In SERP (Search Engine Results Page), i.e., in the search results displayed in the web browser, we find more and more precise answers to various queries. Subsequent changes in Google algorithms (including Panda and Koliber) help to guess users’ intentions and preferences in the best possible way and to present useful and valuable sources of information. All of this obviously affects thepositioningprocess. When preparing a professional SEO strategy now, you can and should take into account the specific types of results that interest you. What can we choose from? How to effectively position a website with this in mind.

Basic types of search results

Before we delve into the details of optimization andlink building, it’s worth taking a look at the basic distinction between the main types of search results. First of all, SERPs are divided into:

organic results—i.e., natural, free results, dependent on specific user queries and search engine algorithms;
Paid resultsare marked withGoogle Adsads and sponsored links that are displayed above the free results.
In addition, it is worth paying attention to the division due to the types of searches, that is:
Text searches:the most popular type of searching for information on the web, consisting of entering a specific query in the form of a text into the search engine;
Image searchesallow you to discover information about a specific image, find similar images, and websites with a specific image or photo.
Voice search allows you to get search results by using a voice command recorded by the microphone on your computer or mobile phone.

Extended search results

Due to the fact that Google is constantly trying to facilitate, make more attractive and simplify the process of searching for content in advanced positioning, you can also take into account the so-called extended results, i.e. search results enriched with additional visual and interactive functions. It is, among others, about the so-called:

Rich snippets

Organic results with additional elements of a single page, such as breadcrumbs, photos, status, availability or price of the product, average rating of users or places and date of the event. They make it possible to distinguish a given website from others in a given industry.

Answer Boxes (Featured snippets)

Results in the form of content fragments that concern precise answers to questions with pronouns like: what, who, how, where, when, why and how many. This includes, for example, facts, definitions, advice, regulations etc.

Carousel Results

So the so-called carousels with results – horizontally scrolling bars in the form of a list or gallery, especially useful and popular in searches on mobile devices.

Local Pac

The results, which are displayed in response to queries related to a given location, eg “Warsaw computer store”, “marketing agency in Poznań” and contain a fragment of the Google map with basic information about several companies (usually three).

FAQ

Topic-related FAQ page results.

Knowledge Panel

Usually, these types of results appear when we are looking for information about a specific company or brand, it is about results in the form of a set of basic data – a knowledge panel (displayed on the right, in a frame), which may concern, for example, product descriptions, characters, institutions etc.

Top Stories

In other words – the most important articles selected and personalized using an algorithm, visible from the level of the search engine. This type of results is not generated for every phrase, but only for those whose search increases rapidly over time.

Review snippet

Expanded search results in the form of short snippets of reviews or opinions with an average numerical rating given by users (on a scale of 1 to 5). Especially useful for promoting local businesses, restaurants, books, apps or events.

Jop Posting

The results that appear when you search for job offers that apply to a specific position in a specific location (city or region). Useful, especially for companies that want to increase the visibility of their offers and effectiveness in recruitment.

People also ask

Results for related questions, similar to the one entered in the search engine, are displayed as additional information, thematically related in a form similar to the Answer Box.

Discover more places

Searching for places in the nearest location or in response to a request for a place in a given region or city that may potentially be of interest to the user, e.g. restaurants, tourist attractions, entertainment venues, cultural institutions, etc.

Effective positioning for search results

sorichreviews snippetsdiscover How not to get lost among so many types of search results in the context of positioning? How do I know what to consider? First of all, you should carefully consider which types of SERPs are relevant in an individual case. Obviously, it may not always make sense to include all of the enriched results. If, for example, we run an online store, it is worth focusing on rich snippets or reviews snippets, but the discover more places functionality will probably not be effective in any way. What needs to be analyzed is not only the type of industry (e-commerce, tourist, gastronomic, entertainment, etc.) in which we operate but also the specificity of the activity (activity with or without a specific headquarters, local or national business, type of offer, and others) or target recipients (their online research habits—as they search for information on what devices they use, which types of results they take into account, etc.). Of course, the website itself is also important in terms of how extensive it is, what content it contains or has the potential to adapt to specific search results (e.g., is it possible to add the necessary content-graphics, FAQ sections, articles) etc. It is also good to take into account your SEO budget: how much are we possibly able to invest in the needed optimizations, whether we can use the help of a professional agency, or should we focus on independent trials? or//

Is it worth making such an effort? For certain industries and sites, certainly. Opinions, reviews, location, content usability, transparency—these are only some of the factors that many potential customers take into account when searching for companies, brands, products, services, or attractions on the web, and it is the work on such aspects that involves taking into account extended SERPs in SEO activities.