SERP – SEARCH ENGINE RESULTS PAGES

Today in the Digital World, we are searching for information via the internet on computers, phones, and even voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri, Google Home, etc., In response, the way in which search engines perform the actions to deliver results has evolved as well. The aim for marketers is to getting found online and that means getting our content to the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs).

In fact, when you go to search for something on the internet(www), you don’t think twice about which search engine you’re going to. You don’t even ‘search’ for something anymore. You Google it.

serp

From the representation, the Google SERP result for an Email marketing agency

You’ll notice we put a lot of emphasis on Google when we talk SERPs – or anything SEO related, for that matter. Google is clearly holding strong at the top SEO strategies, but it’s also integrating with AI(Artificial Intelligence) in future technology. And while any savvy SEO will focus their efforts in many directions, they know that when it comes to dominating the SERPs.

TRADITIONAL SERP (w.r.t SEO):

It usually refers to one of two things: 

  • Organic search.
  • Paid search
Difference between organic and paid SERP

Organic SERP Results

An organic result appears because it’s relevant to a user’s search terms. Generally, the top search results are filled with the pages that most “naturally” suit a searcher’s query. Because these are meant to be natural, there’s no added bells and whistles.

Instead, these results are obtained through organic SEO, which refers to the methods used to obtain a high rank or placement on a search engine through the use of unpaid results. Rather, organic SEO featured with search algorithms by using keywords, backlinks, quality content, etc.

Through the organic strategy, it takes time and dedication to achieve top results in  SEO. But it’s worth it. 

Some of the benefits include:

  • Tends to generate more traffic when the content was unique.
  • Because of content relevancy, organic results tend to keep top spots longer.
  • Build more trust with users, as most prefer to click on organic listings.
  • None of the extra costs associated with paid listings.

Note that the search results can change based on a Google SERP update.

Paid SERP Results:

Paid SERP results are also powered primarily by keywords, a searcher’s paid result will be one that matches closely to any keyword they entered their search. These have been paid by an advertiser to display in the SERP, and they generally appear at the very top of the SERP.

Most of the time, they look almost identical as an organic listing but minus the small “Ad” badge in front of it. 

For example, the retailer of footwear used to show the new trendy designed products and prices. Here, the occurrence of the AdWords extensions has also opened new doors for advertisers. 

Paid ads work on a pay-per-click (PPC) basis, meaning an advertiser only pays when someone clicks on their ad.

Like organic results, paid results to have their fair share of benefits. While they may not have the same staying power, paid search can you get to the top of the SERPs and expose you to highly targeted customers – fast.

HOW SEO IMPACT  SERP?

SEO efforts are separated into two categories:

ON-PAGE SEO OFF-PAGE SEO
It refers to all the factors that control the page suchas linking, content optimization, page titles, etc.. It includes all factors off-page, such as social media networking, blog promotion, etc..
On-page SEO helps to optimize your individual web pages to get outranked in the SERP. Off-page SEO effort that happens away from the actual webpage.
It refers in large part to the content of a page which may be the single most important factor when it comes to determining a page’s rank. It was done correctly, it can signal to search engines that your site is popular, relevant, and trustworthy.
Good content is relevant, relatable, serves a clear purpose to your audience, and is linkable. Most commonly, this is done through backlinks (links from other webpages that lead back to your site).
It’s generally focused on a very specific subject, clearly stated through the use of specific keywords. The more quality backlinks you can accrue, the more likely Google is to trust your site and rank it accordingly.
The target keyword should be used several times throughout your content to rank higher, as well as:
. Your title tag, URL
. Image alt text
. Meta descriptions
. Headings and subheadings.
But there’s more to off-page SEO than that, including:
. Social media marketing
. Influencer marketing
. Guest blogging
. Events, giveaways, etc.

On-page SEO has more to do with what your page will rank for, while off-page is more concerned with where your page will rank. But to scale the SERP, you need both in order to rank a webpage.

INTRODUCTION TO SERP

A Search engine results page (SERP) is the list of results that a search engine gives in response to a specific word or phrase query.SERP are web pages served to users who search for something online using a search engine i.e., Google. The user enters their search query (a specific terms/phrases known as “keywords”), upon which the search engine presents them with a SERP. The resultant SERP includes the linked Web page title, the linked page URL (Uniform Resource Locator), a brief description of the page content and links to points of interest within the website in each listing.

history of SERP

Search results are generally triggered by keywords which are included in the user’s query.  But here’s the thing: no two SERPs are the same. Search engines work hard to customize the experience to each individual user, meaning that you’ll rarely see the same results twice even using the same search engine.

You’ll also notice that like most things, search engines change with the times. The New google search algorithms mean to change results and updated features lead to the significant appearance of maps, images, videos, and more in your SERP. Remember, SERP doesn’t refer only to a Google search engine results page but also refers to a results list from Bing, Yahoo, or any other search engine.

There are three various types of results on a Search Engine Result Page:

  1. Pages that the search engine spider has been crawled and indexed.
  2. Pages that have been manually added to the search engine’s directory.
  3. Pages that appear as a result of paid advertisements. 

The highest-ranking hits generally link to the most useful information which links less relevant as they move farther down the list.

SERP FACTORS:

Every SERP is unique, even for search queries performed on the same search engine using the same keywords or search queries because of its virtual search engines customize the  experience for their users by presenting results based on a wide range of factors like:

(a) User’s physical location: If the geo-localization is activated, Google aligns the SERPs to the location of the user.

(b) Browsing history: If a user has the Cache of the browser, Google retrieves the information regarding previous search queries within cookies and adapts the results accordingly.

(c) Social settings: If a google user is registered with their account, the search results will be adapted according to previous user behavior, provided that this is permitted in their data protection settings.

SERPs basically contains two types of content:

(A) Organic results: Organic results are listings of web pages that appear as a result of the search engine’s algorithm.SEO professionals (SEOs) specialize in optimizing web content and websites to rank more highly in organic search results.

(B) Paid results: In contrast to organic results, paid results are those that have been paid to be displayed by an advertiser. Paid results can take a wide range of forms, dozens of advertising formats that provide to the needs of advertisers.

There are 16 SERP features that commonly appear in Google SERPs.

There are 16 SERP features that commonly appear in Google SERPs.

Adwords (Bottom)

In-Depth Article

Local Teaser Pack

Shopping Results

Adwords (Top)

Featured Snippet

Image Pack

Knowledge Card

Local Pack

Tweet

Rich Snippet

Video results

The above mentioned tabular form gives a clear idea of the 16 SERP results in diagrammatic representations with respect to Search Engine Optimization(SEO).

Google SERP Fluctuations:

The Future Agenda: Google’s using AI to match SERPs

Recently, getting the more important of image and video as it relates to SERPs, Google recently rolled out new features that “use Artificial Intelligence(AI) to make your search experience more optical and delightful” says director of Google engineering at Google Images, Cathy Edwards.

Google’s primary focus is the user-friendly experience. Dynamic search results is another fabulous useful search component. It uses Artificial Intelligence to help you make your search experience easier.

Even if you don’t know exactly what you’re going to search for or what you may need to search for after your initial search, Google shows you subtopics at the top of the page that is relevant to your query.

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