relevant search terms from your website. It draws people's eyes because it shows them what they are looking for, which is usually a piece of content related to their search query.
Google first introduced the concept of this tool in 2017. It is implemented on Google Search on desktop and mobile devices and other platforms such as YouTube, Bing, and Yahoo!
What is the difference between the rich snippet and the featured snippet?
Rich snippets and featured snippets are two different snippets that appear when you search for a particular term in Google. They differ in the quality and prominence of the snippets they display.
A rich snippet is a class of tools used by Google to provide a snippet with a more prosperous summary of a web page with a picture, title, and description. A featured snippet is a snippet that appears in the top position in search results when someone searches for a given keyword.
Image pack SERP feature
The image pack SERP feature allows you to upload a set of images and place them on the top positions in search results.
It helps you boost your website's visibility through increasing traffic from search engines by displaying pictures that represent your products or services with maximum quality.
Google uses a different algorithm for Google images than for organic listings for text, but adhering to these best practices can help search engines find and rank your image content.
To get better visibility for the image search, make sure to use:
- Use appropriate alt text for images that appear in search results.
- Keep the image size at 1MB or less.
- Accurate and descriptive names.
- Rectangular photos of moderate size and dimensions (think 16x9, 4x3, and squares)
In-depth articles
In-depth articles SERP feature allows you to create an article that can appear in the top positions of search results.
This is an innovative method that helps users find relevant information faster and easier.
It works by showing long-form content for your primary head term. Google uses a different algorithm for this type of snippet than for text, but adhering to these best practices can help search engines find and rank your article content.
Here are some tips to get more visibility for in-depth articles:
- Use an article format that makes it easy for users to read.
- Use link building process in the text of your article to pages or products related to your topic.
- Use subheadings, bolding, and bullet points for easy readability.
Use Schema
Schema allows websites to get featured in the Google SERPs; schema is a way of adding unique metadata to your website so web browsers can look it up. Schema assists the search engine bots source pages on your site for information needed for ranking and indexing your page through their algorithm.
Knowledge card
A knowledge card allows you to create a detailed description of an object, place, or thing on your site. This is also known as "knowledge graph".
It gives users the ability to get information about things easily and fast without searching for it on Google itself. Knowledge cards are displayed in SERP when someone searches for them by entering their query into Google Search Engine.
Knowledge panel
A knowledge panel is a feature that allows you to organize the information on your site.
This feature has been made available for both Google and Bing search engines, although it may vary depending on the platform.
Google Knowledge Panel allows users to see what people are searching for when they visit your website by including knowledge panels on every page. It displays relevant questions and answers from visitors who come back frequently or use specific site features.
Local pack
The Local Pack is a section of Google's search results that shows the local business related to your query. It can be used to find local businesses in an area, which are close to your location. This helps the user to get connected with their nearby places easily.
The local pack shows the features like maps, ratings, reviews, and even phone numbers of local businesses.
News box
News box is a new feature that was added to Google search results. The news box shows the news stories that are related to your query. The users can select or open any article of their choice by clicking on it.
The articles that appear in news boxes are based on current events, the latest updates, and popular topics worldwide. It helps people find relevant information without having to visit various websites first.
Related questions
Related questions are the ones that other users in their queries have asked. The related question will be listed at the bottom of each query, making it easier for people to find out what others have searched for or answered.
This helps you get more traffic and improve your site's ranking on Google Search Engine.
Google often displays these on the SERP under the heading "People also ask".
Reviews
Review or ratings is a new feature that was added to Google search results. It shows the ratings and reviews that other users have given for any business or product.
Search engines tend to show reviews and star ratings for products following searches; these can help determine which items are the most popular products.
These reviews help the users decide whether they want to purchase a product, service, or even business in that particular location.
Shopping results
Shopping results show up in the SERPs for many transactional queries, and they're usually placed at the top of the page or to the right side of it.
Shopping results are often the best place to get answers to your questions about products or services.
For example, if you search for "How much does a cell phone cost?" Google will show its shopping results instead of displaying an answer in text form. It also displays the most relevant answers directly on the page, without any extra clicks needed.
Sitelinks
Sitelinks are one of the new features in Google search results that were added to improve user experience. It shows sitelinks for a given keyword instead of just showing it on the page directly.
The person who searches on this particular keyword will be directed to the page to get more information about what is being searched for.
In addition, they help make pages more relevant and easier to find by providing users with the information they need right when they need it.
Social Media Sharing & Twitter Cards
The addition of social media sharing buttons in Google search results has made it easier for users to share content with their friends and family. This is especially helpful for businesses who want to use social media marketing strategies effectively by adding shares directly into their websites or blog posts instead of manually typing them out.
The other advantage of adding social media sharing buttons is that it also provides users with more relevant content to read by showing them stories related to the query they just typed in.
With Twitter Cards, businesses can include their social media profiles directly into search results. This way, when a user searches for something like "best pizza places in New York", they will see tweets about the restaurants near them and make an informed decision.
Video results
Google has made it easy for users to find videos related to their search queries by displaying them next to the search results.
They have also added a "YouTube Cards" feature, which shows video descriptions and thumbnail images of the videos directly below the title, making it easier for users to view these videos.
Conclusion
Google's SERPs are a lot more complicated than you might think. It can be challenging to keep up with all the changes, but if you're serious about growing your online presence, it's essential to stay on top of everything going on in the search engine world.
With all the new features, it's essential to understand how they can help you improve your website. It's not just a matter of being aware of these updates but implementing them on your site. Try for free.
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