What are Natural Listings?
Natural listings, or organic results, are search engine entries for which no payment is made and are placed in order of relevance, quality of content, and popularity of links. Unlike advertisements, these results exist because algorithms consider them to be the best and most useful responses. While some specialized directories may charge fees, the vast majority of organic placements are free to any site that meets ranking criteria. Improving natural listing positions relies on tactics such as on-page SEO, content marketing, and high-quality link building. Users commonly prefer organic results compared to paid advertising, enabling strong placements to drive traffic sustainably.
Examples: a blog post without any sponsorship that ranks number one for “homemade bread recipe”; a law firm’s website appearing in local results for “personal injury attorney”; an online shop listed for “running shoes” queries without any paid advertisement.
Related terms: organic search, SERP, SEO, unpaid results