What is SERP? Search Engine Position

Website Performance

Have you ever tried searching for your fantastic new website, only to find it has been lost in the depths of cyberspace and is trailing behind hundreds of other sites? This all comes down to search engine results page (SERP) positioning! After reading this post you will know how to save your site from being buried.

What is SERP?

SERP (Search Engine Results Pages) is a page that Google and other search engines display to show results from a user's search.

Uniquely, even if using the same keywords, SERP views can vary between users.

Why is that so? Google displays search results based on a variety of factors relevant to current users. For example, where users live, search history, social media used, and other settings.

SERPs are divided into core sections. At the top, you'll always find paid listings. But what about the listings that lie beneath the advertising? These are organic search results, or the listings that are featured on a SERP because of their relevance to the search terms that a user has entered into a search engine.

Why SERP Is Important For SEO?

The main reason is because the ultimate goal of all SEO efforts is to put the website in SERP, especially in the top position for organic search results.

So, SEO is a free effort so that your website can appear in SERPs.

However, not all SERP are important for SEO. Because only the first page of SERP only gives benefits for your website. It's often said that the best place to hide a dead body is on the second page of search engine results, which is why it is essential to ensure your listing is as high as possible on the first SERP.

Ninety-one percent of searchers will not click past the first results page, so it's time to adopt a competitive mindset and strive to achieve a top-three organic listing. Your overall goal is to reach the number-one position!

Well, no wonder that people are vying to implement SEO strategies so that the website is on the first page of SERP?

Implement the SERP for Your Website

Organic versus Paid Listings

Listings that are displayed on the first page of search engine results yield the highest search traffic—the higher the listing, the more clicks it will receive. Generally, paid listings will garner a 30 percent click-through rate (CTR), with organic listings making up the remaining 70 percent.

While these statistics can vary depending on the aim, generally this rule of thumb is widely applicable. It is important to note that as listing positions get lower, click-throughs drastically decrease. Approximately 67 percent of clickthroughs on page one of a SERP occur in the first five results.

A low listing will ultimately affect your overall conversion rate, so once again, it's important to strive for the top three positions.

People can seek information using a variety of different search practices, which is why focusing solely on text-based searches can hinder your SERP positioning and people's reach. Let's build on what we've just learned and take a look at the different ways you can optimize your SERP listings.

Location-Based Search

Search engines take into account the location of the person searching to deliver the most applicable search results. For example, with Google's My Business you can submit your business for display on a location-based search, so when John Smith searches for Italian restaurants in Tokyo, your chances of appearing in his SERP are increased.

Be sure to complete all elements of the form by providing a category, description, pictures, videos, and so on to catch user attention. Google operates a five-star rating scheme, so customers should be encouraged to review and rate your business.

Knowledge Graph Listing

Google's Knowledge Graph tries to understand searcher's intent while anticipating their end goals. It tries to help people discover key information about a particular business that they may not have been able to discover through an organic listing.

For example, if a user searches for information on restaurants in New York City, Knowledge Graph will display both a variety of images at the top of the SERP and a panel on the right with a list of key information, a company description, reviews, related searches, and so on. It feeds on information from related websites, popular searches, Google local listings, and other sources.

Data Highlighter

Data Highlighter is a Google Search Console (GSC) tool that is very valuable when it comes to refining your SERP listing. With your mouse, you simply highlight the various data fields (title, description, image, etc.) on your page.

This in turn allows Google to display your website data in new, more attractive ways both in SERPs and on the Knowledge Graph. While you cannot stipulate what data will display in a SERP, through Google Search Console, you can demote links to your site that decrease its chances of being listed.

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Okay, we hope now you can understand what is SERP and why these are important for SEO. If you feel this post is insightful, don’t forget to share it with others. Thanks for your visit and have a nice day!