Search engine results page; the page displayed after a user submits a query to a search engine.
The competitive environment where organic listings, paid ads, maps, and other search features appear.
Short and sweet:
Search engine results page; the page displayed after a user submits a query to a search engine.
The competitive environment where organic listings, paid ads, maps, and other search features appear.
See also: Search Engine Results Page, SEO, Paid Search
A SERP, or search engine results page, is the page that appears after someone runs a search, made up of organic listings alongside paid ads, featured snippets, image packs, and other elements that vary by query. Modern SERPs often include so many of these additional features that traditional blue-link organic results may appear further down the page than they once did. Because of this, ranking well now means competing not just against other websites but against the search engine’s own on-page features for a user’s attention.
Typing “best pizza near me” into Google produces a SERP packed with a map pack, several ads, and organic listings all competing for the same click.
Ranking first on this page for a competitive term like “car insurance” can be worth millions to an insurer like Geico, which is why it bids aggressively on paid placements there too.
A local bakery might only appear on the second page of results for a broad term like “cake,” which is effectively invisible since most searchers never scroll past the first page.
