What Is SERP? Search Engine Results Page Explained

Key takeaways

SERP, or search engine results page, is the result a user sees after conducting an online query using a search engine like Google, Bing, or Yahoo.

• Top organic search results have an average clickthrough rate (CTR) of 39.8 percent [1]. After the top result, the second and third listings garner 18.7 percent and 10.2 percent, respectively [1].

• When a user types a query into a search engine, the search engine crawls its index for relevant web pages and then displays them in order of relevance.

• You can improve your site's ranking in the organic results of a SERP to drive increased traffic to your site by learning more about search engine optimization (SEO).

Discover what SERP is used for and how it differs from SEO. Then, if you’re ready to learn more about the fundamentals of digital marketing and e-commerce, enroll in the Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate. In as little as six months, you can build skills in social media strategy, customer retention, and social media marketing. 

Search engine results pages: What is SERP used for?

SERP, or search engine results page, is the result a user sees after conducting an online query using a search engine like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. When a user types a query into a search engine, that search engine crawls its index for relevant web pages, then displays them in order of relevance. A SERP often features a combination of organic results, paid ads, featured snippets, and other types of content. 

SERP is incredibly competitive. First Page Sage found that top organic search results have an average clickthrough rate (CTR) of 39.8 percent [1]. After the top result, the second and third listings garner 18.7 percent and 10.2 percent, respectively [1]. SERP can also refer to other pages beyond the first page of results. But users typically don’t click on the second page of results, making the first page prime real estate.

The goal of SEO is to improve a site's ranking in the organic results of a SERP to drive increased traffic to the site. 

What is a SERP vs. SEO?

SEO is the strategy you use to improve your website’s rankings, while the SERP is the page that displays those rankings. The higher your website ranks, the greater its visibility.

Read more: What Is Google My Business Local SEO?

Related terms

• Clickthrough rate (CTR)

• Bounce rate

• Content marketing

• SEO marketing

• Omnichannel marketing

• Brand marketing

• Influencer marketing

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