Guide

SERP Features Guide

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Google’s search results page in 2026 is a dense composition of features, blocks, and summaries. Traditional organic rankings still exist, but they share the page — and the click share — with AI-generated answers, maps, products, videos, and knowledge panels. Understanding each feature type, how it affects user behaviour, and how to appear in it is a core part of modern SEO.

This guide covers every major SERP feature, the CTR implications of each, and practical steps for targeting them.

The current SERP landscape

According to Semrush Sensor data, only around 1.5% of Google first pages show no SERP features. The average search results page includes multiple features, and their composition varies significantly by query type:

  • Informational queries: AI Overviews, featured snippets, People Also Ask, knowledge panels
  • Navigational queries: sitelinks, knowledge panels
  • Commercial queries: shopping carousels, product knowledge panels, reviews
  • Transactional queries: shopping carousels, local pack (for local products/services)
  • Local queries: local pack, maps, local knowledge panels

AI Overviews represent the most significant structural change to the SERP in the past decade. Their rapid expansion from 2024 into 2026 has displaced many traditional features and reshaped how CTR is distributed.

AI Overviews

What they are

AI Overviews are synthesised summaries generated by Google’s AI (based on Gemini) that appear at the top of the results page for a wide range of queries. Unlike featured snippets, which extract from a single source, AI Overviews draw from multiple pages and present a synthesised answer in Google’s own words, with source citations.

Current reach

As of early 2026, AI Overviews appear on approximately 58% of all Google searches in markets where the feature is active. Rates vary by topic:

  • Technology and general knowledge: 50-60%
  • Healthcare and finance (YMYL): 15-20% (Google applies more conservative thresholds)
  • Informational queries: ~40%
  • Commercial queries: ~25%

CTR impact

AI Overviews reduce clicks for queries where the summary fully satisfies the intent. Impressions rise (the page gets credited as a source) while clicks may stay flat or fall. This decouples impressions and CTR in ways that make traditional performance metrics harder to interpret.

The important nuance: being cited in an AI Overview still has value. Users see your URL and brand name as a trusted source. Some click through to verify or read more. The intent has shifted from “find a result” to “trust a source.”

How to target AI Overviews

There is no direct mechanism to submit content for AI Overview inclusion. Google selects sources based on the same signals it uses for quality assessment generally. However, research shows a strong correlation between featured snippet winners and AI Overview citations — the same content characteristics that earn featured snippets tend to earn AI Overview citations.

Targeting principles:

  • Answer the query directly in the opening paragraph or an early H2
  • Use clear, factual language rather than hedged or promotional language
  • Support answers with specific data, dates, or figures
  • Structure content so individual sections are self-contained answers. Google often pulls from mid-page sections, not just introductions
  • Build E-E-A-T signals (authorship, cited sources, original research)

Monitoring: In Google Search Console, filter the Performance report by Search Appearance > AI Overviews to see impressions from AI Overview citations. This data became available in 2025.

What they are

A single extracted answer, shown above position 1 in the organic results (position 0). Google pulls the text, list, or table directly from a page. Three formats:

  • Paragraph: a 2-5 sentence answer to a direct question
  • List: numbered or bulleted steps/items
  • Table: comparative data (prices, specs, comparisons)

Current reach

Featured snippets appeared on approximately 15% of queries at the start of 2025. By mid-2025, that figure had fallen to around 5.5% — a 64% decline — as AI Overviews absorbed many queries that previously triggered snippets. Featured snippets now cluster around queries where a brief extracted answer still adds value without AI synthesis.

CTR impact

When a featured snippet appears, the snippet holder typically sees 20-30% CTR improvement for that query compared to holding position 1 without a snippet. Users trust the snippet format. The visual prominence drives clicks.

Identify snippet opportunities. Target queries formatted as direct questions: “what is X”, “how does X work”, “how to do X”, “X vs Y”. These trigger snippet formats most reliably. Check which queries on your site already trigger snippets (Search Console > Search Appearance filter) and identify gaps.

Format content to match snippet types:

For paragraph snippets:

  • Open your answer with a 40-60 word direct response immediately after an H2 or H3
  • Don’t bury the answer in supporting context

For list snippets:

  • Use proper <ol> or <ul> HTML lists
  • Each item should be a distinct, complete step or item
  • 5-10 items is the typical range Google pulls

For table snippets:

  • Use proper HTML <table> markup
  • Include a header row
  • Keep tables comparative (two or more items being compared)

Write for the question, not around it. The opening sentence of a section should answer the question posed by the heading, not introduce it. “Title tags are the text that appears in a browser tab and in search results” earns more snippets than “In this section, we examine what title tags are and why they matter.”

Monitor and iterate. Use Search Console to track snippet ownership. Ahrefs and Semrush both show which of your pages hold featured snippets and which competitor pages hold snippets you could displace.

People Also Ask

What they are

An expandable block of related questions, each revealing a brief answer pulled from a source page. PAA boxes appear for a large proportion of informational queries. They are dynamically expanding — clicking one question generates more related questions.

CTR impact

Direct traffic from PAA clicks is typically lower than from featured snippets. However, PAA appearances contribute to topical authority signals and keep your brand visible throughout a user’s research journey.

How to target PAA

Mine PAA for content gaps. PAA questions show what users ask after (and alongside) your target query. If your page doesn’t address PAA questions, a competitor’s page that does has an advantage.

Structure content as Q&A. Use question-formatted H2 and H3 headings followed by a concise answer paragraph. PAA often pulls from the same content format as featured snippets.

Use question-shaped headings. Question-formatted H2 and H3 headings help Google identify Q&A structure on a page, which supports PAA eligibility. FAQPage structured data can reinforce this signal for AI systems, though Google removed FAQ rich results from Search in May 2026.

Knowledge panels

What they are

Panels on the right side of desktop SERPs (or prominently placed on mobile) showing information about entities. People, organisations, brands, places, and products are included. Pulled from Google’s Knowledge Graph, Wikipedia, official sources, Wikidata, and structured data.

CTR impact

Knowledge panels primarily appear for navigational queries. Users search for a brand or person by name. They don’t typically displace organic clicks; they supplement them. A well-populated knowledge panel builds trust and brand credibility.

How to influence knowledge panels

You cannot submit directly for a knowledge panel. Google determines eligibility based on entity prominence. To improve chances:

  • Maintain a Wikipedia article (written in neutral, encyclopaedic tone)
  • Ensure Wikidata entries are accurate and linked to your official pages
  • Use Organization or Person schema on your homepage with sameAs links to authoritative profiles (Wikipedia, LinkedIn, Crunchbase, social profiles)
  • Maintain consistent NAP (name, address, phone) information across the web
  • Build entity associations through coverage in authoritative publications

If you have a knowledge panel, you can suggest changes via the “Claim this knowledge panel” button — useful for correcting inaccurate information.

Local pack (map pack)

What it is

A block of three Google Business Profile listings with a map, appearing for queries with local intent: “dentist near me”, “plumbers in Brighton”, “coffee shop Manchester”. Below or alongside the pack, standard organic results appear.

CTR impact

For local queries, click share is heavily concentrated on the three local pack listings. Organic results below the pack receive a small fraction of clicks for typical local intent queries.

How to rank in the local pack

Local pack ranking is determined by three factors:

  • Relevance: how well your Business Profile matches the query
  • Distance: proximity to the searcher
  • Prominence: authority based on reviews, links, mentions, and Business Profile completeness

Practical actions: complete your Google Business Profile fully (categories, attributes, photos, hours), build local citations, maintain review velocity, and earn local backlinks.

Local pack ranking is separate from organic ranking — a site can rank in the local pack without ranking organically, and vice versa.

Shopping carousels

What they are

Product listings from Google Shopping (Merchant Centre) appearing for commercial and transactional queries. Each listing shows a product image, name, price, and merchant. Clicking goes directly to the merchant’s product page.

CTR impact

Shopping carousels capture high commercial intent. For product-level queries, users often click a shopping result before an organic result.

How to appear

Shopping carousels require a Google Merchant Centre product feed — they are not earned through organic ranking signals. For e-commerce sites, this means:

  • A verified and approved Merchant Centre account
  • A complete, accurate product feed (title, description, price, availability, GTIN)
  • No policy violations

Product schema on your product pages also improves eligibility for product knowledge panels and rich snippets.

Video carousels

What they are

A row of video thumbnails, primarily from YouTube, appearing for how-to, tutorial, educational, and entertainment queries.

How to appear

  • Host the video on YouTube (the primary source for video carousels)
  • Use descriptive, keyword-relevant titles and descriptions
  • Add VideoObject structured data to embedded video pages on your site to help Google understand what the video contains
  • Transcripts help Google index video content

Rich snippets

What they are

Organic results enhanced with additional information extracted from structured data: star ratings, review counts, prices, availability, event dates, recipe times, FAQ items.

Unlike most other features, rich snippets don’t add a separate block — they enhance an existing organic result. The same URL holds the organic ranking; the structured data adds visual information.

CTR impact

Rich snippets improve CTR relative to an equivalent result without enhancements. Studies consistently show 20-30% CTR uplift for results with review stars compared to those without, for equivalent positions.

Schema types that enable rich snippets

Schema typeRich result elements
Review / AggregateRatingStar rating, review count
ProductPrice, availability, rating
HowToSteps listed below the result
EventEvent date, location, tickets
RecipeCook time, rating, calories
JobPostingJob title, company, location
ArticleTop stories carousel eligibility

Implement schema using JSON-LD in the <head> of the page. Validate with Google’s Rich Results Test before deploying.

What they are

Additional links beneath a main organic result, typically appearing for branded queries. They show sub-pages of the same site and allow users to navigate directly to sections they want.

Sitelinks appear automatically when Google determines a site has strong brand authority for a navigational query. They are not submitted or applied for.

Google determines sitelink targets based on internal link structure and page authority. To influence which pages appear:

  • Ensure your most important pages are prominently linked from the navigation
  • Use descriptive anchor text in internal links
  • Use SearchAction sitelink searchbox schema if you want a search box shown in sitelinks

Tracking SERP feature performance

Google Search Console: filter the Performance report by Search Appearance to see impressions and clicks by feature type. Available types include AI Overviews, featured snippets, image packs, and more.

Third-party tools: Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz all track SERP feature ownership by keyword. Use these to see which competitors hold features you don’t.

Manual spot-checks: search target queries in an incognito/private window. Check what features appear, whose content is cited, and how much of the page organic results occupy before the fold.

Implications for traffic forecasting

Traditional traffic models (position × average CTR) were built for a ten-blue-links SERP. They overestimate traffic for queries where features displace clicks. When building traffic projections:

  • Check SERP composition for your target queries before estimating CTR
  • Apply lower CTR assumptions for informational queries (AI Overviews likely present)
  • Apply higher CTR multipliers for queries where your page could win a featured snippet
  • Track impressions alongside clicks — impressions from AI Overview citations still have brand value, even without direct clicks