Home Blog Marketing SEOThe Art of Using SERP Features to Achieve Your Business Goals

The Art of Using SERP Features to Achieve Your Business Goals

by Gerald Murphy , Solution Buisness Manager, Similarweb 11Min.

June 24, 2021 | Updated March 27, 2023

Want to get more users to your site? We’re with you. Driving traffic to your site requires sharp precision. In addition to the keywords you use to optimize your content, there’s something else to consider: the features on search engine results pages (SERP). These images, videos, related queries, and other elements that appear on search results pages have a big impact on how users actually interact with your site.

By optimizing your content for SERP features, you can use them to your benefit and grow your influence. In this post we’ll break down the basics about SERP features and dive into data we pulled using Similarweb’s marketing intelligence about how users interact with SERP features, so you have the information you need to win more site visitors.

What are SERP features?

SERP features are elements that appear on Google’s search engine results page that go beyond traditional organic results. The most common SERP features include:

Rich snippets
Paid results (Google Ads, Shopping Ads or Product Listing Ads)
Universal results (image results, featured snippets)
The knowledge graph (which appears as a panel or box to the right-hand side of the search results)
Videos
Images
Instant Answers
FAQs
People Also Ask (related questions)
Twitter
Top stories
Sitelinks
Google flights block
Hotel pack
Job listings
Reviews

We’ll explain some of these features in more detail later on, but first, let’s look at a typical SERP and what features can show up on the page.

Here’s a SERP for “brad pitt”:

Here’s the same page, except we’ve highlighted all the SERP features:

In addition to Mr. Pitt’s signature smirk, you can see the organic results, top stories, knowledge graph, and the star’s social handles.

You’ll also get different SERP features depending on your query. Here’s one for “how old is brad pitt”:

At the top, you have an Instant Answer, followed by People Also Ask.

What Google’s trying to do is serve up the most important and relevant information based on your search query. A general search like “brad pitt” yields generic information. On the other hand, “how old is brad pitt?” is clearly a request for specific information, and as such, comes with a People Also Ask box.

But why do SERP features matter?

The way the results are presented can drastically influence the actions users take and how they interact with websites featured on the page. If the answer to a query appears on the SERP page, searchers are far more likely to click on those pages.

On the other hand, if your site shows up frequently in featured snippets, searchers might start to recognize your brand as a go-to site for information on topics in their wheelhouse. Depending on your business goals, you’ll want to research and optimize for different SERP features in different ways.

From a search engine perspective, SERP features help determine how Google views and categorizes your site.

Understanding SERP features and what to optimize can help you beat your competitors and secure more market share (as well as grab some low-hanging fruit).

Let’s dig deeper into search in general.

Most commonly found search behaviors

When it comes to searching for things online, most of us are terrible. We pose strange, unpredictable, and sometimes disjointed queries to search engines and expect to get the information we’re looking for.

We might even use jargon or colloquialisms that don’t exist outside our group of friends.

Sometimes we might just type in whatever’s trending at the moment, without any real modifiers to get the information we’re looking for.

The result: a lot of new keywords are created. This includes trending topics that make headlines, like the Suez canal blockage, or the popular question “where does vanilla flavoring come from?” after a viral TikTok phenomenon. The reality is we just type in what’s on our mind and don’t think too much about what kind of query would be effective at getting us the information we actually need.

So what does this look like in practice? Well, these habits translate into tangible SERP behaviors or behavioral patterns which can be defined as:

Narrow

Narrow SERP Behavior

This is the second-most common pattern. This happens when your initial query is broad, generic, or imprecise, and then you narrow your search down. Once you see the results, you’ll refine and then refine some more. This can include altering the search to include three or four keywords or using filters on the search engine to narrow the results further.

So let’s say you initially search for “mexican restaurants”. That search alone isn’t specific enough to get you to the place with the best tableside guac and taco in town. Instead, a search such as: “best mexican restaurants near me” will give you a much more accurate and proximate result.

Expansive

This behavior is uncommon because we often cast a wide net to begin with, but the other problem with an “expansive” search is that everything becomes generic and well, often irrelevant.

For example, you might search for “converse trainers for sale in black” and work backward — converse sneakers for sale, converse sneakers, sneakers. The result is that you end up with a lot of information to look through.

Pearl Growing

This one’s for the SEO experts. Think about when you scan a web page or document. You’re mining its content and metadata to gain an understanding and ultimately find new, useful keywords. You can then use them to search what you’re looking for, create content to beat competitors, or simply find new ideas.

Pogosticking

It might sound like a strange term, but it’s actually an incredibly comprehensive practice that focuses on bouncing between the SERP and the individual results for information – hence the name! This is search at its best: good keywords and good results. You’re just looking for the right result for you.

Thrashing

This is when you look at the results, but not extensively. After a period of rumination, usually through the top results, you realize that your query needs to be improved to meet your needs. So, you try different variations and longer terms. Think duvet, double bed duvet, double bed duvet cover in blue.

Quitting

Quitting a search is the result of one of two things:

We find the information we’re looking for and ride off into the sunset.
None of the search results answer our questions and we give up (quit) out of frustration (or try rephrasing the query).

From a website analytics perspective, quitting goes hand-in-hand with your bounce rate. A high bounce rate can imply several things, including:

Your content doesn’t answer the searcher’s question(s)
Your content isn’t optimized for the right keyword terms and is misleading searchers
Your website is unappealing and difficult to use

Want to reduce your bounce rate? We’ve got top tips to help you out.

Now that you’re familiar with search behaviors, you have more insights into the way users are searching. Let’s talk about the purpose of specific SERP features.

How do SERP features help users and businesses?

Having a variety of content formats improves engagement and provides a much better user experience. For some queries, including a video makes more sense than an image. SERP features give users answers in engaging and interactive ways. Beyond the query, the searcher’s behavior might impact the media that drives the most engagement. A user who is out to dinner might prefer watching a video over reading a web page.

As well as different content formats, SERPs also have:

Product listings ads (PLAs)

Where applicable, search engines will pull a list of products related to your query. This is great if you’re looking to purchase something, like sneakers, for example, as it gives you a visual representation of the product (and you may find something better than what you were looking for).

Knowledge panels

To the left of a Google SERP, you’ll sometimes find a box containing information relating to your search – this is Google’s Knowledge Graph at work. Google’s Knowledge Graph is a knowledge base used to enhance search engine results with information gathered from reputable sources. It allows you to search for things, people, or places that Google knows about: landmarks, celebrities, sports teams, buildings, and so on.

These knowledge panels will often contain a bit of information, Wikipedia entries, social media handles (where possible), and other pertinent data relating to your search.

Maps

Depending on your search query, you may get directional data on the SERP towards the top of the page. For example, if you search for “where to buy nike trainers in london”, you’ll be greeted by a map at the top of the page showing Nike store locations closest to where you are currently (if location services are enabled).

Images

Most, if not all, knowledge graphs come with imagery. This helps searchers validate queries or get a visual representation of what they’ve searched for. This can be particularly useful if the searcher wants to see an example or learn an equation, for instance.

Instant Answers

These answers sit above the organic results on a SERP, offering a fast response to user-searched questions. This position is often known as “position zero”.

Social media

If you scroll down the knowledge graph, you’ll sometimes get social media handles (Twitter, Instagram, etc.) associated with the entry. Below is the knowledge graph for Barack Obama, including his books, and who people also search for.

Reviews

If you search for a product or service, you’ll often get a knowledge graph that includes more details about it, prices, where you can get it, and reviews.

If you click on reviews, you can not only see all of the user reviews to date, but also search for specific reviews based on what you want to know about the product or service:

Videos

If you search for an artist or video content creator, the SERP is likely to include a video snippet. This is because Google understands what the artist or content creator does, and serves up their most relevant content as a result.

What SERP feature trends did we find?

Our study focused on:

SERP feature trends in the U.S. and U.K. for key industries affected by COVID-19
The top 10 most prominent SERP features in the U.S. and U.K.
How SERP features varied by device type and trends for branded vs. non-branded

We used 11.9 trillion keywords in our study. These were collected using a range of methodologies, including public data, anonymous user data, first-party data, and much more. The data is dynamic and updated daily. We looked at:

We also used 27 SERP features for January 2020 to April 2021. These were from both the U.S. and U.K., across desktop and mobile devices and used both brand and non-brand keywords.

Finally, we focused on 12 industries for this analysis – and analyzed some of the most interesting from a COVID-19 perspective.

What we found is that the number of keywords triggering a SERP feature on the SERP is growing. More than 15% of the keywords used both in the U.K. and the U.S. triggered a SERP feature.

From a content optimization and SEO opportunity perspective, this means that brands and businesses need to invest more in appearing within a SERP feature to attract more interested parties at every stage of the buyer’s journey.

SERP features differ from country to country. For example, the U.S. has very different top SERP features compared to the U.K. In the U.S., related questions accounted for more than a third of SERP features for each keyword. That’s 36% of the SERP features. In the U.K., related questions only accounted for 13% of SERP features. The top SERP feature in the U.K. was Instant Answers (31%) and that only achieved 2% of the share in the U.S. Location matters.

What does this mean for your strategy?

Clearly, search behavior is very, very different in the U.S. and U.K. Brands and businesses need to be aware of those nuances and develop strategies to target the most pertinent SERP features in their target geos.

Of course, much of this starts with competitor and keyword gap analysis. To develop an actionable strategy, you need to know what SERP features you’re losing out on and your competitors are benefiting from.

With Similarweb, you can access insights right when you need them. Get a 360-degree view of every company and learn where potential prospects spend their time and money online. If you’re missing out on new keyword opportunities and chances to be featured, with Similarweb, you’ll find them.

Take a look at the screenshot below. With Digital Marketing Intelligence, you can access SERP Feature data at the keyword level. This means you can see the exact terms your competitors are ranking for (and take advantage of opportunities they’ve missed).

Six types of SERP feature optimizations to try

Start your SERP feature keyword research by either looking at a core topic or taking advantage of what your competitors are doing. These are both great ways to get started. From there, there are several SERP feature-specific optimization approaches you can take:

Instant Answer optimization

Answer questions in the first paragraph
Utilize semantic keywords in your content and HTML
Create high quality and unique content
Focus on topics you can specialize in to win traffic

Video optimization

Adjust your title and description to reflect what the video is about
Select an engaging thumbnail image
Create a video transcript (also good for web accessibility)
Include one video on each page

Local 3-pack optimization

Register and complete your Google My Business and Bing Places profiles
Identify and prioritize stores that are over and under-performing (use your analytics)
Promote your local businesses using customer reviews
Optimize your content using semantics, local language, and directions to reach your stores

App optimization

Get high-quality customer reviews wherever possible
Optimize your keywords for apps, focusing on autosuggest
Avoid keyword stuffing; focus on relevance and value
Make sure your apps meet the right criteria

PPC optimization

Select targeted keywords to make sure your ads only appear for relevant searches
Use ad extensions, like a call button, to provide additional information and opportunities for engagement
Perform A/B testing to see what works for your audience
Write clear CTAs to drive action

Want to find out more about how you can research SERP trends and optimize your strategy with Similarweb? Watch our on-demand SERP trends webinar with Kevin Indig now.

Want to take next steps and transform your marketing campaigns into lead magnets? Use our Digital Marketing Intelligence tool – click the button below to see it in action.

SERP features FAQs

What does SERP mean?

SERP stands for search engine results page, and is the list of results that appear after searching for a term or query.

What are SERP features?

SERP features are elements that appear on a SERP that are not traditional search results, such as videos, FAQs, and reviews.

Why are SERP features helpful for businesses?

SERP features are helpful for businesses because they improve engagement and provide a better user experience, therefore attracting more customers to a brand.