What is “10 Blue Links” in SEO?

The term “10 blue links” refers to Google’s traditional search results page (SERP): ten organic results, each with a blue clickable title, green URL, and brief meta description. This structure dominated Google’s early years and defined early SEO. Ranking in these ten positions was the standard for visibility and success.

The Evolution of Google’s Search Results

Today, SERPs have evolved far beyond the “10 blue links.” Now, a typical Google search shows a mix of dynamic results, including:

• Featured snippets that answer questions directly
• Knowledge panels and AI-generated overviews
• People Also Ask
• Local map packs
• Image and video carousels
• Shopping and news results

These features now dominate the top half of most search pages. While they improve user experience, they also push organic results down, reducing both visibility and click-through rates (CTR). Many searches now end without a single click, which SEOs call a “zero-click search.“

Why the “10 Blue Links” Still Matter

Despite these new elements, the “10 blue links” concept remains vital. It is central to organic SEO: earning placement through relevance and authority.

For SEO professionals, it’s still the foundation for:

• Measuring true organic visibility
• Tracking click-through performance
• Understanding how SERP real estate has shifted

These ten positions are a benchmark and a reminder of SEO’s origins and progress.

The New SEO Reality: Beyond the Blue Links

Ranking #1 in organic results no longer guarantees top visibility. Your result may appear below a featured snippet, AI overview, or local pack.

Today’s SEO strategy must adapt to a multi-layered, zero-click SERP. The objective is broad visibility, wherever your audience searches.

To compete effectively, modern SEO needs to focus on:

• Structured data and schema markup – helping Google understand your content and display rich snippets.
• Search intent optimization – aligning content with what users actually want to know or do.
• Diversified content formats – using video, imagery, and FAQs to appear across multiple result types.
• Brand and topical authority – earning trust so your content ranks in both organic and featured placements.

From Rankings to SERP Real Estate

The “10 blue links” were once the entire playing field. Now, they’re just one part of a much larger and more competitive SERP landscape where every feature, snippet, and panel competes for user attention.

Modern SEO is about owning as much relevant space as possible across the results page:

• Appearing in featured snippets
• Showing up in local or map results
• Ranking videos on YouTube and Google Video carousels
• Getting products listed in Shopping or Merchant feeds
• Building presence through AI-generated search summaries

In summary, while the traditional “10 blue links” format remains the foundation of organic SEO, modern success now depends on capturing visibility across all parts of the search results page. The key takeaway: today’s SEO strategy must adapt beyond rankings, focusing instead on maximising brand presence wherever users search.

​