SERP Features Explained: The Boxes, Maps and Snippets Around the Results

A Google results page, or SERP, is no longer a plain list of links. It is full of extra elements: answer boxes, maps, images, videos, shopping, questions and more. These are SERP features, and they shape how much attention your link actually gets.

Understanding which features appear for your important searches tells you where the real opportunities and threats are — because sometimes the feature, not the first organic result, is what people click.

The common features

The featured snippet is the answer box at the very top, lifted from a page Google trusts. The local pack is the map with three business listings, vital for searches with local intent. Image and video carousels appear for visual topics.

There is also People Also Ask, the expandable questions; sitelinks under big brand results; and increasingly AI-generated overviews summarising several sources. Each pushes the traditional results further down.

Why they matter for your strategy

If a search is dominated by a map pack, classic on-page SEO alone will not get you seen — your Google Business Profile becomes the priority. If a featured snippet sits at the top, ranking first organically may matter less than winning that box.

Checking the actual SERP for your target terms stops you optimising for the wrong thing. The page tells you what Google thinks people want, which is the most honest brief you will get.

Targeting the right features

To win a featured snippet, answer the question clearly and concisely near the top of a page that already ranks well. For the local pack, focus on your Business Profile, reviews and consistent business details.

For image and video features, optimise your media properly with descriptive filenames, alt text and good quality. You cannot guarantee any feature, but matching your content to what Google is showing puts you in the running.