Search Engine Results Page – How Does the First Page on Google Work?

Google Search handles as many as 60,000 queries every second! The Search Engine Results Page, or SERP, is the page displaying search results in the Google browser. It is a list of all the websites that the search engine shows in a specific order after the user enters a query into the search bar.

Key Elements of the SERP

It is important to remember that the SERP displays both paid and organic search results. Sponsored links are marked with a green "Ad" label. When using Google, you will see up to 4 sponsored links, 10 organic results, and below them, there may be three or four more Google Ads. Google holds a 90% share of the global search engine market, with virtually no competition in Poland.

The first page of Google’s search results changes dynamically over time. Currently, in addition to ads and organic results, users can access knowledge panels, image carousels, rich answers, and direct responses from the Google Assistant. As a result, a wealth of information can be found without visiting any of the organic result pages, which reduces traffic for the most effective keywords. These new elements are referred to as "position zero" or "zero-click position."

SEO specialists aim to generate as much traffic as possible from various elements and ultimately dominate the first page of search results. Until now, SEO analysis involved tracking specific metrics – such as search terms, monthly search volume, and keyword competition – as well as monitoring click-through rates and potential traffic indicators.

The Future of Traditional SEO Practices

There is no need to fall into excessive pessimism – traditional SEO still works, although it has undergone significant changes in recent years. Previously, the primary goal was to achieve the TOP1 position on Google, but now the most important aspects are the elements displayed directly on the SERP. Therefore, when working to improve a website’s ranking, the focus should be on optimization rather than simply filling content with keywords as before. More effort should be put into making the site mobile-friendly, improving loading speed and site structure to enhance user experience, and investing in effective content marketing.