What is SERP? Definition, Function, and Difference from SEO
SERP is a term that you will often encounter if you are studying SEO. For some people, the term SEO may sound more familiar than SERP. In fact, the two are interrelated and cannot be separated. So, what is SERP?
Simply put, SERP is a page that appears from your search results in a search engine. In this article, I will thoroughly discuss what SERP is, starting from the definition, and, the difference with SEO, and its functions. Let’s take a look!
What is SERP
SERP stands for Search Engine Result Page. As mentioned earlier, SERP is your search results page on a search engine, such as Google.
For example, if you enter the keyword “East Javanese food” in Google, then what is meant by SERP is the page that appears in your search. On that page, sites that are related to the keyword you are looking for appear.
Difference between SERP and SEO/ SEP vs SERP
SERP is often associated with the term SEO or Search Engine Optimization. Actually, this is not wrong, because the two are related.
If SERP is a page that appears from search results in a search engine, then SEO is a series of strategies that someone does to increase the visibility of a website. The main goal is for the website to appear on the first page of search engines, especially Google.
For example, if you want to find the best laptop recommendations on the internet, then you will type the keyword related to it in Google. Next, the search engine will display references to sites that contain laptop recommendations. Sites that appear in the initial Google rankings are usually sites that have been set up for SEO.
From the explanation above, it can be concluded that SEO is a technique to make your website appear on the search page with the right keywords, while SERP is the result.
SERP Functions
SERP is an important aspect related to information search in search engines. Therefore, it is important for those of you who are currently working in the web world, or online business owners who have their websites, to learn about SERP.
Well, SERP itself has various functions, which can be divided into two, namely from the user’s side and the website owner’s (webmaster’s) side.
1. For Users
For search engine users or website visitors, SERP serves to help you make assumptions regarding the quality of content created by a site.
Sites that appear at the top of the SERP list usually indicate that the information they contain is reliable because it also shows that these sites are the most read/visited.
2. For Webmasters
Usually, the party that feels the most impact from SERP is the website owner, known as the webmaster. SERP can be used as a benchmark to see the success of the SEO strategy being carried out.
If the website you manage is on the SERP page, especially at the top, then it can be said that the keywords or SEO strategies you have done have been successful. In addition to SEO optimization, another way for your website to be at the top is to consistently fill it with the latest content.
Organic vs Paid
SERP itself actually consists of organic and paid search results. So, what’s the difference?
1. SERP Organic
Organic SERP is a search result that comes from SEO optimization. Website owners do not spend anything to get their website on the SERP page.
This type of SERP has several advantages, one of which is that it has a more lasting effect. If your website is already on top, it will be easier to keep it there.
However, the challenge lies in consistency in creating interesting, unique, and relevant content.
2. Paid SERP
In addition to organic, there are also paid ones.
Paid SERP or paid SERP is a search result that comes from advertising. To be able to appear on SERP, website owners must pay a certain fee.
Paid SERPs are usually marked with the word “Ad” above them. One of the advantages of paid SERPs is their speed at the top of the search page.
However, everything instant certainly has its drawbacks. In addition to the relatively high cost, paid SERPs also have the potential to make people bored with your ads. This will certainly reduce the effectiveness of the ad.
Check your website position in SERP
There are several tools that you can use to check your website’s ranking position in search engines, such as Semrush, and Ahref, and free tools such as website SEO checker.
In this article, we will share how to see your website’s position with certain keywords on Google search results or Google SERP through tools from Semrush. Here are the steps:
- Register an account first through the following link. You can register through a trial account.
- After registration, please login to your account.
- Click the Keyword Overview menu, then enter your target keyword.
- For example, we will use the keyword “running shoes”, then the SERP analysis results will appear as shown in the following image:
From the analysis above, it is known that with the keyword ‘running shoes’ the results occupy the top 10 position.
If the search results you do on page 1 are not there, then you can try tracking by clicking on positions 11-20 or others, until you find your website position.
READ ALSO: Rank Higher On Google with Old Articles
Conclusion
If SEO is a series of strategies carried out so that a website can be at the top of the search engine page, then SERP is the result of SEO optimization. Here is an article about what SERPs are that you need to know. Hope this article is useful!