A lot of terms get tossed around when it comes to online presence management. Many of them revolve around how Google formats its search results page. Below, we’re going to explain how search results are organized for a general business related search. If you search for specific types of businesses such as restaurants, the results page may differ. You may also get other information in the right column the “D” section is in, but generally speaking what you see below is very typical. 

What’s What on Google’s Search Results Page

We have done a search for “appleton financial advisor.” As you can see, the search engine results page (sometimes referred to as a SERP) is divided into 6 major sections that display content that is hopefully relevant to our search. So what are they?

A – The “A” sections contain paid advertisements. When somebody says paid search, paid results, pay-per-click (PPC), or Google Adwords, this is what they are talking about. Somebody has paid Google to appear in these two sections. Or, more technically, they will pay Google if someone clicks on their ad. 

B – The “B” sections include organic or natural search results. This is where we like our clients to show up when we do a search engine optimization campaign. These are pages that Google’s search algorithms have decided are most relevant to your search. Google does not get paid when these links are clicked. 

C – The “C” section has listings from Google Places. We call these local listings. Many factors go into just what appears in this section and in what order but you can’t show unless you are listed. Rocketship can help you get listed so you have the potential to appear in this section.

D – The D” section is a map that when clicked will show the full range of local listings along with with a map that pinpoints each business’s location. You will also find more paid ads if you click through to the map.