What is a SERP Feature? Common Types And How To Win Them

Updated by Chima Mmeje — December 9, 2024

A SERP feature is any result on a Google Search Engine Results Page (Google SERP) that is not a traditional organic result. These features are designed to help users quickly find answers to their queries, solve problems, or achieve their goals directly from the SERP. By satisfying users' keyword intent right from the search results, SERP features enhance the user experience and make information more accessible.

The most common SERP Features are:

1. Rich Snippets which add a visual layer to an existing result (e.g., review stars for product ratings)
2. Paid Results that are bought by bidding on keywords (e.g., AdWords or Google Shopping)
3. Universal Results that appear in addition to organic results (e.g., image results, new results, featured snippets)
4. Knowledge Graph data which appears as panels or boxes (e.g., weather, Celebrity Knowledge Panel)

In the early days of Google, every result on the Google SERP looked the same, and these traditional organic results have not changed much in appearance over the years.

2009

2016

However, beginning with AdWords in 2001, Google has been very busy adding other non-organic results into the SERP. Over the years, Google has introduced various Google SERP features to enhance user experience and provide additional information.

How can I discover which SERP features my site has?

In Moz Pro's Keyword Explorer, you can find out which of your tracked keywords trigger a SERP feature. Britney Muller explains how in this Whiteboard Friday video:

The table below shows 16 SERP Features that commonly appear in Google SERPs. The icon shows how we identify them in Moz Pro. See the Mega-SERP: A Visual Guide to Google blog post for examples of even more SERP Features.

Adwords (Bottom)

Description

Traditional AdWords ads come in many flavors now, but the most common type appears at the top and/or bottom of the left-hand column, above and below organic results. Each ad has a colored [Ad] label next to it.

Ads push organic results down the page and can impact CTR (especially on mobile browsers).

Appearance

Obtainability

“Ads are ranked primarily based on how relevant and useful they are to what the person searched for, your bid, and a few other factors.” - Google Support

Adwords (Top)

Description

Traditional AdWords ads come in many flavors now, but the most common type appears at the top and/or bottom of the left-hand column, above and below organic results. Each ad has a colored [Ad] label next to it.

Ads push organic results down the page and can impact CTR (especially on mobile browsers)

Appearance

Obtainability

“Ads are ranked primarily based on how relevant and useful they are to what the person searched for, your bid, and a few other factors.” - Google Support

Featured Snippet

Description

When Google wants to answer a question that isn't in the core Knowledge Graph, they may attempt to find that answer in the index. This creates a special class of organic result with information extracted from the target page.

Featured Snippets have higher CTRs than regular organic results.

Appearance

Obtainability

In almost all cases, featured snippets extract content from the page that answers the query in the most specific way. While there is usually only a single featured snippet shown, rarely two or more are offered for certain queries.

These generally represent a big opportunity for pages that already rank #1-5 for the given search query. In January 2020, Google made a big change to how featured snippets show up on the SERPs — learn more in our blog post about it here.

Image Pack

Description

Image packs are results displayed as a horizontal row of image links, which click through to a Google Images search. Image packs may appear in any organic position.

Appearance

Obtainability

Image Packs are special results that appear for specific searches where Google deems that visual content would be valuable. They use ranking rules beyond the core organic algorithm.

With image content, it is recommended to follow the following best practices (learn more about optimizing your images here):

• Descriptive file name
• Descriptive alt text
• Human-readable URL
• Optimized image size
• Title attribute included

Optimizing these elements can significantly improve the chances of your images appearing prominently in image search results.

In-Depth Article

Description

For broad or ambiguous terms, Google may return a block of "in-depth" articles, which are almost indistinguishable from organic results. They follow somewhat different ranking rules than core organic results, and are dominated by large publishers. Each block of three articles occupies only one organic position.

Appearance

Obtainability

In-Depth Articles are almost exclusively won by large, authoritative publishers. They also commonly share these attributes:

• Long-form content (2000-5000 words)
• Schema article markup
• Authorship markup
• Unique, high quality writing

Learn more here.

Knowledge Card

Description

Knowledge Cards (part of the Knowledge Graph) cover a lot of ground, from semantic data from human-edited sources (such as WikiData), to semantic data extracted from the Google index, to private data partnerships.

They typically appear at the top of the SERP on a desktop search.

Appearance

Obtainability

All Knowledge Card results are either based on human-edited data or appear as a result of data agreements with partners. For these reasons, appearing in a Knowledge Card is out of reach for most sites.

That said, it is useful to understand which keywords are affected by Knowledge Graph results, as knowing this can help you prioritize keywords to target, as well as understand how Google stores entity data about the world.

Knowledge Panel

Description

Knowledge Panels (aka Knowledge Graph), like Knowledge Cards, extract semantic data from a number of sources including human-edited sources like WikiData, data extracted from the Google index, and private data partnerships.

They typically appear to the right of the organic results for a desktop search.

Appearance

Obtainability

All Knowledge Panel results are either based on human-edited data or appear as a result of data agreements with partners. For these reasons, appearing in a Knowledge Panel is out of reach for most sites.

That said, it is useful to understand which keywords are affected by Knowledge Graph results as knowing this can help you prioritize keywords to target, as well as understand how Google stores entity data about the world.

Local Pack

Description

For keywords that Google deems to have local search intent (think ‘gastroenterology specialists in Seattle' or ‘gastroenterology specialists near me'), the SERP will often contain a Local Pack containing the three physical locations Google deems most relevant to the keyword.

These features dominate the SERP, especially on mobile.

Appearance

Obtainability

Local SEO has changed dramatically in the past couple of years, and local features are evolving rapidly. Especially if you have a brick-and-mortar business, it's important to be very familiar with Google's local space.

Local SEO is an entire discipline within itself, but a great place to start is our Local Learning Center.

Local Teaser Pack

Description

Similar to a Local Pack, this is a three-pack of local business results (mainly hotels and restaurants) shown on a map,with additional information below like hours of operation, reviews, and images. Options to sort (e.g., by price or rating) are also available.

Appearance

Obtainability

Local SEO has changed dramatically in the past couple of years, and local features are evolving rapidly. Especially if you have a brick-and-mortar business, it's important to be very familiar with Google's local space.

Local SEO is an entire discipline within itself, but a great place to start is our Local Learning Center.

News Box

Description

Time-sensitive and newsworthy topics may generate a block of results from Google News. Since the "In the news" update in late 2014, a wider variety of sites are eligible to rank in the news block.

Appearance

Obtainability

Getting into Google News results is a very different (and more transparent) process than organic results. Learn more here.

Reviews

Description

Review stars and rating data are sometimes displayed for products, recipes, and other relevant items. Review/rating data is shown between the destination URL and snippet.

Results with review stars get higher CTR.

Appearance

Obtainability

Google's rules on which results are eligible for stars are not published, and differ by industry and vertical. At the very least, schema markup for reviews must exist on the page.

Learn more here.

Shopping Results

Description

Paid Shopping results or Product Listing Ads (PLAs) sell products directly with rich information, such as images and pricing.

Appearance

Obtainability

Similar to AdWords, Shopping is a paid placement.

Whether or not you are in the paid search business, it is a good thing know when you are competing for organic results against keywords with paid results.

Learn more here.

Site Links

Description

When someone searches for an exact domain (suggesting clear brand intent), Google may display an expanded pack of up to 10 sitelinks. The full pack of sitelinks occupies five organic positions, dominating the SERP.

Site Links can benefit your site by:

• Generating higher CTR from the SERP
• Getting users to the page they are looking for faster

Appearance

Obtainability

Three factors drive the appearance of Site Links in a SERP:

1. Type of query – Site Links appear mainly on branded terms
2. Site traffic – Site Links are much more likely to appear on large branded sites with higher traffic
3. Implementation of SearchAction anchor markup on the site

You can read more about this here.

Tweet

Description

In 2015, Google began displaying tweets directly in SERPs, mixed in with organic results. Unlike Google+ results, Twitter results do not seem to require, or be affected by, personalization

Appearance

Obtainability

Twitter results in SERPs aren't "organic" in the general sense, but they do strengthen a brand's visual presence on the SERP and perhaps perceived relevancy.

Learn more here.

Video

Description

Video results (especially YouTube) may display a thumbnail. They used to be a true vertical but are now more of an organic enhancement.

Appearance

Obtainability

Video results will only appear for certain keywords. At the very least, video schema markup must exist on the page. Video results are often triggered by specific search queries that indicate a preference for visual content.

AI Overviews

These features provide a concise summary or analysis generated by artificial intelligence, often appearing at the top of the search results page to offer users a quick understanding of a topic.

People Also Ask

A box that appears in the search results, displaying a list of questions related to the user's search query. Each question can be expanded to reveal a brief answer, helping users explore related topics.

Related Searches

Suggestions that appear at the bottom of the search results page, offering users alternative search queries related to their original search query. This feature helps users refine their search and discover additional relevant information.

Reviews & Ratings

Displayed alongside product listings or service pages, these features showcase user-generated feedback in the form of star ratings and written reviews. They provide valuable insights into the quality and popularity of a product or service.

Google Flights

A paid SERP feature that enables users to search for flights directly in the search results page.

Optimizing for SERP features is essential for businesses and marketers to increase their online visibility, drive more traffic, and improve their search engine rankings. Here are some tips for optimizing for SERP features:

Content optimization

Content optimization involves creating and refining content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Here are some tips for optimizing your content for SERP features:

• Use relevant and targeted keywords: Incorporate keywords that are pertinent to your business and target audience.
• Create high-quality and engaging content: Develop content that is high-quality, engaging, and provides value to your target audience.
• Optimize your meta tags: Ensure your meta tags, including your title tag, description tag, and keyword tag, are optimized.
• Use schema markup: Implement schema markup to provide search engines with additional information about your content.
• Optimize your images: Use relevant and descriptive alt tags and file names to enhance your images.

Learn more about Featured Snippets

5 Steps to Surfacing a SERP Feature Strategy — STAT Blog

Featured Snippets: What to Know & How to Target — Whiteboard Friday

How to Optimize for Google's Featured Snippets [Updated for 2022] — Moz Blog

Brand Entity SEO — Whiteboard Friday