What Is a SERP? Definition
The results page a search engine shows after a search query.
What is a SERP?
SERP stands for search engine results page: the page Google shows after a search query. Modern SERPs contain far more than ten blue links.
Example: someone searches for "dentist near me". The SERP may show a map with local practices at the top, followed by regular results, a box with related questions and, depending on the query, an AI-generated summary.
SERP features
- AI Overviews – AI-generated summaries (since 2024)
- Featured snippets – highlighted answer boxes
- Local pack – a map view with local businesses
- Rich snippets – enhanced results with ratings, prices and more
- People Also Ask – related questions
- Knowledge panel – information boxes about entities
SERP optimization
Modern SEO does not aim for position 1 alone. It aims for maximum SERP presence: featured snippets, rich results, the local pack and AI Overviews. Schema markup is the key to this. Our article LLMO vs. SEO explains how classic rankings and AI answers relate.
Frequently asked questions
What is a SERP?
SERP stands for search engine results page, the page Google shows after a search query. Modern SERPs contain far more than ten blue links.
Why does the SERP matter for SEO?
A SERP includes features such as featured snippets, the local pack, rich results and AI Overviews. Modern SEO aims to appear in as many of these features as possible, beyond position 1.
What is an example of a SERP?
A search for "dentist near me" can show a map with local practices, regular results, a box with related questions and an AI-generated summary on one page.