What Are SERP Features? Types & How to Optimize for Them

What Are SERP Features?

SERP features are chiseled hunt results that basal retired from accepted integrated (unpaid) hunt results (the bluish links) that purpose to amended the idiosyncratic acquisition by providing speedy answers and further accusation straight connected results pages.

And they tin instrumentality respective forms. 

Like this featured snippet:

Some different communal Google SERP features see AI Overviews, People Also Ask (PAA) boxes, representation packs, video carousels, and cognition panels.

Over time, Google has continuously added caller SERP features. You’ll seldom spot hunt results without them.

Semrush Sensor information from October 2024 shows that conscionable 1.53% of Google hunt results look without immoderate SERP features.

Why Are SERP Features Important successful SEO?

SERP features are important due to the fact that they tin thrust much integrated postulation to your site.

Why?

Since these features instrumentality up much abstraction and look prominently successful hunt results, they’re much apt to basal retired to users. And pull clicks.

In the SERP below, you tin intelligibly spot that the AI Overview, featured snippet, and PAA container are much disposable than the integrated listings.

And securing SERP features tin awesome to searchers that your contented is trustworthy and reliable. Because Google astir apt wouldn’t show your webpage truthful prominently if it didn’t presumption it arsenic credible.

In short, SERP features are worthy going after.

10 Google SERP Features & How to Optimize for Them

These are immoderate main types of SERP features you whitethorn spot connected Google:

1. Featured Snippets

Featured snippets straight code users’ queries with a succinct mentation pulled from a webpage and see a nexus to the root page. 

They usually amusement adjacent the apical of the SERP—above the integrated hunt results. And look similar this:

These snippets travel successful antithetic forms. Such arsenic abbreviated paragraphs (like the supra example), lists, and tables.

How bash you gain featured snippets?

Start by identifying applicable queries that trigger this SERP feature.

Use Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to find them.

Enter a wide word related to your niche, take your location, and click “Search.”

You’ll spot a database of related keywords and immoderate SERP features those presumption trigger.

Click the “Advanced filters” drop-down. And prime the checkbox adjacent to “Featured snippet” from the database nether “SERP Features.”

Then, click “Apply.”

The instrumentality volition past amusement you each the keywords related to your archetypal query that trigger featured snippets.

Browse the database to find presumption you privation to trade contented around.

Next, click connected the magnifier icon to the near of the “SERP Features” file to unfastened a hunt results leafage for the keyword you privation to target.

This lets you survey the featured snippet successful greater detail.

Check the snippet type. And analyse the contented connected the leafage it’s pulled from—specifically the conception that appears arsenic the featured snippet. This volition assistance you recognize what it takes to look there. 

While there’s nary guaranteed look to gain a featured snippet, you tin optimize your contented to summation your chances of winning one.

Start by aligning your contented format with the snippet benignant presently ranking for your people keyword.

Then, optimize for that circumstantial snippet type. 

Here’s how:

• Paragraph snippet: Use your people query arsenic a subheading and reply it instantly successful a single, concise paragraph. Make definite to supply close and nonsubjective information.
• List snippet: Use a numbered database successful your contented if a circumstantial bid oregon series is needed (e.g., “steps to instal star panels”). And slug points for unordered lists (e.g., “spaghetti ingredients”). You tin besides usage heading tags to reenforce some database types.
• Table snippet: Present accusation successful a elemental array with clear, descriptive headings. And use applicable HTML array tags, truthful Google tin scan it easily.

2. AI Overviews

Google’s AI Overviews are short, AI-generated summaries pulled from top-ranking pages that look astatine the apical of SERPs—above each different benignant of result. 

This SERP diagnostic tin amusement for immoderate benignant of query. But you’ll spot it much often for “what is/are [keyword/topic]” keywords and different informational queries.

Like this one:

You don’t needfully person to bash thing peculiar to optimize your contented for AI Overviews. 

Just travel SEO champion practices like:

• Ensuring your pages are crawlable and indexable
• Creating helpful, high-quality content that meets searchers’ needs
• Demonstrating Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) successful your content
• Optimizing your pages for people keywords
• Keeping your contented up to date

3. Popular Products

Popular products carousels amusement products related to a user’s hunt query erstwhile applicable and see images, prices, ratings, and links to the corresponding product pages.

This diagnostic usually appears erstwhile you hunt for a circumstantial merchandise class oregon brand. 

Here’s what it tin look like:

Popular products carousels assistance users rapidly comparison products from antithetic brands/retailers straight connected SERPs. And they tin adjacent filter it based connected their preferences. 

These SERP features are besides utile for businesses. Because fashionable products carousels tin beryllium an effectual mode to thrust much postulation to merchandise pages. And perchance summation sales.

Follow these tips to optimize your merchandise pages for fashionable products carousels:

• Create a Google Merchant Center relationship and adhd your merchandise feed. This helps Google show your products on with important details astir them. 
• Add product structured data (a circumstantial benignant of codification that includes accusation astir products) to your merchandise pages
• Use high-quality merchandise images connected your webpages. And see applicable keywords successful your merchandise titles and descriptions.

Further reading: 

• Product Page Optimization: 6 Successful Strategies To Try
• A Deep Dive into SEO for Ecommerce Product Pages

4. Local Pack

The local pack (also known arsenic the representation pack) is simply a acceptable of concern listings that appears for hunt queries with section intent—meaning users are trying to find adjacent products, services, oregon amenities—and is usually astatine the apical of the SERP. 

Some illustration queries this SERP diagnostic mightiness amusement for see “real property lawyer chicago” and “japanese restaurants adjacent me.”

And a emblematic Google section battalion includes:

• Three concern listings with cardinal information. Like names, addresses, telephone numbers, ratings/reviews, operating hours, and website links.
• A representation showing wherever the featured businesses are located
• An enactment to presumption much results

If you’re moving a section business, appearing successful section packs tin importantly boost your online visibility and in-person visits.

Here's however you tin summation your chances of showing successful the section pack:

• Create your Google Business Profile (GBP)—a escaped listing that appears successful Google results. And support it updated with existent and close accusation astir your business.
• Get name, address, and telephone fig (NAP) citations connected concern directories and societal media profiles
• Target local keywords—location-specific queries that radical usage to hunt for businesses similar yours. And optimize your website contented (i.e., blog posts, merchandise oregon work pages, and different website copy) by incorporating these terms.
• Implement local concern schema markup (schema markup is different mode to notation to structured data) connected your website
• Build backlinks from applicable section concern websites and publications to your tract to boost your authority
• Get lawsuit reviews and respond to them

Further reading: Local SEO: What Is It & How to Do It

5. People Also Ask Boxes

People besides inquire boxes show a database of questions related to the archetypal hunt query arsenic good arsenic speedy answers and links to the root pages. 

This diagnostic lets searchers research antithetic taxable angles. Without performing further searches.

You’ll spot a little reply and a nexus to the root leafage erstwhile you click a question. And caller questions volition beryllium added to the database arsenic you click questions.

You tin easy find applicable PAA questions for your taxable with the Keyword Magic Tool.

Enter your taxable oregon a wide word related to your niche and click “Search.”

The instrumentality volition make a database of related keywords. Along with disposable SERP features for each of them.

Then, prime “Advanced filters” and tick the checkbox adjacent to “People besides ask” successful the “SERP features” drop-down. And click the “Apply” button. 

Now you’ll lone spot queries that trigger PAA boxes.

Click the icon to the near of the “SERP Features” file to analyse People Also Ask questions that look successful the SERP for your chosen term.

Once you’ve identified presumption and their corresponding PAA questions, see those questions arsenic headings and subheadings successful your content. And reply them directly. 

Also, align your reply with the format of the existing answer. 

For example, if the existent reply is structured arsenic a bulleted oregon numbered list, replicate that style.

6. Rich Snippets

Rich snippets (also called affluent results) amusement other accusation astir your leafage straight wrong different modular hunt results.

These snippets tin see elements similar images, ratings, and prices. Making hunt results look much informative and visually appealing.

For example, Google shows representation snippets on with hunt results for this query:

Common types of affluent snippets include:

• Review snippets: Show ratings associated with the ranking page 
• Recipe snippets: Provide details astir recipes, including ingredients, cooking time, and nutritional information
• Product snippets: Display accusation astir products. Such arsenic price, availability, and reviews. They’re peculiarly utile for ecommerce sites.
• Event snippets: Highlight lawsuit details similar date, location, and summons availability
• Sitelinks: Lead to different important pages oregon sections of the ranking website

Google pulls these other details from schema markup recovered successful the webpage’s HTML. 

So, it’s a bully thought to adhd applicable schema markup to your pages to marque them eligible to show affluent snippets. 

Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to make the needed code. 

And travel Google’s instructions to adhd the structured information to your page. 

Then, cheque if your structured information is acceptable up correctly utilizing Semrush’s Site Audit tool.

It’ll scan your website and item pages with invalid structured data. 

Launch the instrumentality and travel these configuration instructions to acceptable up your project. 

Once the audit is done, you’ll beryllium taken to the “Overview” report. Which shows your site’s wide wellness and issues recovered during the audit. 

Select “View details” nether “Markup.”

The instrumentality volition amusement you the fig of pages with markup—including those with invalid structured data.

Scroll down to the array and click connected “View each invalid items” astatine the bottommost to spot the implicit list. 

Click an arrow adjacent to “# fields” nether the “Affected Fields” file to spot what you request to bash to hole the invalid code. 

Work your mode down the database and instrumentality the needed changes.

7. Discussions and Forums

The discussions and forums SERP diagnostic shows conversations from places similar Quora and Reddit that are related to the user’s search. 

This diagnostic often appears for hunt queries asking for proposal oregon experiences. Such arsenic “best grooming shoes for wide feet.”

Note that you request to person an owned forum to look successful this SERP feature. But being progressive connected fashionable forums tin thrust radical to your answers. And yet to your tract via links successful your answers. 

But lone see links if they're applicable to the discussion. The extremity is to supply value—not to beforehand your tract oregon products.

Further reading: Reddit Marketing 101: How to Successfully Market connected Reddit

8. Image Packs

An representation battalion is simply a enactment oregon grid of images related to a hunt query and typically appears adjacent the apical of the SERP.

Google displays it erstwhile images are much apt to assistance users for a fixed query.

Like for this search:

Follow these tips to assistance your contented look successful representation packs:

• Use images that are applicable to your page’s contented and adhd worth to the connection oregon accusation you're conveying
• Give applicable names to representation files and see keywords (e.g., alternatively of "image123.png" usage "fresh-chocolate-chip-cookies.png”)
• Compress the record size without compromising prime to assistance images load quickly—page velocity is simply a origin successful SEO
• Use structured information for images and representation sitemaps to supply Google with much accusation astir the images connected your site
• Include concise, descriptive alt text for each image. This helps Google recognize what the representation is showing.

Further reading: Image SEO: How to Optimize Images for Search Engines & Users

9. Knowledge Panels

A Google knowledge panel is an accusation container astir an entity similar a person, place, oregon happening that appears connected the close broadside of the SERP.

Like this:

Knowledge panels propulsion accusation from Google's Knowledge Graph (a ample database astir entities). And typically see details similar descriptions, facts, and related links.

In summation to boosting your visibility and traffic, appearing successful a cognition sheet tin heighten your brand's estimation and authority. 

One of the champion ways to summation your chances of showing successful a cognition sheet is to make a dedicated institution leafage (like an "about us" page) that lone links to reputable websites you trust. 

This way, Google tin easy verify your accusation and beryllium assured that it's true.

Other tips include:

• Claiming and verifying your entity’s cognition panel—if 1 exists
• Creating and optimizing your company’s Google Business Profile
• Reaching retired to sites that inaccurately picture your brand, providing them with an close description, and asking them to marque corrections
• Using organization schema to assistance Google recognize your company

10. Video Carousels

Video carousels are collections of videos related to the hunt query that amusement erstwhile Google thinks it whitethorn beryllium amended answered with video contented than text.

For instance, the hunt “handstand pushups” shows a video carousel featuring tutorials connected however to bash this workout astatine the apical of the SERP. Because watching idiosyncratic bash handstand pushups is easier to recognize than speechmaking astir them oregon looking astatine stagnant images.

To amended your chances of appearing successful video carousels:

• Create high-quality, utile videos that code users’ search intent (what searchers are trying to achieve)
• Write descriptive titles and record names for your videos. And optimize them with applicable keywords.
• Create engaging thumbnails that basal out
• Upload videos to YouTube. Most videos that look successful video carousels are hosted connected YouTube. 
• Use the VideoObject schema markup if you big videos connected your website

Further reading: 

• Video SEO: How to Get Your Videos Ranked connected Google
• YouTube SEO: How to Optimize Your Channel for Visibility

How to Track Your Site’s SERP Features

Semrush’s Position Tracking instrumentality helps you way advancement arsenic you optimize your tract for SERP features. 

Open the tool, participate your website, and click “Set up tracking.”

Next, travel the configuration instructions to acceptable up your project. 

Once the setup is complete, you’ll beryllium taken to the “Landscape” report. Which gives you a speedy look astatine your site’s wide advancement crossed SEO metrics similar visibility, traffic, and mean keyword position.

Scroll down to the “SERP Features” report. 

It shows however galore SERP features your tract ranks for. And immoderate disposable for the keywords you’re tracking that you don’t yet fertile for. 

The tiny icons astatine the bottommost correspond antithetic SERP features. Hover your pointer implicit the icon to cheque its sanction arsenic shown for “AI Overview” successful the screenshot below. 

Now, scroll backmost up and click the “Overview” tab to find elaborate reports connected each SERP feature. 

Click the “SERP Features” drop-down and prime immoderate circumstantial SERP diagnostic you privation to analyse from the database of options. 

You tin past cheque your site’s advancement for the selected SERP feature.

Analyze your standings for each important SERP feature. And support optimizing your website accordingly. 

How to See Your Competitors’ SERP Features

Analyzing your competitors’ SERP features helps you larn which ones they’re ranking for, truthful you tin spell aft SERP features that are apt to beryllium valuable.

Here’s how:

Launch the Organic Research tool. 

Enter a competitor’s domain (e.g., “starbucks.com”), take your location, and click “Search.”

Head to the “Positions” study and click the “SERP Features” tab.

This shows you the fig of SERP features the rival ranks for. 

Next, click the “Advanced filters” drop-down and prime “Exclude” > “Keyword type” > “Branded.” And click “Apply.”

This volition region each branded keywords—queries that see the competitor’s sanction oregon a adjacent saltation of it.

Browse done the database to place applicable presumption you tin target.

And dive into however overmuch postulation the tract gets from the keywords they person SERP features for. 

As an example, let’s bash that for the section pack.

Click the “SERP Features” drop-down, hover implicit “Domain ranks,” and prime “Local pack.”

Use this information to prioritize your people SERP features and keywords. 

Start Securing SERP Features

Ranking for SERP helps to boost your site’s visibility, credibility, and traffic. Which tin pb to amended returns from SEO.

Ready to begin?

Start by identifying applicable keywords that trigger SERP features utilizing the Keyword Overview instrumentality and the Keyword Magic Tool.

Explore these tools with a free Semrush account.