What are SERPs?
SERPs ( Search Engine Results Pages ) are the pages that contain the lists of results displayed by search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo or Baidu) when a user makes a query. It usually finds about 10 results on average.
Nowadays, positioning yourself in a good place in these search results lists is of the utmost importance for any type of website, because appearing in the first positions significantly increases the CTR of the pages and, in turn, guarantees obtaining a Higher organic user traffic.
Therefore, it is essential that our page appears in the first places.
This can be applied to any search engine, but here we will focus on Google since it is the most used in the world with 69.80% of daily searches.
How do SERPs work on Google?
As we already know, when a user makes a query in the Google search engine, a list of results is displayed that responds to their search intention and makes it easier for them to find the information they are looking for.
It is important to know that no two SERPs are the same. These results pages are very dynamic and will change depending on the search terms used in the search engine, throwing up one or another SERP with unique and exclusive characteristics.
However, all Google results pages share one aspect in common; the order or position of its elements (at the top the paid ads, then the organic results).
SERP order
What types of SERPs are there?
There are currently two types of listings, paid results ( SEM ) and organic results ( SEO ). Although you should keep in mind that both the paid and the organic listings will be displayed together on the same results page.
Organic results (SEO)
In this type of listing, it is mandatory to have an excellent SEO strategy, both on and off page , and useful content that provides the ideal information for the user. This being one of the most essential factors in SEO.
Payment results (SEM)
On the other hand, in the payment section you have to make an investment to achieve positioning in the SERP. Likewise, it is necessary to apply SEM positioning strategies.
However, an advantage of this type of listing is that the return on investment is really fast, that is, it is common to obtain results in a short time.
Both paid and organic results can be used together for better results, depending on your business goals. Therefore, it is advisable to join them to climb in the search results pages or to reach the coveted position zero.
How to appear in Google SERPs?
Let's start by remembering again that there are two types of results in the SERPs, one paid and the other organic, and that both can be combined to generate greater visibility that provides optimal results.
Google Ads, is the platform that manages the advertisements in the Google results list: What is Google Ads and how does it work?
But, if the main objective is to position yourself in the organic results, it will be necessary to make an investment in content marketing and implement an excellent SEO strategy .
This can be done through off page techniques that have an effect on the authority of our website in general and with on page techniques that improve the quality of our site and boost the visibility of our content.
What are the different search results displayed in the SERPs?
On many occasions it seems that Google has the perfect answer for any search, right?
This is possible thanks to the fact that it shows different formats of results to satisfy the search intention of each type of user.
Let's see all the existing formats for the results in the Google SERP:
1. Featured snippet or rich snippet
Featured snippets are a class of special search results. They usually appear inside a box with inverted formatting , that is, they show the descriptive text first, then the URL , and finally the meta title .
Featured snippet in SERPs
With this , Google tells us that this is the URL Philippines Photo Editor with the best content for the user's search . In these cases, the information of the first result and the rich snippet displayed must be the same.
2. Images or pack image
There are searches that can display images or image packs directly at the top of the Search Engine Results Page . These types of results link to Google Images.
Images or Pack image
There are many businesses that try to appear in these results. However, it is not completely necessary to be in the first place of the index to be part of the images section.
3. Videos or Top stories
When Google bought YouTube, it incorporated video results into its SERP. Because of this, there are times when video links to YouTube appear instead of the text pages .