SERP features are everything on a Google results page that is not a standard blue link: sponsored ads, AI Overviews, the local map pack, People Also Ask boxes, featured snippets, image and video carousels, and knowledge panels. They matter because they often sit above the organic results and take most of the attention. A local business can realistically win several of them, but not all, so it helps to know which is which.
Below is a top-to-bottom tour of a typical 2026 results page, what triggers each feature, and an honest rating of how reachable it is for a small or mid-sized business.
Why the Page Layout Matters More Than “Rank #1”
“Position one” used to mean the top of the page. Today, a search like “emergency electrician near me” might show ads, a map with three businesses, and a People Also Ask box before the first organic link appears. Being the top organic result is still valuable, but it may sit well below the fold on a phone.
So the useful question is not “what position are we?” but “which parts of this page could we occupy?” Search the terms your customers use, in an incognito window, from your service area, and note what actually appears. The layout changes by query, location and device.
A Tour of the 2026 Results Page
Sponsored results (ads)
Text ads labeled “Sponsored” can appear at the top and bottom of the page. For many home-service searches, Local Services Ads (with a badge and star rating) appear even higher. These are paid placements: you win them with budget, relevance and landing page quality, not SEO.
Can a local business win it? Yes, immediately, if it is willing to pay per click or per lead.
AI Overviews and AI Mode
For many informational and comparison questions, Google shows an AI Overview: a generated summary with links to the sources it drew from. AI Mode is a separate, conversational search experience that goes further, letting people ask follow-up questions. Both cite web pages, and being one of those cited sources is a new kind of visibility.
Can a local business win it? Sometimes. Clear, well-structured pages that answer specific questions are more likely to be understood and cited, but no one can guarantee an appearance. Our piece on SEO trends in 2026 and the shift to AI answers explains how this is changing search behavior more broadly.
The local pack (map results)
Searches with local intent, whether they say “near me” or just “dentist,” usually trigger a map with three business listings pulled from Google Business Profile. Each shows reviews, hours, and buttons to call or get directions.
Can a local business win it? This is the single most winnable feature for businesses that serve a defined area. Relevance, distance and prominence decide who appears, and we break those down in our guide to ranking in Google’s Maps 3-Pack.
Featured snippets
A featured snippet is a highlighted excerpt from one web page shown above or near the top of organic results, often as a short paragraph, list or table. It answers the question directly and links to the source.
Can a local business win it? Yes, for specific questions in your field, such as “how long does a water heater last.” Formatting plays a big role; our post on how to win featured snippets and People Also Ask spots covers the writing and structure in detail.
People Also Ask
The expandable list of related questions. Each answer comes from a web page, and clicking one loads more questions. These boxes reveal what else searchers wonder about, which makes them useful for planning content even if you never appear in one.
Can a local business win it? Often, with a well-organized FAQ or a page that answers one question clearly.
Image and video results
Image packs show up for visual searches (“modern kitchen backsplash ideas”), and video results, frequently from YouTube, appear for how-to and demonstration queries. Short-form video can show up too.
Can a local business win it? Yes, especially in visual trades. A Chandler kitchen remodeler with original project photos, descriptive file names and alt text has a fair shot at image results; one who uses stock photos does not.
Knowledge panel
When someone searches a business by name, a panel on the right (desktop) or near the top (mobile) shows the Google Business Profile: photos, reviews, hours, website and questions. For larger organizations, a knowledge panel may come from Google’s broader understanding of the entity.
Can a local business win it? Yes, for branded searches. Claiming and completing your Business Profile is the main lever.
Other features you may see
- Sitelinks: extra links under your main result, usually for branded searches, generated from your site structure.
- Discussions and forums: threads from Reddit and similar communities, more common for opinion and comparison queries.
- Top stories: news results, rarely relevant for local services unless you are in the news.
- Shopping results: product listings for retail searches, driven by product feeds.
- Review stars in organic results: possible on some page types with valid structured data, though Google decides when to show them.
Which Features Fit Which Business
| Business type | Most winnable features |
|---|---|
| Home services (plumbing, roofing, pest control) | Local pack, ads/Local Services Ads, People Also Ask |
| Professional services (CPA, law firm, financial planner) | Local pack, featured snippets, AI Overview citations |
| Visual trades (landscaping, remodeling, event venues) | Image results, local pack, video |
| Retail and e-commerce | Shopping results, images, ads |
| Health and wellness (dentist, chiropractor, med spa) | Local pack, knowledge panel, People Also Ask |
How to Audit the Features on Your Own Searches
- List your top ten money searches, the ones a ready-to-buy customer would type.
- Search each on a phone, logged out, from inside your service area.
- Write down every feature that appears, in order, and whether you are in it.
- Mark which features you could realistically target in the next 90 days.
- Repeat quarterly, because layouts shift as Google tests new formats.
Search Console’s Performance report can add context here. Its “Search appearance” filter shows clicks from certain result types, and a page with high impressions but low clicks may be sitting below several features.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do SERP features reduce clicks to my website?
Some do. When an AI Overview or featured snippet fully answers a quick question, fewer people need to click. For service searches, though, people still need to contact a business, so features like the local pack and knowledge panel tend to produce calls rather than replace them.
Can I choose which SERP features my site appears in?
Not directly. Google decides based on the query and the content available. You can make your pages eligible through clear structure, a complete Business Profile, original images and valid structured data, but appearance is never guaranteed.
Is schema markup required for SERP features?
Not for most of them. Featured snippets and People Also Ask pull from ordinary page content. Structured data helps Google understand your business details and can make some rich results possible, so it is worth adding, but it is not a shortcut.
Claiming More of the Page
Every results page is a set of opportunities, and a business that shows up in the map, a snippet and an image row is far more visible than one fighting for a single blue link. If you would like a clear picture of which features your site can earn and a plan to get there, our SEO services are built around the searches that actually bring you customers.