SERP features
Fast track (Summarised definition)
SERP features are enhanced search results including snippets, local packs, knowledge panels, and shopping listings. Critical for marketers seeking increased visibility beyond traditional rankings. Local features particularly valuable for businesses targeting geographic markets, while shopping results essential for e-commerce success.
Full lap (Full definition)
SERP features are enhanced search result elements that appear beyond traditional organic listings, including featured snippets, local packs, knowledge panels, image carousels, and shopping results. For marketers, understanding and optimising for these features represents significant opportunities to increase visibility and capture valuable screen real estate.
Featured snippets, often called "position zero," display direct answers to user queries at the top of search results. Businesses can optimise content structure using headers, lists, and tables to increase chances of snippet selection. These features provide substantial visibility benefits, often generating higher click-through rates than traditional first-position rankings.
Local pack results are particularly valuable for businesses with physical locations, displaying map listings for location-based searches. This feature has become increasingly important as mobile searches with local intent continue growing. Optimising Google My Business profiles and maintaining consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across directories helps businesses appear in local packs.
Knowledge panels provide authoritative information about entities, brands, or topics, drawing from various sources including Wikipedia, business listings, and official websites. Brands can influence knowledge panel content through structured data markup and maintaining consistent online information.
Shopping results display product listings with images, prices, and merchant information, crucial for e-commerce businesses. These require Google Merchant Center setup and product feed optimisation to capture commercial search traffic effectively.
Other SERP features include video carousels, news boxes, "People Also Ask" sections, and related searches that provide additional opportunities for visibility. Marketers should monitor SERP features for their target keywords and develop specific optimisation strategies for relevant features. The evolution of SERP features continues with AI integration and enhanced user experience elements that require ongoing strategy adaptation.