SERP
Search Engine Results Page — the page you see after typing a query into Google.
SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page — it's what you see after searching for something on Google (or any search engine). A modern Google SERP is far more complex than the simple list of ten blue links it used to be.
Today's SERPs can include: organic results, paid ads (top and bottom), featured snippets, knowledge panels, People Also Ask boxes, image packs, video results, local map packs, shopping results, news results, and more.
The term "SERP features" refers to any result type beyond the standard organic listing. Appearing in SERP features can dramatically increase your visibility and traffic, even if you're not the #1 organic result.
SERP analysis is a crucial part of keyword research. Before targeting a keyword, look at what the SERP actually looks like. If it's dominated by huge brands, informational articles, or shopping results, that tells you about the search intent and how hard it'll be to rank.
Why It Matters for SEO
Understanding the SERP landscape for your target keywords helps you create the right type of content. If Google shows videos for a query, you might need video content. If it shows a featured snippet, you should optimize for that format.