Need extra natural visitors with out creating new content material? SERP options are your reply.
These particular search outcomes (like featured snippets, AI Overviews, and other people additionally ask) seize customers’ consideration and sometimes obtain extra clicks than customary outcomes.
This is the very best half: you may determine SERP characteristic alternatives for key phrases you already rank for in just some clicks.
Why does this matter?
As a result of focusing on SERP options for key phrases the place you have already got some authority is considerably simpler than ranging from scratch.
This is easy methods to discover these alternatives:
- Open the Semrush Natural Analysis instrument.
- Enter your area and go to the Overview report.
- Scroll all the way down to the SERP Options part.
- Look particularly at options listed below “Not linking to area.”
These are your finest alternatives – key phrases the place you rank in customary outcomes however have not captured the SERP characteristic but.
Need to dig deeper? Merely click on on any SERP characteristic to see an in depth Positions report with all of the key phrases triggering that characteristic.
Because you already rank for these phrases, you are already midway to claiming that useful SERP actual property.
Within the instance above, the report reveals us over 520,000 key phrases the place chewy.com ranks someplace within the outcomes, however is just not within the AI Overview.
That’s 520,000 alternatives for the location to get a little bit extra visibility.
This put up will stroll you thru a course of to:
Determine SERP Options You Can Compete For
You don’t at all times have to pursue new key phrases to win SERP options. In lots of circumstances, your web site could already rank for key phrases that set off SERP options.
To search out these key phrases, go to Natural Analysis and enter your area.
Click on the “Positions” tab and scroll all the way down to the “Natural Search Positions” desk to see the key phrases your web site ranks for.
Within the filters space, use the SERP options filter to seek out the key phrases the place SERP options exist however your area doesn’t rank in them.
Choose the “Area would not rank” possibility and select a SERP characteristic to analysis.
Select the characteristic kind you wish to analyze—like Featured Snippets, Folks Additionally Ask packing containers, or AI Overviews.
The ensuing listing reveals key phrases the place your web site seems within the outcomes, however not within the particular SERP characteristic you filtered for.
These key phrases are potential targets. However not all alternatives are equal, so the subsequent step is to prioritize them.
Prioritize the Most Promising Alternatives
To prioritize your key phrase targets, give attention to phrases which are already driving your visitors or rating within the prime 10. These are sometimes the simplest wins and supply the quickest payoff.
To search out fast wins:
- Choose the “Positions” filter and select “High 10.”
- Within the “Natural Search Positions” desk, type by visitors or place.
These are the key phrases the place you’re already near the highest outcome, so you may have a robust shot at capturing the SERP characteristic with the precise content material updates.
To check the web page that already owns the characteristic, click on on the SERP icon (the magnifying glass below the SF column) to view the precise outcomes web page.
This allows you to:
- Determine who at present owns the characteristic
- Notice the content material format they’re utilizing (listing, paragraph, desk, and so forth.).
On this case, the featured snippet is owned by petmd.com, and the question is answered immediately in a paragraph format.
So if chewy.com wished to compete for this characteristic, they’d have to supply a extra useful reply on their web site.
Create Your SERP Function Alternative Checklist
As you discover key phrases value focusing on, save them to the Key phrase Technique Builder for reference.
You possibly can ship key phrases to a listing, simply test the packing containers subsequent to them and click on the “+ Add to Key phrase Technique Builder” button above the desk.
Choose “Create a brand new empty listing.”
You possibly can title it one thing like “SERP Function Opps,” or create separate lists by characteristic kind (e.g., “Folks Additionally Ask Targets” or “AI Overview Candidates”).
You possibly can repeat the method as you discover extra alternatives in different Semrush instruments, such because the Key phrase Magic Device.
To make your listing much more helpful, embrace options your web site used to point out up in however not does. These are key phrases the place you beforehand held a characteristic, like a Featured Snippet, however misplaced it.
You are able to do this with historic knowledge.
Discover SERP Options You Used to Rank For However Don’t Anymore
To see when your web site used to point out up in SERP options, go to the Place Modifications report within the Natural Analysis instrument.
Scroll all the way down to the “All Place Modifications” desk and click on on the date selector to pick out the customized time interval you wish to discover, like knowledge from the final 12 months.
Choose the “Modifications on SERP” filter to see which options your web site has gained or misplaced throughout that point.
Kind the desk by the “Diff.” column to identify the most important modifications. Add these key phrases to your listing to assist prioritize what to repair or reclaim. You possibly can ship them to KSB by clicking “+ Add to key phrase listing.”
When you’ve reviewed your individual web site’s efficiency and constructed a stable listing of phrases, the subsequent step is to have a look at which SERP options your rivals are already successful—and how one can compete.
Notice: Historic knowledge past the present month is out there in Guru plans or greater.
Discover SERP Options Your Opponents Rank For
To search out the SERP options your competitor already ranks for, you need to use Natural Analysis the identical method as in the event you have been researching your individual web site.
Go to Natural Analysis and enter your competitor’s area. To see the SERP options they’re rating for, choose the “SERP options” preset filter.
This filter will present you the entire key phrases the place this explicit competitor IS rating for a SERP characteristic.
Scroll all the way down to the “Natural Search Positions” desk.
The “Place” column reveals which characteristic your competitor is rating for.
Once you’re scanning your competitor’s key phrases for alternatives, begin by searching for key phrases which have excessive visitors quantity and low key phrase issue (KD%).
These are robust candidates to go after, particularly if the characteristic is at present held by weak or outdated content material.
Bear in mind to maintain monitor of the key phrases you’d like to focus on by clicking the field subsequent to the phrase and sending them to the Key phrase Technique Builder.
To view the precise search outcomes web page for that key phrase, click on the magnifying glass icon.
This may open the SERP snapshot the place you may see the precise SERP characteristic they’re present in.
For instance, if the characteristic is an AI Overview, you may see a paragraph-style reply pulled from their web page.
Assess the competitor’s content material format (like a paragraph, listing, or desk) and search for content material gaps (like lacking particulars, outdated data, or areas the place you may add extra worth).
When you’ve reviewed your present key phrase alternatives and analyzed what’s working for rivals, the subsequent step is to seek out new key phrases you’re not rating for but, however that set off SERP options.
Discover Extra Untapped Alternatives with Key phrase Analysis
What about key phrases you don’t rank for but? Or in case your web site is model new?
You’ll find these “untapped” alternatives with the Key phrase Magic Device. Simply enter a broad key phrase related to your subject.
Click on on the “SERP Options” filter below “Superior filters.”
Select particular options you wish to analysis (like Featured Snippet, AI Overview, and Opinions).
Click on on the quantity below the “SF” column to see the SERP options for which the key phrase ranks.
You possibly can add any key phrases of curiosity to your lists within the Key phrase Technique Builder (KSB) by choosing “Ship key phrases” and “Key phrase Technique Builder.”
After compiling your key phrase listing in Semrush, consider which of them supply the very best alternatives within the “Desk” view of the Key phrase Technique Builder.
Click on the “SERP options” drop-down and choose the options you wish to assessment.
This provides you a listing of key phrases triggering the chosen options (to see the entire SERP Options which are triggered for every key phrase, you may click on the quantity within the SF column).
Add your new alternatives to KSB and plan your content material technique to optimize for particular SERP options.
Optimizing Your Content material for High SERP Options
Now that you have recognized your SERP characteristic alternatives, the subsequent step is to truly seize them.
Totally different SERP options have completely different necessities. This is a fast reference information for an important ones:
Featured Snippets
- Format your content material to match present snippets (paragraph, listing, or desk)
- Use the precise query as an H2 heading
- Place a transparent, concise reply (40-60 phrases) immediately beneath the heading
- Use correct HTML formatting for lists and tables
Folks Additionally Ask (PAA)
- Analysis widespread questions associated to your goal key phrases
- Add these questions as subheadings on related pages
- Observe every query with a direct, temporary reply
- Use easy language and keep away from jargon
AI Overviews
- Create factual, well-structured content material with clear headings
- Embody related statistics and definitions
- Set up data in a logical stream
- Cowl matters completely however concisely
Structured Knowledge (for all SERP options)
- Implement schema markup related to your content material kind
- Concentrate on FAQ, HowTo, or Product schema for optimum influence
- Take a look at your implementation with Google’s Wealthy Outcomes Testing Device
- Monitor efficiency in Semrush’s Web site Audit “Markup” report
For extra detailed directions and ideas, you may learn our full information to SERP options.
Bear in mind: optimizing for SERP options is not nearly getting extra visitors—it is about offering the very best reply to searchers’ questions.
Able to see in case your optimizations are working?
Use Semrush’s Place Monitoring instrument to observe your SERP characteristic presence over time.
Use the “SERP Options” filter within the Overview report back to see which options you’ve captured, misplaced, or have to reclaim.
Common monitoring means fewer surprises and extra alternatives to safe your house on the prime of the search outcomes.
And to create a report of your SERP options good points, you may take a screenshot of this desk, export your knowledge, or create a PDF utilizing the controls on the prime of the display.
Hold Your SERP Function Technique As much as Date
SERP options aren’t simply good to have—they’re one of many quickest methods to spice up your visibility without having to outrank everybody else.
With Semrush, you may handle the whole workflow: spot alternatives, make good updates, and monitor the outcomes as they roll in.
Right here’s a fast recap to maintain your technique sharp:
- Discover straightforward wins utilizing Natural Analysis to uncover key phrases you rank for however haven’t claimed the characteristic but.
- Analyze rivals to see which options they’ve secured (and the way they’re doing it).
- Develop your attain by discovering new feature-triggering key phrases in Key phrase Magic Device.
- Make your content material feature-ready with a transparent construction and structured knowledge.
- Monitor every little thing with Place Monitoring so you may catch good points, losses, and new probabilities as they occur.
Hold refining. Hold monitoring. The extra options you earn, the more room you personal within the search outcomes.
