"As the NN/g study explains, "Today's SERPs often involve not only links, but also images, video, embedded text content, and even interactive features. Any given search can return an assortment of different visual elements." Humans are visual creatures and the distribution of such elements in the SERPs has a significant impact on how users navigate the page. As a result, organic results near visual elements become more visible while those further away consequently lose visibility."
"Previous research from Nielson Norman Group (2013) found that "in 59% of [Google searches], people scanned the SERP sequentially, from the first results, to the second, and so on, without skipping any results or looking at the right side of the page." However, the research group finds things have changed drastically in recent years and it's easy to see why when you compare today's SERPs with their 2009 ancestors."
Search engine results pages have evolved from predictable lists into visually mixed layouts that include images, video, embedded text, interactive features, and featured snippets. Users increasingly follow a Pinball Pattern rather than scanning results sequentially. Visual elements draw attention and increase visibility for nearby organic listings while reducing visibility for distant results. Dynamic SERP features are frequently seen when present, reaching visibility in 74% of cases. The unpredictable composition and placement of result types change how users interact with pages and require optimization strategies that target views and clicks across varied result formats.
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