Guide · Beginner
Reading a SERP in 2026
Reading a SERP (search engine results page) means looking at what Google shows for a query and working out what that says about the searcher's intent and your chances. In 2026 a Google results page can include an AI Overview at the top, text results, rich results with stars or prices, images, videos, People also ask, and related searches. AI Mode adds a separate conversational view. Each element tells you something about what Google thinks people want.
Facts are from Google Search Central documentation, checked on 31 Oct 2026 (CET). Results pages vary by device, country and language. Examples are illustrative. "Our view" marks opinion.
On this page
- What are the building blocks of a results page?
- What's inside a text result?
- What do AI Overviews and AI Mode add?
- What do People also ask and related searches tell you?
- How do you read a SERP step by step?
- What should you record?
- Which pitfalls are common?
- Where next?
- From MentionX data: how AI features compare with other engines
- Worked example: Ledgerline reads the SERP for a target query
- Why does the SERP matter for AI visibility?
- How do you check search intent from the SERP?
- How do ads and shopping results affect a SERP?
- How do you read local results?
- How do results vary?
- How do you use SERP reading in content planning?
- How do you compare SERPs over time?
- What should beginners focus on first?
- What do featured snippets and video results tell you?
- How do you read the AI Overview itself?
- How do you share SERP findings with your team?
- Common questions
- Sources
Checked on 31 October 2026. "Our view" marks MentionX opinion. Ledgerline is a fictional company used for illustration.
What are the building blocks of a results page?
Google's Visual Elements gallery names the most common result types (Google):
| Element | What it is | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Text result | The classic "blue link", with title link, snippet and attribution | Pages answering in text fit the query |
| Rich result | A result with extra graphics or features, usually from structured data | Reviews, products, recipes or events matter here |
| Image result | Results based on embedded images | The query is image-seeking |
| Video result | Results based on embedded videos | People want to watch, often how-tos |
| Exploration features | Related questions and related searches | People's follow-up questions |
Google notes that how these elements look changes over time. It also varies by device, country, query language and other factors (Google). Our view: always check a SERP in the market and on the device your buyers use.
What's inside a text result?
A text result includes attribution (favicon, site name, visible URL and breadcrumb), a title link, a snippet and sometimes a byline date, sitelinks or rich attributes such as review stars (Google). Several of these can be influenced. You can set a site name with structured data, and rich attributes are usually powered by structured data you provide (Google).
What do AI Overviews and AI Mode add?
Google says AI Overviews help people get the gist of a complex topic quickly, with links to explore further. They're designed to appear only where they add something beyond classic results, so they often don't show (Google). AI Mode is for queries that need further exploration, reasoning or comparison. It gives an AI-powered response with links to supporting sites (Google).
Google says both may use a "query fan-out" technique, issuing multiple related searches across subtopics and data sources. It also says they may use different models, so the responses and links they show vary (Google).
Three points matter for marketers (Google):
- No special optimisation is required. There are no extra requirements and no special schema.org markup needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
- Eligibility: a page must be indexed and eligible to appear in Search with a snippet.
- Measurement: appearances in these features count in Search Console's Performance report under the "Web" search type, together with other search traffic.
See Search Console AI Overviews data and how AI Overviews pick sources.
What do People also ask and related searches tell you?
Google calls these exploration features. The related questions group (People also ask) shows questions related to the search, and expanding one shows a featured snippet. The related searches group shows other searches people have done (Google). Google says you can't control what appears there. It suggests paying attention to these related queries when planning topics (Google). Our view: they're a free list of follow-up questions, which is useful for both pages and prompt sets. See the prompt set builder.
How do you read a SERP step by step?
Fictional routine for the query "best crm for small agencies":
- Check for an AI Overview. Is there one? Which sites are linked? Are you or competitors mentioned in the text?
- Classify the top text results. Are they listicles, vendor pages, review sites or forums? This shows the format Google prefers for the query.
- Note the rich results. Are there stars, prices or product results? Then reviews and product data matter.
- Read People also ask. Write down each question. These are sub-intents to cover.
- Check for video or image results. If they're present, consider a video or visuals.
Then repeat the main question in AI Mode and note which sources it links. See search intent explained.
What should you record?
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Query | best crm for small agencies |
| Date, device, location | 31 Oct 2026, mobile, Berlin |
| AI Overview shown? | Yes |
| Sites linked in AI Overview | (list) |
| Top 5 result types | 3 listicles, 1 review site, 1 forum |
| Rich results | Review stars on 2 results |
| People also ask | (list questions) |
| Our presence | Not in top 10; mentioned in 1 listicle |
Our view: save screenshots, because results pages change, and record the date and location.
Which pitfalls are common?
- Checking while logged in and assuming everyone sees the same thing. Results can differ by location, language and device.
- Ignoring the format. If the top results are all listicles, a product page alone is unlikely to rank.
- Adding special "AI markup". Google says there's no special schema or file needed for AI features (Google).
- Measuring only rankings. Being mentioned in an AI Overview or a listicle matters too.
Where next?
Read SEO basics in the AI era, competitive research for beginners and how websites get crawled and indexed.
From MentionX data: how AI features compare with other engines
Method. Read-only aggregate queries over MentionX scans from 22 August to 29 October 2026 (UTC): 2,217 engine runs (2,154 completed) across 18 anonymised projects and six engines.
Google's AI Mode cites sources in most answers in the MentionX sample, while some other engines cite far less often:
| Engine | Brand mentioned | Answers with no citations |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini | 47.3% | 50.7% |
| OpenAI | 42.9% | 30.2% |
| Perplexity | 31.5% | 4.1% |
| AI Mode | 31.3% | 12.6% |
| Copilot | 26.0% | 47.0% |
| DeepSeek | 24.0% | 99.0% |
Brand mentions also depend heavily on the type of question:
| Intent | Brand mentioned | Share of voice |
|---|---|---|
| Brand-specific | 100% | 64.3 |
| Comparison | 91.9% | 44.6 |
| Recommendation | 29.2% | 26.8 |
| Best-of | 26.6% | 22.7 |
| Problem | 5.7% | 7.7 |
Our view: when you read a SERP, look at the AI summary's cited sources as well as the ranked results. For best-of and problem queries, where brands are named least, the cited sources often show which pages shape the answer.
Limits. A convenience sample of mostly B2B software projects, run through engine APIs, which can behave differently from the consumer apps. Perplexity, Copilot and DeepSeek figures come from a single day (26 October 2026), so treat them as a snapshot, not a trend.
Worked example: Ledgerline reads the SERP for a target query
Ledgerline is a fictional accounts-payable tool. Figures are illustrative.
Ledgerline's marketer searches for "how to automate invoice approvals" in a private browser window. An AI Overview appears first, citing three sources: a software review site, a competitor's guide and an accounting blog. Below it are ads, People also ask questions, a video carousel and ten text results. Ledgerline's guide ranks seventh and isn't cited in the AI Overview.
She records each module, the cited sources and the People also ask questions in a sheet. Two questions in People also ask aren't covered in Ledgerline's guide, so she adds them to the content brief. She repeats the check monthly.
Why does the SERP matter for AI visibility?
The results page shows how Google interprets a query, which sources it trusts and what format users expect. AI features sit at the top for many informational queries, so the sources they cite get attention first. Reading the SERP helps you decide what kind of page to create and which sources to try to appear in.
How do you check search intent from the SERP?
Look at what kinds of pages rank. If most results are guides, the intent is informational. If they're product pages or lists, it's commercial. If they're brand homepages, it's navigational. Mixed results suggest mixed intent. Match your page type to what Google shows, unless you have a strong reason not to.
How do ads and shopping results affect a SERP?
Ads and shopping modules can push organic results down the page, especially on mobile. For commercial queries, check how many ads appear and whether shopping results are shown. This affects how many clicks organic results are likely to get.
How do you read local results?
For queries with local intent, a map pack shows nearby businesses from Business Profiles. Check which businesses appear, their ratings and the details shown. Local results vary heavily by location, so check from the relevant area where possible.
How do results vary?
Results change by location, device, language, time and whether you're signed in. Use a private window, set the location if you can and note the device. Don't assume what you see is what everyone sees. Repeat checks over time to spot patterns.
How do you use SERP reading in content planning?
Use what you learn to shape briefs: the questions to answer, the format to use, the sources to cite and the gaps to fill. Note which competitors appear and what their pages do well. Revisit the SERP after you publish to see whether your page appears.
How do you compare SERPs over time?
Keep a sheet with the date, query, location, device, modules shown, top results and AI-cited sources. Review it monthly. Look for changes in which modules appear and which sources are cited. Our view: even a small set of queries checked consistently tells you more than a large set checked once.
What should beginners focus on first?
Start by identifying the modules on the page, the intent and the cited sources. Then compare your page with the top results. Once that's routine, add People also ask questions and related searches to your notes.
What do featured snippets and video results tell you?
A featured snippet shows a short answer taken from one page, often with a heading and list. If one appears, Google sees a clear, short answer as useful for that query. Video carousels suggest users want to see a process. Image packs suggest visual intent. Each module is a hint about the format your content should include.
How do you read the AI Overview itself?
Read the summary and note which claims it makes, which sources it cites for each and whether your brand or competitors are mentioned. Click through the cited sources to see what they say. Check whether the summary is accurate. If it repeats wrong facts about your brand, find the source and fix it where you can.
How do you share SERP findings with your team?
Summarise each query in a few lines: intent, modules, cited sources, top competitors and gaps. Attach the screenshot. Share it with writers before they start a brief, so they know what the page needs to compete with. Keep the sheet in a shared folder so anyone can check past findings.
Common questions
Do I need a tool to read SERPs? No; a private browser window and a spreadsheet are enough to start.
How many SERPs should I check? Start with your most important queries, then expand.
Do AI Overviews appear for every query? No; they appear for some queries and not others, and this changes over time.
Sources
Questions
What is a SERP?
A search engine results page: everything Google shows after a search, including AI Overviews, text results, rich results, images, videos and related questions.
Do I need special markup to appear in AI Overviews?
Google says no. There are no extra requirements or special schema. A page must be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet.
Where do AI Overview clicks show up in Search Console?
Google says they're included in the Performance report under the 'Web' search type, together with other search traffic.