1.6Beginner8 min

SERP: What are Search Engine Results Pages?

Lucas Blochberger·7 April 2026·Updated 10 June 2026

Definition

SERP (Search Engine Results Page) refers to the results page that a search engine displays after entering a search query. It contains organic results, paid ads, and increasingly AI-generated elements like AI Overviews.

Key Takeaways

✓SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page and refers to the entire results page, not an individual search result.
✓A SERP is generated in real-time through four steps: crawling, indexing, ranking, and serving; the actual page is only assembled during serving.
✓Modern SERPs combine organic results, paid ads (SEA, marked as 'Sponsored'), and SERP features such as Featured Snippets, People Also Ask, Knowledge Panel, and Local Pack.
✓According to Ahrefs, AI Overviews appear in approximately 20.5% of all SERPs, with strong variation depending on topic (1.2% to 43.6%) and over time.
✓In the EU, 59.7% of Google searches end without a click to the open web (Zero-Click); position 1 has an average CTR of 27.6%.
✓SERPs are personalized and localized: they vary by location, device, language, and user history, which requires context-specific rank tracking in the DACH region.
✓In a B2B context, the SERP serves as a showcase for brand perception and early lead filter; dual optimization of SEO and GEO ensures visibility in both traditional and AI search.

The SERP is the stage where SEO results become visible. Those who understand the structure of modern search engine results pages can optimize specifically for the most valuable positions.

Structure of a Modern SERP

A Google SERP is far more than a list of ten blue links. It can contain up to 15 different result types. At the top, paid ads (Google Ads) frequently appear, and since 2024/2025, increasingly AI Overviews. Below that follow Featured Snippets, People Also Ask boxes, organic results, Knowledge Panels, Local Packs, image and video results.

The composition varies depending on the search query. Informational queries more frequently show AI Overviews and Featured Snippets. Local queries show the Local Pack (top 3 with map). Commercial queries show shopping results and ads.

AI Overviews as a New SERP Element

AI Overviews are the most significant SERP change since the Featured Snippet. They appear in 16-26 percent of all search queries above the organic results and synthesize information from multiple sources into a direct answer.

Featured Snippets and AI Overviews coexist in 45 percent of cases. This means that optimization for Featured Snippets continues to make sense and can simultaneously increase the chance of visibility in AI Overviews.

Zero-Click Searches

Over 65 percent of all Google searches end without a click on an organic result. The user finds their answer directly in the SERP Features: in the AI Overview, in the Featured Snippet, in the Knowledge Panel, or in the People Also Ask box.

For SEO, this has a strategic consequence: brand visibility in the SERPs becomes more important than individual clicks. When the user reads the brand name in the AI Overview, that's a branding effect, even without a click.

SERP Optimization in Practice

The most effective SERP strategy is a combination: Secure organic rankings for the classic blue links. Implement structured data for Rich Snippets. Optimize FAQ markup for People Also Ask. Structure content so that it's extractable for AI Overviews. Maintain Google Business Profile for the Local Pack.

Data & Statistics

Mehr als 5 Billionen Suchanfragen pro Jahr auf Google (erste offizielle Zahl seit 2016)

Search Engine Land - Google now sees more than 5 trillion searches per year [global] (2025)

Google hält in Österreich rund 82 % (81,87 %) Suchmaschinen-Marktanteil, Bing rund 9 % (Mai 2026)

StatCounter Global Stats - Search Engine Market Share Austria [Österreich] (2026)

8,69 Millionen Internetnutzer in Österreich bei 95,3 % Penetration (Januar 2025)

DataReportal - Digital 2025: Austria [Österreich] (2025)

AI Overviews erscheinen bei 20,5 % aller SERPs; Spannweite je Kategorie 1,2 % (Adult) bis 43,6 % (Science)

Ahrefs - What Triggers AI Overviews? 146 Million SERPs Analyzed (Desktop, Sep 2025) [global] (2025)

AI Overviews wurden im Januar 2025 bei 6,49 %, im Juli bei 24,61 % und im November bei 15,69 % der Anfragen ausgelöst (10 Mio.+ Keywords)

Semrush Blog - AI Overviews Study 2025 [Region nicht spezifiziert] (2025)

Mehr als 800 Millionen wöchentlich aktive Nutzer bei ChatGPT (Oktober 2025, laut OpenAI-CEO Sam Altman)

TechCrunch - Sam Altman says ChatGPT has hit 800M weekly active users [international] (2025)

GEO-Methoden können die Sichtbarkeit in generativen Antworten um bis zu 40 % steigern

arXiv:2311.09735 - GEO: Generative Engine Optimization (Aggarwal et al.), KDD 2024 [Benchmark] (2024)

59,7 % der Google-Suchen in der EU enden ohne Klick (Zero-Click); je 1.000 Suchen gehen nur 374 Klicks ins offene Web

SparkToro - 2024 Zero-Click Search Study (Rand Fishkin, Daten von Datos/Semrush) [EU] (2024)

Position 1 hat eine durchschnittliche organische CTR von 27,6 % und erhält rund 10x so viele Klicks wie Position 10 (Analyse von 4 Mio. Suchergebnissen)

Backlinko - We Analyzed 4 Million Google Search Results (Brian Dean) [global] (2025)

FAQ

What does SERP mean?

SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page. It refers to the entire page that a search engine displays after a search query. It contains organic results, paid ads, and SERP features, as well as increasingly AI-generated elements such as AI Overviews. Important: The SERP is the entire results page, not an individual search result.

What is the difference between a SERP and an individual search result?

The SERP is the complete results page and thus the container that arranges all elements. An individual result within this page is correctly called an organic result, search result, or listing. A SERP therefore consists of many individual results plus ads and features.

How is a search results page created?

A SERP is created in four steps: crawling (bots capture web pages), indexing (pages are added to an index), ranking (the algorithm arranges relevant pages in order), and serving (the search engine assembles the specific results page in real-time and delivers it). Only during serving is it determined which features and AI answers appear.

What SERP features exist on Google?

The most important SERP features include Featured Snippets (highlighted answer excerpt), People Also Ask (related questions), Knowledge Panel (info box about entities), Local Pack (three local entries with map), Image and Video Carousels, Sitelinks, and Rich Snippets (results enriched with structured data, such as ratings or FAQ).

How do AI Overviews change the SERP?

AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries above the organic results. According to Ahrefs, they appear in approximately 20.5% of all SERPs, with strong variation depending on topic and over time. They amplify the zero-click effect because the answer is often directly on the page. In parallel, search is shifting to external answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude, which has given rise to the optimization discipline GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).

Why do different users see different SERPs?

SERPs are personalized and localized. They vary by location (Vienna delivers different local results than Berlin or Zurich), device (mobile versus desktop), language and country setting (google.at versus google.de), as well as user history and login status. For the DACH region, this means checking rankings contextually by country, city, and device.

How important is the position on the SERP for traffic?

Very important. According to an analysis of four million Google search results, position 1 has an average organic click-through rate of 27.6% and receives approximately ten times as many clicks as position 10. However, in the EU, 59.7% of searches end without a click to the open web, which is why, in addition to position, SERP features and visibility in AI answers also determine actual reach.

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