# SERP features SERP features are everything on a Google results page that is not a plain organic result. They decide where attention goes and hint at search intent. You need to know which show up on your queries and which your pages can win. Updated 2026-09-14 · Source: https://porteur.ai/glossary/serp-features ## What counts as a SERP feature As of 2026, the main features are: AI Overviews and AI Mode, featured snippets, People also ask, knowledge panels, sitelinks, image, video and news packs, the local pack, shopping results, top stories, Discussions and forums, and ads. - Examples you will see: a featured snippet box above result one, a People also ask accordion, a 3-pack of maps for "coffee near me", an image row for "how to tie a tie", sitelinks under your homepage when someone searches "yourproduct.com". - Rank trackers report which features appear on each tracked query. A SERP checker lets you confirm the page makeup by location and device. ## Why features matter for a small site Features reveal the intent Google assigned and they take clicks from the organic results below them. If a query shows ads, a shopping block and a local pack, do not expect a how-to guide to win clicks there. They also create new ways to appear. A page can win the featured snippet, a PAA expansion, or an image slot. Others come from different sources, like the local pack from Google Business Profiles, the shopping block from product feeds, or knowledge panels from entity data. ## How to see the features on your queries 1. **Pick the queries that matter** List your head terms and their close variants. Include product terms like "yourproduct analytics", and problem terms like "track SaaS signups". 2. **Check the live SERP** Search in an incognito window. Set the location if it is local. Note the order: ads, AI Overview, snippet, PAA, packs, organic, etc. 3. **Record what you see** Log the features, their positions, and the page types that show. Example: for "pricing strategy", note a snippet, PAA and a Discussions and forums block. 4. **Track changes over time** Use a SERP checker or your rank tracker’s feature flags to watch which features appear more often and where your page sits beneath them. A quick read of three to five priority queries is enough to set direction. Recheck after you ship a page change or a new asset. ## Features you can win and what to add - Featured snippet: Answer the core question in 40 to 60 words near the top. Use the exact query as a subheading. For "what is cohort analysis", add a clean paragraph answer then detail below. - People also ask: Mirror the phrasing of the PAA questions on a relevant page. Add short, direct answers, then expand. Link the question in a table of contents. - Images: Add descriptive, original images, alt text, and a relevant file name. For a guide at /guides/getting-started, include one or two labelled diagrams. - Videos: If the SERP shows a video pack, embed a short demo or publish to a channel with a clear title and chapters that match the query. - Sitelinks: Use clear navigation and internal links. Give your homepage distinct anchors like Pricing, Docs, Blog. Avoid duplicate titles. - AI Overviews: Cover the entities, steps and citations a model could lift. State facts plainly, cite your sources, and avoid fluff. See our guide on ranking in AI Overviews. You cannot directly win knowledge panels, the local pack, shopping results or news and top stories without their specific feeds or listings. For local intent, set up and maintain your Business Profile. For shopping, use product feeds and structured data on product pages. A fixed page looks like this: on "/pricing" add an FAQ that answers "Is there an annual discount?" and "Can I cancel?" to target PAA, then tighten the title to fit about 60 characters. ## Common traps and how to avoid them - Chasing the wrong intent: If the SERP shows shopping and local, your blog post will struggle. Target a query with informational features instead. - Ignoring feature position: A snippet above the fold can halve clicks below. Aim to be the snippet or switch to a nearby query with fewer blockers. - Over-formatting: Do not stuff every page with FAQs and lists. Match the SERP. If rivals win with a comparison table, add one where it fits. - Forgetting image quality: Image packs prefer clear, relevant images. Stock art with generic alt text rarely wins. - Not measuring impact: Track clicks and positions after a change. If clicks fall while impressions rise, a new feature may have appeared above you. > Rule: optimise for the features that already appear on the target SERP, not the features you prefer. ## Questions ### What does SERP stand for? Search engine results page. A SERP feature is any element on that page that is not a plain blue-link organic result. ### How do I rank for SERP features? Mirror the page type and format the live SERP rewards. Add concise, direct answers for snippets and PAA. Add quality images for image packs. Use structured data on product and article pages to help eligibility where relevant. Track the SERP to confirm movement. ### What is the difference between SEO and SERP? SEO is the work to win visibility and clicks from search. A SERP is the page of results, which now includes many features that can steal or create clicks. You optimise pages based on what appears on the SERP for each query. ### Which SERP features can a small site win first? Featured snippets, People also ask and images are the fastest options. Start with clear answers, tidy headings and original images on a focused page. Pick queries where those features already appear. ### How do rank trackers show SERP features? Most report the features present on each tracked query and sometimes icons on the live snapshot, as of 2026. Use that to spot where features changed and to prioritise format updates. ### Do AI Overviews replace organic results? They sit above them on many queries, as of 2026. They can reduce clicks to results below. Write pages that state facts cleanly and can be cited, then check if the Overview source set changes after your update. ## Read next - [SERP](https://porteur.ai/glossary/serp): A SERP is a search engine results page. See its parts as of 2026, how to read features, how they affect clicks, and what to do on your site. - [Search intent: what the results page tells you to build](https://porteur.ai/guides/search-intent): Learn the four intents, read intent from the results page, and fix pages that will never rank by changing their kind, not just the words. - [Featured snippet](https://porteur.ai/glossary/featured-snippet): What a featured snippet is, how to earn and measure it, and how AI Overviews change clicks and priorities for a small site. - [People also ask](https://porteur.ai/glossary/people-also-ask): People also ask are Google’s expandable question boxes. See where they come from, how to read them, how to answer them, and the traps to avoid. - [How to appear in Google’s AI Overviews](https://porteur.ai/guides/how-to-rank-in-ai-overviews): What overviews cite, which queries trigger them, and how to structure pages that get linked. Steps to find your openings and measure them. - [SERP checker](https://porteur.ai/tools/serp-checker): Type a search and see the results page as Google draws it now in six markets: the top ten sites, the People also ask questions, and who the AI Overview cites. Paste your URL and see which SERP features show on your searches and rivals in about thirty seconds, free, with three specific findings from Porteur. Free check: https://porteur.ai/