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SEO has been playing a critical role in digital marketing ever since Google started ranking pages based on how SEO-friendly they are. However, Google is constantly working on ways to help web searchers find the information they are looking for without even going to the website.
Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) have become great sources of information as they provide web searchers with maps and snippets, so they do not have to click on the website at all. This makes it crucial to optimize on-SERP SEO.
What is on-SERP SEO?
On-SERP SEO is the optimization of any type of content showing up in the SERPs that you can influence and change. Initially, the only content types marketers could control on the SERPs were meta descriptions and meta titles.
However, these things changed when Google introduced snippets — organic search engine results that Google places above the first position on the first page. Not only do they look good, but they also provide web searchers with the crucial information they are looking for.
What is SERP?
SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page. This information shows up on your screen when you search for an answer to some question (query) in Google or another search engine.
SERP results may include different types of content: blogs, videos, images, paid advertisements, organic text, and so on. The type of content you will see in SERP depends on the type of query you have made.
SERP optimization is an excellent opportunity to show your users and visitors that your site has what they are looking for. You can do this by playing with an interesting title, engaging description, and keywords to improve your SEO.
A complex algorithm determines the order in which pages will rank on the first page of Google. Although we cannot influence the algorithm, we know that Google looks at hundreds of criteria when judging whether a specific site brings any kind of value or not.
Also, the good thing is that Google usually informs us when some changes have been made to their algorithm. For instance, this happened when Google made changes such as the Penguin Update, Rank Brain, the Mobile Update, and Panda Update.
Why is On-SERP SEO important?
In a nutshell, On-SERP SEO enables you to increase your search presence, brand awareness, and click-through rate on the first page of Google.
The purpose of Seach Engine Optimization is to secure a better position on the SERPs. However, on-SERP SEO allows you to provide users with immediate information on the spot, so they do not have to go on the website.
Therefore, there are many techniques you can implement to improve your presence on SERPs.
Elements of On-SERP SEO
- Meta Description and Title Tags
- Google Ads
- Rich Results
- Image & Video Results
- People Also Ask
- Schema Markup
- Features Snippets
- Map Pack
- Google My Business
If you are unsure how to optimize your on-SERP SEO elements, you should search for a New York web design company that can help you achieve great results.
Meta Description and Title Tags
In most cases, the meta description and title tag play a major role in your On-SERP SEO as they give a summary of what kind of information your page includes.
The title of your page is the biggest clue about the content on your page and should, therefore, be unique compared to the meta descriptions other pages have.
The meta description provides additional information about the page and gives visitors an insight into what they can expect when clicking through to your website.
So, if you don’t use keywords or create title tags and meta descriptions that do not provide core information, your position will drop.
Don’t forget to add dates to your meta descriptions and update those dates regularly. If your visitors know that your content is fresh and relevant, they will want to read what you have to say.
If you don’t have enough time to create fresh content, you may as well use evergreen one, update it and make sure you add dates.
If this seems daunting, consider reaching out to a web design company in NY to help boost your brand visibility on the SERPs so that you can focus on other things that matter.
The bottom line is that you need to optimize your meta descriptions and meta tiles if you want to increase your website traffic. Here are a few ways how you can do that:
- Do not create duplicate meta descriptions or title tags
- Create engaging meta descriptions that will make your visitors want to click-through
- Make sure you write clear and concise meta descriptions and titles to let visitors understand what your page is all about
- Use keywords you want to rank for in both titles and meta descriptions
Google Ads
Another way to get to the number one position on the first page of Google is to leverage the power of Google Ads.
Since Google Ads are paid, you can use them to increase your presence in SERP. On these ads, you can use images and text.
Google ads can have a great impact on your organic click-through rate. Since they show up on the top position of your page, they can help you get to the front page easily.
Rich Results
A rich result is a listing on Google’s search results that includes more than just a blue link that takes you to the relevant page. Instead, it contains images, carousels, and rating stars.
The biggest benefit of rich results is that they can serve as a visual representation of the message you try to convey. You can even include extra information such as the availability and pricing of your product or service.
Image and Video Results
Video and image results don’t appear as a result for every query, but Google tries to use them whenever they provide the best answers. However, they are not fixed as snippets and may appear in different positions in the search results.
Your images and videos should also be optimized as content because they address the same topic as the article they are used for. Therefore, they may also appear on the first page of Google’s results.
Schema Markup
Schema markup can help your visitors better understand what your content is about through something called structured data. For instance, if you are running a website that sells beauty products, your schema markup should include available services, specialties, etc. There are various types of schema markups, so it is important to do in-depth research to find out what you need before implementing it.
Featured Snippets
The best thing about featured snippets is that they appear above the first position, on the first results page on Google, also known as position zero.
Features snippets provide visitors with key information so they do not have to visit the website. This is a great way to get ahead of your competition and boost your brand’s visibility.
To win a featured snippet, you need to create a piece of content that indicates that you have a clear answer to the question your visitors are asking on Google.
Map Pack
Map Pack and some other on_SERP map listings allow you to get in front of your existing users and potential customers. A local map pack lists local businesses within a certain category in the area, and your business can also be included in that list.
Google My Business
If you still haven’t created a Google My Business listing, you definitely need to do that if you want your business to appear on the SERPs.
When creating your Google My Business account, make sure you include all the necessary details and optimize it to provide your visitors with the right information about your business.
Also, make sure that the content on your Google My Business account is consistent with the information you place on other websites.
How to Improve Your on-SERP SEO?
Now that we have listed all the elements of on-SERP SEO, let’s discuss the elements you can optimize to boost your business’ visibility.
Video Carousels
Videos show up for a large number of queries both on mobile and web. This is why this element is very easy to target. You can easily optimize YouTube videos and there are several tools you can use to create a video out of your content in no time.
Image Results
When uploading images to your site, always make sure you do the basic image SEO that will help you rank higher on the first page of Google. Also, try to use images on every page of your website.
While these images may not increase traffic to your site, they can definitely increase your brand’s visibility and awareness.
Interesting Finds
This element appears only on mobile phones and can include chunks of random articles on a certain topic that seems to be getting traction in that specific industry.To appear on this kind of listing, create interesting content that includes history, target topic, how-tos, and other relevant information.
Now that you know how important is on-SERP SEO, don’t waste any more time. Instead, try focusing on optimizing your on-SERP SEO elements. This will help you increase visibility, boost your brand awareness and bring more potential clients to your site.