SEO today is about owning as much real estate as possible across a constantly evolving search landscape.
As AI reshapes search results into complex, multi-dimensional experiences, understanding and optimizing for SERP features has become critical.
This article breaks down how brands can adapt to these changes and thrive by leveraging every opportunity for visibility in 2025 and beyond.
Beyond rankings: Mastering SERP visibility
The guiding purpose of SEO is to drive more relevant exposure and traffic to grow your business.
Conventional wisdom suggests achieving this by ranking as high as possible on the page, maximizing the chance of getting clicks.
However, modern search results are far more complex than the simple 10 blue links of the past.
As Google integrates AI into search through 2025 and beyond, results will become increasingly personalized and multi-dimensional.
Today, people browse in diverse ways, and every feature on a results page must serve a purpose – or risk being removed.
When building an SEO strategy and SEO action plan, it’s crucial to consider not only traditional rankings but also every SERP feature relevant to your target keywords.
The goal of modern SEO is twofold:
Appear as prominently on the page as possible.
Maximize visibility across multiple on-page elements (SERP features).
As search evolves, so too must SEO strategies to remain effective in this dynamic landscape.
Dig deeper: How to analyze Google’s SERPs
Google search results in 2025 and beyond
SEO results today include classic listings (blue links) and many SERP features that provide search engine users with new ways to discover and browse content.
Semrush sensor data shows that 99% of SERPs feature some SERP features.
This is not a fringe feature. If you are not considering SERP features, you are already falling behind.
There are many SERP features, some very specific to the query intent with low overall exposure (like flights and recipes, for instance), but the most common features are detailed below.
93% related searches.
72% sitelinks.
57% “People also ask” (PAA).
55% reviews.
50% images.
20% knowledge panel.
18% local pack .
18% video.
15% products.
7% AI Overviews.
4% featured snippet.
4% top stories.
1% carousel.
This data offers valuable insights into user behavior and the features that engage search engine users. For example:
The prevalence of related searches indicates their relevance in helping users refine their queries.
Site links provide more granular entry points into a site.
Prominent features like reviews, “People Also Ask” boxes, and images present significant opportunities for savvy search marketers.
Even less frequent features may be highly relevant within your keyword universe. For ecommerce sites, many targeted search terms likely include organic product listings.
The key is understanding the frequency and relevance of SERP features within your focus topics and optimizing accordingly.
Examples of blended SERPs
Below are interesting examples from recent projects and some of my own browsing.
Example: ‘glass staircase’
We can see the SERP here breaks down as follows:
4x text ads.
8x shopping (organic).
6x images.
4x “People also ask.”
9x organic (blue links).
16x shopping (organic).
3x people also buy from.
8x organic shopping.
1x text ad.
6x “People also search for.”
First four organic features (shopping, images, “People also ask” and organic listing)
This page is packed with features, including a block of organic listings with images, highlighting the importance of visuals for this search.
And because the search query has a high commercial intent, we also see shopping listings.
The key point is that the first traditional organic listing appears as the 19th result on the page, and when accounting for up to 8 shopping or text ads, it’s closer to the 27th option.
Example: ‘pinball’
The SERP breaks down here a little differently, and we see:
5x shopping ads.
3x organic.
3x images.
4x “People also ask.”
8x shopping.
6x organic.
8x “People also search for.”
This example is less commercial and includes a mix of results, such as: