SERP features are the elements on a search results page that go beyond a plain organic listing: AI Overviews, featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, video and image results, knowledge panels, local packs, sitelinks and rich results such as review stars. They change how much attention organic results receive, and some of them are opportunities to appear in more than one place on the page.
Common features on Google
Google's list of features changes frequently, and some are tested or retired without much notice. The ones most relevant to SaaS companies tend to be:
- AI Overviews and links within them
- Featured snippets: a short extracted answer at or near the top
- People Also Ask: expandable related questions
- Video results, often from YouTube
- Discussions and forums results
- Sitelinks under a brand's main result
- Rich results from structured data, such as breadcrumbs or software app details
Features as a research signal
The features on a SERP say something about the intent behind a search. People Also Ask suggests the searcher has follow-up questions. Video results suggest a visual explanation helps. A discussions block suggests people want first-hand experiences. Many ads at the top suggest commercial value.
Features also affect traffic. A search where the first organic result sits below an AI Overview, ads and a video carousel will generally send fewer clicks per ranking than one with a clean page, even at the same position.
Can you target features?
Some, partly. Clear, direct answers near the top of a page give Google something to use for a featured snippet. Valid structured data makes a page eligible for certain rich results, though Google decides whether to show them. Video results require a video worth watching.
Inclusion in AI Overviews cannot be requested. Google's guidance is that the same practices that help pages appear in Search apply, and there is no special markup for AI features.
Tracking features
Many rank trackers record which features appear for each tracked keyword and whether your site holds any of them. Search Console reports some appearance types in its Performance report, but not every feature is broken out. Feature tracking from tools is sampled and can differ from what real users see.
Example
Answering the questions on the page
A made-up time-tracking company sees People Also Ask boxes for its target search, with questions about billable hours and overtime rules.
It adds a short section answering each question directly on its guide page. Whether Google uses those answers is up to Google, but the page now covers what searchers visibly want to know next.
Common mistakes
Ignoring features when forecasting traffic
A first-place ranking under several features may bring far fewer clicks than the same ranking on a plain page.
Adding structured data for features you don't qualify for
Markup that doesn't match visible content, or that targets unsupported types, will not earn rich results and can lead to a manual action.
Questions
Rich results are one kind of SERP feature: enhanced listings, often powered by structured data. SERP features is the broader term for every non-standard element on the page.
No. Google states there is no special markup or file needed for its AI features. Standard SEO practices and helpful content are what apply.
