What does SERP mean?
SERP stands for search engine results page: the complete page shown after a query. It can include website links, maps, images and AI summaries.
A search for a nearby cafe might show a map and business information before links to reviews or official websites. All those elements belong to the SERP. The term covers the full page, rather than only a numbered list of organic links.
The same position can appear in a different layout
A page's organic position may stay unchanged while a map, image block or AI Overview appears above it. Its visible placement and the alternatives available to the reader can therefore change.
Record the query, date, device, location and visible layout when investigating search performance. Position alone cannot tell you how many people clicked.
Use click-through rate to inspect the relationship between impressions and clicks, with a consistent query and comparison period. A layout change is a possible explanation to investigate, not proof of what caused a movement in clicks.
Sources and scope
Source-language entry updated 2026-10-22; no separate source-check date is recorded. This adaptation preserves that provenance and does not represent a new audit of the cited pages.