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Many people are familiar with SERPs, or Search Engine Results Page, but how many people really know what they are looking at. Perhaps you are not even sure what a SERP is and are pretty sure you have not seen one because that is not your style regardless.

A Search Engine Results Page is just the page that Google, or other search engine, returns following a searcher submits a query. The results page is the reason people use search engines in the first place, its how searchers find the resources they are going to use.

If you are a business owner with a site online or a heavy internet surfer knowing about Search Engine Result Pages and what they represent is important. A company owners comprehension of the methods that are effective to secure a presence on the SERPs of important keywords can be useful to expand your business and acquire customers. As a surfer knowing what the SERPs represent can help you make improved decisions about what resources to use.

There are many varied search portals in use currently and many have unique design aspects still the majority contain similar essential components. They all return web listings in response to search queries.

The returned sites are usually sites but increasingly search portals are returning videos, podcasts, and alternative kinds of media. When looking at a search engine the returned sites can generally be categorized into 2 main groups; paid listings and organic listings.

Depending on the search portals the returned sites may or may not look different, but their essential characteristic is the way the are ranked. Paid listings are ordered for the most part by how much is being paid to the search site, free listings are in the order of relevance as decided by the search sites free of any consideration for payment.

To put it simply the paid listings can be secured for sites willing to pay the search portals while being listed within the organic listings is a consequence of being seen organically by the search site ranking algorithm.

The two kinds of ranking categories are useful for different uses. A comprehensive understanding of both is the only way to make sure you can fully use the capability of search sites, either as a business service or information site.

The writer is an expert in internet commerce and internet technologies and has successfully helped many companies make money online. Check out additional information on profitable internet business ideas including search engine marketing, email, hosting and social media.