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SEOUpdated Apr 2026

SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

The page Google shows after a search — far more than just ten blue links.

Definition

A SERP is the results page returned by a search engine in response to a query. Modern SERPs include organic listings, ads, AI Overviews, featured snippets, knowledge panels, maps, images, video carousels, and shopping results.

Context

The composition of a SERP varies by query intent. Commercial queries show more ads and shopping results. Informational queries show AI Overviews, featured snippets, and 'People Also Ask' boxes. Local queries prioritize the map pack.

SERP feature ownership matters as much as organic ranking now. A page that ranks 3rd organically but captures the featured snippet earns far more clicks than a page at position 1 below the snippet.

Example

As of early 2026, Google AI Overviews appear in approximately 45% of US search queries and reduce downstream clicks to source websites by up to 58% for queries where they appear (BrightEdge; SparkToro / Datos).

The nuance most definitions miss

There is no single SERP. Google personalizes, geo-targets, and A/B tests results. Two users searching the same query from the same city can see substantively different pages.

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