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SERP Features.
SERP features are all the elements in Google's search results that go beyond the classic ten blue links: AI Overviews, ads, the Local Pack with its map, featured snippets, People Also Ask, images, videos, the knowledge panel and more.
SERP Features — Explained in Detail
A Google results page (SERP) rarely consists of organic results alone these days. Depending on the query, ads appear before or between them, along with an AI summary (AI Overviews), a map section with three businesses (Local Pack), a highlighted answer box (featured snippet), an expandable list of People Also Ask questions, images, videos, a knowledge panel or shopping results.
These elements change how many clicks the organic results receive at all. For some queries the results page answers the question itself and nobody clicks (zero-click search). For local queries, a large share of attention goes to the Local Pack. Anyone who only watches their organic ranking position misses this shift.
An example: for 'emergency plumber Zurich', ads appear at the top, followed by the Local Pack with three businesses and their phone numbers. On a smartphone, the first organic result only appears after several scrolls. For this business, a well-maintained Google Business Profile matters more than position one in the organic section.
Which SERP features an SME can reach
Realistically within reach for most SMEs: the Local Pack, through a well-kept business profile and local signals (see Google Maps SEO); featured snippets and People Also Ask, through clearly structured answers; rich snippets, through structured data; and images, through good image SEO. A knowledge panel tends to appear for well-known brands and can only be influenced to a limited extent.
There is no dedicated markup for AI Overviews; Google chooses sources from regularly indexed pages. Clearly worded, quotable answers increase the chance of being cited there. That is part of our work in GEO.
Taking SERP features into account when choosing keywords
Before we build or optimise a page for a search term, we check the live results page. If it shows almost nothing but the Local Pack and ads, an organic ranking is worth less than the search volume suggests. If it shows an AI summary, what counts is whether your page appears in it as a source.
This check is part of every SEO analysis and of the monthly review in ongoing SEO.
Related Page
Google Maps SEOFrequently Asked Questions About SERP Features
All the elements on Google's results page that go beyond the classic organic links, such as AI Overviews, ads, the Local Pack, featured snippets, People Also Ask, image and video blocks, knowledge panels or shopping results.
They can reduce clicks on organic results, because they capture attention or answer the question directly. At the same time they offer additional places where your own website can appear, for example in the Local Pack or as a source in an AI summary.
It depends on the feature: into the Local Pack through a complete Google Business Profile and local relevance, into featured snippets and People Also Ask through short, direct answers to clearly worded questions, and into rich snippets through correct structured data. There is no guarantee; Google decides query by query.
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