Ever wonder what the most common features are on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) these days? Well, SEO giant Moz has you covered. In their recent Whiteboard Friday video, Tom Capper dives into a new STAT white paper that analyzes the top SERP features of 2024, comparing them to data from early 2023. Here’s a quick look at some of the key takeaways:
Related searches are everywhere: In 2024, a whopping 99% of SERPs contained a “related searches” feature, up from 84% in 2023. While not the most exciting finding, it highlights its near-ubiquity.
Videos are taking over, especially on mobile: Videos are becoming a more prominent SERP feature, especially on smartphones where they’ve surpassed desktops. This trend reflects the growing popularity of video content and improvements in mobile bandwidth and processing power.
Carousel and image features are on the rise: Similar to videos, carousels and image features are showing increased prevalence, particularly on mobile SERPs. This suggests a more visual search landscape.
People Also Ask (PAA) might be on the decline: PAAs haven’t changed much in terms of presence, but their share of voice (prominence) has decreased. This could indicate a shift in how Google displays these features or a move towards alternative solutions like “Ask a follow-up question” currently being tested.
Local packs are holding strong: While not appearing on every SERP, local packs (also known as “Places”) hold the top spot for share of voice. This means when they do appear, they occupy a prominent position.
Knowledge Graph prominence is growing on mobile: Knowledge Graph results, which can include dictionary definitions, currency conversions, or weather information, are becoming more prominent, especially on mobile searches. This means organic results might face even stiffer competition for screen space.
News results are taking a hit: News results have seen a significant drop in share of voice, potentially due to the rise of features like Discussions and Forums. This decrease, coupled with Google removing the News tab in some tests, suggests a potential shift away from traditional news sources in search results.
Organic results are getting squeezed: The share of voice for organic results has shrunk, particularly on mobile SERPs where it’s down to around 28%. This highlights the growing importance of understanding and leveraging other SERP features for SEO success.
The future of SERPs: The trends point towards a more visual and feature-rich search landscape, with mobile leading the charge. SEOs need to adapt their strategies to optimize for these changes and potentially engage with these new features.
For a deeper dive into this data and what it means for SEOs, check out the full Whiteboard Friday video below!