What is SERP Features?
SERP features are any result on a Google search results page that is not a standard organic blue link — including featured snippets, local packs, People Also Ask boxes, image carousels, knowledge panels, AI Overviews, and shopping results that occupy prime real estate above or alongside organic listings.
Why It Matters
Ranking number one in organic results used to mean owning the top of the page. That has not been true for years. Today, a query like "best running shoes" shows shopping ads, image carousels, People Also Ask, featured snippets, and possibly an AI Overview — all before the first organic result. The page-one organic position that used to get 30% of clicks now competes with half a dozen SERP features for attention.
This changes how SEO strategy works. Optimising for position one is no longer enough. The strategy must account for which SERP features appear for each target query and how to either win them or work around them. A keyword where an AI Overview answers the question fully may have low organic click-through regardless of ranking.
How It Works
The main SERP features and how they work:
- Featured snippets — A direct answer extracted from a page and displayed at the top of results. Winning a featured snippet requires content that directly and clearly answers the query, usually in a paragraph, list, or table format.
- People Also Ask (PAA) — An expandable box of related questions. Each answer links to a source page. Targeting PAA questions in your content creates additional visibility opportunities beyond your primary keyword.
- Local pack — Three local business listings with a map. Driven by Google Business Profile data, reviews, and citation signals. Dominates results for queries with local intent.
- AI Overviews — AI-generated summaries that synthesise information from multiple sources. The newest SERP feature and the most disruptive — it can answer complex queries without the user clicking through to any website.
- Knowledge panels — Entity-based information boxes on the right side of desktop results. Driven by Knowledge Graph data, Wikipedia, and structured data on the web.
Common Mistakes
Treating all keywords the same regardless of SERP feature landscape. A keyword with a featured snippet behaves differently from one dominated by a local pack or shopping results. The SERP layout determines the click-through rate, the type of content needed, and the realistic traffic potential. Keyword research without SERP feature analysis is incomplete.
The other mistake is ignoring AI Overviews. They are expanding across more query types and fundamentally change the value of ranking for informational queries. Content strategy must now account for whether a query triggers an AI Overview and optimise for citation within it — not just for the organic results below.
How I Use This
My SEO automation includes SERP feature monitoring across tracked keywords. The system identifies which features appear, whether you are winning them, and where opportunities exist. For AI Overviews specifically, my AI search optimisation service focuses on earning citations within AI-generated answers — not just organic rankings.
Related Services
How BrightIQ uses SERP Features
This concept is central to the following services:
Related Terms
AI Visibility Assessment
An AI visibility assessment measures where and how often your brand appears in AI-powered search results — across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini — and identifies what to fix so you show up more.
Featured Snippet
A featured snippet is a highlighted answer box at the top of Google search results that extracts and displays content directly from a web page — giving that page prominent visibility above the standard organic listings, often called 'position zero.'
Local Pack
The local pack (also called the map pack) is the group of three local business listings that appear with a map at the top of Google search results for location-based queries — displaying the business name, rating, address, and key details directly in the SERP.
Search Intent
Search intent (also called user intent or keyword intent) is the underlying purpose behind a search query — whether the user wants to learn something, find a specific website, compare options, or make a purchase. Matching content to search intent is the single most important factor in modern SEO.