Search engine results pages (SERPs) are the results users get when they query Google. A SERP presents a user’s query in the most accessible form using Google’s algorithm to infer the intent behind the user’s search. Understanding SERP features and their functions can help your business improve SEO performance and enhance audience interaction. This article looks at the roles of SERP features.
Types of SERP Features
Image via Flickr by haywoodbeasley
In the past, Google SERPs only had four common features: rich snippets, paid results, universal results, and the knowledge graph. Now you can see several other SERP features on Google, depending on your search query. These are some of the most common nontraditional SERP features Google now returns when users perform a search:
- Featured snippets.
- Image pack.
- Knowledge panel.
- Local pack.
- Frequently asked questions.
- Related questions.
- Sites links.
- Video.
- Twitter.
- Shopping results.
- Reviews.
What Are the Roles of SERP Features?
The following are functions of SERP features:
Provide Quick and Easy Answers To Queries
The primary aim of most SERP features is to provide users with quick and easy-to-understand answers to their searches. For example, when you are looking for a definition, Google pulls out a featured snippet that provides the best answer to your question. You don’t have to go to the website if that’s the only information you need.
If you need an address or a phone number to contact a business, the local pack feature delivers everything you need to reach out to the entity, complete with addresses, emails, the company website, and even a map. When you need a step-by-step guide to make firewood with a chainsaw, for example, Google returns a list of videos its algorithms infer meet your needs. That way, you find the resource you need quickly without having to visit several sites or search multiple video platforms.
Provide Better Interpretation of Queries
Another important SERP feature role is to provide a better interpretation of users’ queries. Most times, users cannot find the right search phrase to get the piece of information they need. Google’s algorithms understand the user’s dilemma and use SERP features to broaden the search and make it easier to use the platform effectively.
For example, the people also search and related search features can help users find relevant information they didn’t even think they needed when they started querying Google. With these features, Google can redirect users’ queries and help them quickly find answers to their questions without having to think of new search phrases or open another SERP.
Verify Information and Reduce Predictability
SERP features can also help users verify information quickly. For example, when you search for the price of a pair of shoes, the image packs can show you the right products. The many SERP features users see now make the search experience much more unpredictable compared to when people saw only four elements.
Are you looking for ways to better engage your audience? Google SERP features provide multiple contact points to increase engagement with your market across different media. Learn the roles of each SERP feature to use them for optimal user interaction and SEO performance.
