Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
The SERP is the page a search engine shows in response to a query – with organic results, ads, AI answers and other features.
What is a SERP?
A search engine results page (SERP) is the page that Google, Bing or another search engine shows in response to a search query. Today it is far more than a list of ten blue links. Depending on the query, a SERP can contain:
- Organic results: the pages ranked by SEO, sometimes with rich results such as star ratings or FAQs based on structured data.
- Ads: paid search results at the top and bottom, plus Shopping ads (SEA).
- AI answers: AI Overviews at the top of the page, with links to their sources.
- SERP features: featured snippets, “People also ask” boxes, local map results, knowledge panels, images, videos and news.
The layout of the SERP determines how many clicks a ranking actually brings. A number-one organic result below several ads, an AI Overview and a map pack may get far fewer clicks than the same position on a plain results page – one reason for the rise of zero-click searches.
For international marketing, SERPs also differ by country and language: the same query can show different features, competitors and ad density in Germany, Mexico and the US. Analyze the SERP in each target market – ideally with local settings – before you set priorities or forecast traffic.