SERP features
What are SERP features?
SERP features are any elements on a search engine results page other than the standard organic “ten blue links”. On Google they include AI Overviews, featured snippets, People Also Ask, the local pack, knowledge panels, image packs, video carousels, Top stories, shopping results, sitelinks and ads.
They fall into a few families. **Answer features** try to answer the query on the page: AI Overviews, featured snippets, knowledge panels and People Also Ask. **Vertical results** pull in other kinds of content: images, videos, news, products, local businesses, forums and short videos. **Enhanced listings** change how a normal organic result looks: rich snippets such as review stars and prices, sitelinks, and thumbnails. **Paid features** are search ads and shopping ads. **Navigation aids** such as related searches help users refine the query.
Which features appear depends on what Google thinks the searcher wants. A local service query brings a map pack. A product query brings shopping results. A how-to query often brings videos and People Also Ask. A news topic brings Top stories. The mix changes often: Google tests new layouts constantly, retires features (HowTo rich results went in 2023, the sitelinks search box in 2024, FAQ rich results entirely in 2026) and adds others, most visibly AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Some features you can win, and some you can only influence. Rich results generally need structured data plus content that meets Google’s guidelines. Featured snippets and AI Overview citations come from well-structured pages that already rank. Knowledge panels draw on Google’s Knowledge Graph. Local packs depend on your Google Business Profile. No markup guarantees a feature; Google decides what to show.
Why SERP features matter for SEO
SERP features change how many clicks a ranking is worth. Position 1 under an AI Overview, four ads and a map pack can sit far down the screen, especially on mobile, while position 1 on a plain page sits at the top. That is why the same position earns very different click-through rates on different queries, and why some searches end without a click at all (see zero-click searches).
They are also extra ways in. A page that ranks fifth can still be the featured snippet, be cited in the AI Overview, show in the video carousel and appear in People Also Ask. Owning several features on one results page can earn more attention than a single higher ranking.
Features tell you what Google thinks the intent is. If the page for your target keyword is full of videos and product listings, a long text article is unlikely to compete. Check the features before you decide what kind of page to create.
How to win SERP features
- For each priority keyword, record which features appear and which sites own them. A SERP checker or rank tracker can do this at scale.
- Match the format. If videos appear, make a video and put it on a page where it is the main content. If a list snippet appears, answer with a clear list.
- Answer the core question in 40 to 60 words directly under a heading that matches the query, to compete for featured snippets and AI citations.
- Add structured data for the rich results you qualify for, such as Product, Review, Recipe, Event, Article or Video, and test it with the Rich Results Test.
- Use descriptive file names, alt text and good-quality images for image packs.
- For local queries, complete and maintain your Google Business Profile.
- Track which features you own over time. Losing a featured snippet or a citation can explain a traffic drop when your ranking has not changed.
SERP features example
For “how to tile a bathroom wall” the results page shows an AI Overview, a video carousel, People Also Ask and then organic results. A site ranking fourth with an article and no video is competing for a fraction of the attention. Adding a step-by-step video to the page, a short direct answer under “How to tile a bathroom wall” and clear numbered steps give it a chance at the carousel, the AI Overview citations and People Also Ask.
SERP features FAQ
What are the most common SERP features?
On Google: ads, AI Overviews, featured snippets, People Also Ask, local packs, images, videos, Top stories, shopping results, knowledge panels, sitelinks and related searches. Which ones appear depends on the query.
Do SERP features reduce organic traffic?
They can. Features that answer the query or push organic results down tend to lower clicks on standard listings. But you can also win many of them, which brings traffic of its own.
Does schema markup guarantee a SERP feature?
No. Structured data makes a page eligible for some rich results, but Google decides whether to show them, based on the query, the content and its guidelines.
How do I track SERP features?
Use a rank tracker or SERP checker that records features for each keyword. Search Console’s search appearance filter also shows clicks from some rich result types.
Related SEO terms
SERP (search engine results page)
A SERP (search engine results page) is the page a search engine shows after a query: organic links, ads, and features like snippets and maps.
A featured snippet is a highlighted extract from a web page shown near the top of Google’s results to answer the query directly, with a link to the source.
People Also Ask is a Google results box of questions related to the search. Each one expands to show a short answer from a web page, with a link.
AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that Google shows at the top of some search results, with links to the web pages they draw on.
The local pack is the block of map and business listings Google shows for local searches, usually three businesses from Google Maps.
A knowledge panel is the information box Google shows for a well-known person, organisation, place or thing, drawn from its Knowledge Graph.
Rich results are Google search results with extra visual features, such as star ratings, prices or event dates, usually powered by structured data.
Zero-click searches are searches that end without a click to any website, because the answer is on the results page or the user gives up.