SERP essentials
- The concept: The page displayed on Google (or Bing) after typing a search query
- Composition: A blend of natural results (SEO), advertisements (SEA) and enriched blocks
- The challenge: The higher and more varied your appearance, the more customers you attract
- Evolution: With AI, the SERP becomes interactive and sometimes responds without you even having to click
The term SERP may sound barbaric, but you come across dozens of them every day. It's simply the screen that appears after you click on "Google Search".
For an executive or marketing manager, the SERP is the number 1 playground this is where your customers decide, in a fraction of a second, whether to click with you or your competitor.
The structure of a modern SERP
A modern SERP no longer resembles the simple list of 10 blue links of yesteryear. It's made up of three main areas:
1. Natural results (SEO)
This is the heart of the engine. These results appear because Google judges your site to be the most relevant and reliable. You don't pay to be there, you earn your place through quality content and irreproachable technique. This is the most sustainable source of traffic.
2. Paid results (SEA)
Identified by the word "Sponsorise", these are advertisements. Via a bidding system (Google Ads), you buy your place at the very top. It's the ideal way to get immediate exposure to a specific offer.
3. Enriched blocks
Google wants to save us time. It is therefore adding specific modules:
- The Local Pack : A map and three addresses if you're looking for a shop nearby
- The Zero Position: A box answering your question at the top of the page
- The Knowledge Panel: A complete company card on the right of the screen
Why analyze the SERP?
Analyzing the SERP for your strategic keywords allows you to :
The opportunities
- Get to know your competitors better
- Adapt your content to the expected format
- Identify the enriched blocks to target
- Optimize your SEA budget
Pitfalls to avoid
- Ignore algorithm changes
- Fighting on overly competitive keywords
- Forgetting the mobile version of the SERP
- Neglect new formats (video, AI)
Control your SERP visibility
The SERP changes all the time: depending on where you are, the device you're using and even the time of day. Tracking your position manually has become impossible.
GreenRed monitors your SERP presence from every angle: SEO, SEAlocal visibility and even your presence in new responses generated by AI (GEO).