What are SERP Features?
SERP Features are enhanced elements that appear on a search engine results page (SERP) beyond the standard blue links. These features are designed to provide users with faster, more relevant answers and may include things like featured snippets, knowledge panels, local packs, image carousels, and more.
They are triggered by specific types of search queries and can significantly affect organic visibility and click-through rates.
Why SERP Features Matter
Ranking within or around SERP Features can dramatically impact your traffic. Sometimes they reduce clicks to organic listings (if the answer is already shown), while in other cases, securing a feature (like a featured snippet) can boost exposure and credibility.
Key SERP Features include:
- Featured Snippets (direct answer boxes)
- Local Pack (map with local listings)
- Knowledge Panel (sidebar info panel)
- People Also Ask (related questions)
- Image Pack (carousel of images)
- Sitelinks (quick links beneath a result)
- Video Carousels
Understanding and optimising for SERP Features helps marketers improve visibility and attract more targeted clicks.
Example in Use
A content team notices that the keyword “how to optimise images for SEO” displays a featured snippet in Google. They update their blog post to structure the answer in a clear paragraph and add schema markup. After a few weeks, their content is selected for the snippet, increasing both traffic and authority.
Targeting SERP Features becomes a regular part of their SEO strategy.
Related Terms
- Featured Snippet
- Knowledge Panel
- Local Pack
- Rich Results
- Structured Data