Google search results come in many different shapes and sizes. There are countless factors that determine where your content shows up and what it looks like. It’s important to understand the types of search results that Google displays for users so you can launch campaigns or optimize your site to appear in the best places. Optimizing your structured data is one of many ways to get your content to the top of Google. Some other factors that affect ranking include user location, time of day, and type of device. Businesses also use paid ads to give their content advantage over the competition and increase visibility. Here is an overview of the 4 main types of Google search results.
1. Search Features
Search features are a way to let Google adapt your content to create a better user experience in the SERP. By analyzing the structured data on your page, Google can determine what your content should look like when showing up on the SERP (search engine results pages). There are two general types of Google Search Features that are available, content type and enhancements. Content types are features that are tied to the type of content that is on your page. For example, Google can analyze the content on your page and the structured data you provided, then place your content within features such as the news carousel, recipe carousel, or events list.
Enhancements are features that can be applied to more than one kind of content type. For example the star rating system, which can be applied to multiple types of content such as movies, restaurants, and products. You can help Google determine what your content is and where it should be placed by creating a schema markup. A schema markup not only tells Google what your data says but also what it means. For example, if you create a schema markup that labels your events page as events, it will allow Google to create an events list and display it on the SERP.
2. Google Maps Pack
When conducting a local search online, Google provides a list of 3 businesses, also known as the local 3-pack, detailing the basic business details, reviews, call button and map that shows the location of each. This information is managed through your Google My Business listing. For business owners, this means that all this information has to be properly optimized in order for your business to rank. To do this, you need to make sure you are entering the correct information such as business name, category, location and contact info, pictures, reviews, business citations, and posts. This information is a necessity if you want your business to rank in the Google Maps Pack.
Doing all this correctly still does not guarantee that your business will show up. If your business page is dormant and lacks clicks and comments for a long period of time, your business could disappear completely. Utilizing the Google Maps pack is very important, especially since it often shows up above organic results and even paid ads.
3. Paid Google Ads
Getting your website to rank top on google can be very frustrating and can sometimes seem hopeless. That’s why Google offers an ad platform that allows advertisers to bid on specific keywords in order for their content to be visible at the top of Google search results.
Google Ads operate as an auction system that takes place when more than one advertisement is relevant to a certain keyword. This auction determines which ad will be placed based on a combination of the dollar amount that was bid by the advertiser and the quality score of the page the advertisement is linked to. To promote quality content, Google determines the cost per click of an advertisement by the quality score given to the content. The higher the quality score, the lower the CPC. A properly optimized advertisement campaign can help drive quality traffic to your site which can help boost your business in many ways.
4. Organic Search Result
All of the other standard search results are organically placed. Ranking your content organically can be one of the hardest ways to gain visibility on Google. In contrast to paid ads, organic search results are ranked based on the relevance to the user’s search, the number of links to your site, and the domain authority.
Depending on the competitiveness of the search, organic search results usually show up last when compared to other types of results. But despite what many people say, organic traffic can be much for valuable than any other method. It can provide consistently relevant visitors that are more likely to visit multiple pages on your site. You also have more a chance to gain long-term customer loyalty. Overall, the best way to generate organic traffic on Google is to create genuinely valuable and quality content.
Get Higher in Google SERP
There are many ways for you to get your content to the top of Google. Your overall goal is what should help you decide how to accomplish this. For example, if you’re looking to increase traffic to a specific product or service, you can start a Google Ad campaign which allows you to create high-volume, short-term traffic of high-quality leads. But if you own a local business, it would be better to optimize your Google Maps listing and attempt to gain more prominence through reviews and engagement, which will help you generate foot traffic and phone calls through the listing.