SERP
A SERP, or search engine results page, is the page a search engine returns for a query. It blends organic listings with paid ads, and increasingly with features like AI overviews, featured snippets, local packs, and people also ask boxes that push the traditional links further down.
Why It Matters
The layout of a SERP decides how much attention any single ranking actually earns. A number one organic position sitting below an AI overview and four ads is worth far less traffic than the same position on a clean results page, so ranking and visibility are not the same thing.
Common Mistake
Chasing position without studying the results page. Teams celebrate a top ranking on a query whose SERP is dominated by features and ads that absorb the clicks, then wonder why the traffic never arrives.