The SERP, an acronym for Search Engine Results Page, refers to the list of web pages returned by a search engine in response to a keyword query. The results usually include a list of web pages with titles, a link to the pages, and a short description showing where the keywords have matched content within the page. A SERP may refer to a single page of links returned, or to the set of all links returned for a search query.
The primary component of a SERP is the listing of results that are returned by the search engine in response to a keyword query, although the page may also contain other results such as advertisements. Google and other search engines categorize search results into different types, depending on their relevance to the search term. Organic results, which may include news stories, images, videos, local business listings, or scholarly papers, are those that appear because of their relevance to the search terms, as determined by the search engine algorithm.
The SERP also contains ads, known as paid results, which advertisers bid for in auctions run by Search Engine Marketing platforms like Google AdWords or Bing Ads. These results are typically located at the top and bottom of the SERP. In addition to organic and paid results, search engines provide additional information, known as SERP Features. These features include rich results like knowledge panels, featured snippets, or answer boxes, and are typically derived from organic results but are presented in a more visually-distinct way.
The design and layout of the SERP have changed considerably over the years, as search engines have experimented with different ways to present results to users. Today, it’s common for a single SERP to include a mix of organic, paid, and SERP Feature results. The composition and placement of these different types of results can vary significantly depending on the nature of the user’s query and the search engine used.
Google dominates SERP globally, so most search engine optimization (SEO) efforts prioritize its continuously changing algorithms and features. Other search engines like Bing and Yahoo present a competitive SERP, with unique features and formatting.
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