Search Result Page (SERP):

The pages which appear after a user had entered a search query in the search box of any search engine and hit the search button.

On the top search engines, Google, Yahoo! and MSN the Search Result Pages are organized in a almost identical way with only minor differences. There are two types of results:

• The organic listings which represent those websites that the algorithm of the search engine returned as the most relevant results for the user’s query. The most relevant site is ranked as first on the page. Per page 10 results are displayed. A website which would rank on #63 for a keyword would be listed on the 6^th Search Result Page.

• The sponsored ads (Google AdWords, Yahoo! Search Marketing or MSN adCenter ads). These are also relevant to the user’s query but are ranked according to the amount of money the advertiser is willing to pay for a click (see under PPC and Google AdWords for more information).

Search Result Pages of the top three search engines are of highest interest for most Internet marketers because with close to 1 billion searches per day Google, Yahoo! and MSN are generally considered as the best traffic sources as long as one is able to get one’s website amongst the first listings either in a) the organic or b) the sponsored results. To succeed in a) requires optimizing the website according to the evaluation algorithms (which are not made public by the search engines). For b) one mainly needs an adequate advertisement budget.

First Search Result Page on Google for the search term “internet marketing”. Framed in red are the sponsored results, in green are the 10 organic results. The next results on further pages can be accessed via the navigation menu at the bottom.

[Search via Old French cherchier = to search comes from Latin circare = to go about, wander; from circus = circle;

Result is from Latin resultare = to arise as a consequence, spring forward, rebound;

Page comes from Latin pagina = a column of writing, akin to pangere = to fix, make fast]

 

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