# SERP analysis

Category: [Keywords & Research](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/keywords-research/) › [Keyword research](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/keywords-research/keyword-research/)

A **SERP analysis** is the review of the search engine results page for a keyword. It shows which result types appear, what search intent they serve and which pages hold the top spots, so you can decide what kind of content to create or change.

## What does a SERP analysis look at?

Semrush describes five steps, which match common practice:

1. Get an overview of the keyword, such as volume and difficulty.
2. Determine intent: navigational, informational, commercial or transactional.
3. Look at the top results: who ranks, and with which page type.
4. Check the SERP features, such as featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, videos and knowledge panels.
5. Assess content quality: format, depth, gaps and mistakes in the ranking pages.

Google lists the elements a result page can contain: text results, rich results, image and video results, and exploration elements such as related searches and related questions. Which elements appear depends on device, location, language and the search intent.

## Why does format matter?

Semrush gives an example of the logic: if nine of the ten results are interactive tests, a plain article is unlikely to meet the intent. Google also states that you cannot request a featured snippet; its systems decide whether a page qualifies.

Tools such as SERPChecker add metrics per ranking URL, but the first step is to look at the results themselves in the target country and language, since results can differ from what you see on your own device.

## Example

For "canonical tag", the top results are mostly explanations with code examples, a People Also Ask box appears and there is one video. A short article with code snippets and a FAQ would match what the SERP shows. A product page would not.

## FAQ

**What does SERP stand for?**
Search engine results page.

**Does a SERP analysis improve rankings?**
It does not by itself. It informs which content to write and how to structure it.

## Related terms

- [SERP (search engine results page)](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/serp/index.md)
- [SERP features](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/serp-features/index.md)
- [Featured snippet](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/featured-snippet/index.md)
- [People Also Ask](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/people-also-ask/index.md)
- [Search intent](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/search-intent/index.md)
- [SEO competitor analysis](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/seo-competitor-analysis/index.md)

## Sources

- [Search result elements gallery – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/visual-elements-gallery)
- [Featured snippets and your website – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/featured-snippets)
- [What Is a SERP Analysis – Semrush](https://www.semrush.com/blog/serp-analysis/)
- [SERPChecker – Mangools](https://mangools.com/serpchecker/)

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Last updated: October 7, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/serp-analysis/