SERP Features

SERP features are visually enhanced elements in Google's search results that take up more space than standard blue links. Think featured snippets (answer boxes at the top), local packs with maps, knowledge panels, images, videos and PAA(People Also Ask) questions. These features often appear above or between organic search results and provide immediate answers or visual information. For SMBs, this means you can be prominently visible without ads, provided your content is well structured.

How SERP features work in practice

Google determines which SERP features are displayed based on the search query and available data. For a question such as "how to create a brand identity," Google often shows a featured snippet with a step-by-step answer. For "best coffee shop Remote," a local pack appears with three businesses, a map and reviews. The choice of feature depends on search intent: informational, navigational, commercial or transactional. Google gets the data from structured content on your website, such as headings, lists, tables and schema.org markup. The better your content matches the query and the clearer your structure, the more likely your page will serve as a resource. In practice, we see that pages with clear H2 headings, short answers of 40 to 60 words and logical listings are more likely to end up in a featured snippet.

Why SERP features have become dominant since 2016

Google introduced the first featured snippets in 2014, but from 2016 the number of feature types expanded explosively. The reason: mobile search behavior. Users want quick answers without scrolling. SERP features deliver that. At the same time, competition for organic positions grew, so Google started offering more space for enriched results. By now, more than half of all search result pages contain at least one SERP feature. For SMEs, this means that a classic position 1 no longer automatically generates the most clicks. A featured snippet at position 0 or a local pack often brings in more traffic. The shift forces you to look at content SEO differently: not just rank, but appear in the right feature.

What SERP features bring to Dutch SMEs

A position in a SERP feature increases your visibility and authority, even if you are not in position 1. A featured snippet attracts on average 30 to 40 percent of all clicks on that search term. A local pack literally puts you on the map for local searches, crucial for hospitality, retail and service providers. Video carousels give your YouTube content a second channel. PAA queries provide space to answer multiple related questions to claim more real estate in the SERP. At Monkey Vision , we see that clients who structure their content with features in mind often score their first snippet within six weeks. That doesn't require a huge budget, just a thoughtful SEO strategy that aligns with how people search and how Google selects answers.

SERP features are not a passive by-product, but an active part of your content strategy. You can use them to get more visibility from existing pages, reach new audiences and pass competitors without higher rankings. Here are four concrete applications that we see working in practice with SME clients.

Conquering featured snippets with structured answers

A featured snippet is an answer box at the top of search results that provides a direct summary. You capture a snippet by answering a clear question in 40 to 60 words, directly below an H2 headline that repeats the question verbatim. Example: a web design agency writes a section "What does a website cost for a SMB business?" with a compact two-sentence answer, followed by a bullet list of price factors. Google picks this up and displays it as a snippet. The result: you appear above position 1, even if your page is in position 4. In our trails, we see that snippets work mostly for how-to questions, definitions and comparisons. Note: Google only shows snippets if the query is clearly informative. For transactional search terms such as "ecommerce store design," ads and local packs appear more often.

Local pack dominate for regional visibility

The local pack displays three businesses with address, opening hours, rating and map, directly below the search bar. This feature appears for search terms with local intent: "hairdresser Remote", "accountant Utrecht", "plumber emergency Amsterdam". To appear in the local pack, you need a complete Google Company Profile, with current NAP data (name, address, phone number), categories and reviews. Make sure your NAP data matches exactly on your website, in schema markup and on external directories. Actively ask for and respond to reviews. In practice, we find that companies with at least 15 recent reviews and an average score above 4.2 stars are more likely to appear in the top 3. The local pack is crucial for service providers: more than 60 percent of mobile searchers click on one of the three local pack results.

People Also Ask questions claim for topical authority

People Also Ask (PAA) is a drop-down list of related questions that Google displays among search results. Each question unfolds a short answer with a link to the source. By answering multiple PAA questions on one page, you claim more space in the SERP and position yourself as an authority. Example: a page about "WordPress hosting" also answers "What is managed WordPress hosting?", "How fast should WordPress hosting be?" and "What does WordPress hosting cost per month?". Each answer is in its own H2 section with a compact 50-word answer. Google retrieves these answers for the PAA box. The advantage: your page appears multiple times in the same SERP. At Monkey Vision , we integrate PAA search into our SEO projects by default because it's a quick way to bring in more organic traffic without building new pages.

When SERP features are the right focus and when they are not

SERP features are valuable if you already have content that ranks between position 1 and 10, but is not getting enough clicks. A snippet or PAA position can double your CTR. They also work well for informative and educational content, such as knowledge base pages, how-to articles and FAQs. When not: if your pages are not yet in the top 10, focus on classic on-page SEO and backlinks first. SERP features are an enhancer, not a replacement for ranking fundamentals. Even for highly commercial search terms ("buy managed WordPress hosting"), ads dominate the top, giving features less space. For each search term, check whether Google shows features at all before investing time in them.