Google is running fresh tests on the look and feel of sitelinks inside its mobile search results, including a new stacked layout with a left-side margin and a variant that pairs each sitelink with a thumbnail image. The tests show Google is still fine-tuning how deeper links from a single domain appear beneath the main result.
What the new sitelink layouts look like
The most recently spotted design stacks sitelinks line by line beneath the main snippet. A thin horizontal line runs along the left edge of the sitelinks block, separating the deeper links from the rest of the mobile listing. The sitelink text itself appears in a darker color than the surrounding snippet copy.
A second variation was spotted without the horizontal line, a style that has surfaced in earlier Google tests. A third variation adds images next to each sitelink, with each link paired to a small thumbnail pulled from the destination page.
Why sitelinks matter for search visibility
Sitelinks are the additional links Google chooses to show beneath a top result when it decides a site has multiple relevant destinations under one query. They give a single listing more surface area on the results page, push organic competitors further down the screen, and steer clicks to deeper pages rather than the homepage.
For site owners, sitelinks are not something a page can directly request. Google generates them automatically based on how it understands a site’s structure, internal links, and which pages answer the searcher’s intent. A redesign that makes sitelinks more visual, through images or a bolder left-aligned column, increases the chance that one of those deeper links gets the click instead of a paid placement or a competing organic result.
How the tests were spotted
Search practitioners spotted the new layouts through routine SERP monitoring. Screenshots of the line-by-line design with the left margin and the darker text were shared publicly, along with the version that adds images to each sitelink. The tests appear limited to mobile results and to text-based ads that use the sitelinks extension, which means advertisers, not just organic listings, are affected by this experiment.
Google runs dozens of small interface tests at any given time, and most never roll out to all users. A sitelinks redesign is notable because sitelinks take up a large amount of above-the-fold space on mobile, so any change to their styling can shift how visible the rest of a result is.
What site owners and advertisers should watch
The practical takeaway is that Google has not settled on a final sitelinks design on mobile. Site owners who already earn sitelinks should expect the look of those links to keep shifting. Tracking which page on a site earns sitelinks, and for which queries, remains the clearest way to see how Google is grouping a site’s content in its own index.
For advertisers running sitelink extensions on text ads, the visual test matters more directly. If Google rolls out the image-paired sitelinks to ad extensions, each sitelink will need a thumbnail asset, and click-through rates will likely shift as users respond to a more visual layout.
FAQ
What are sitelinks in Google search results?
Sitelinks are the additional links Google shows beneath a top search result, pointing to deeper pages on the same site. Google generates them automatically based on site structure and query intent.
What is new in Google’s latest sitelinks tests?
Google is testing a stacked, line-by-line sitelinks layout with a horizontal line down the left side and darker link text. A separate test adds thumbnail images next to each sitelink.
Can a website control which sitelinks Google shows?
No. Google chooses sitelinks automatically. Site owners influence them by keeping a clear site structure, using descriptive internal links, and making sure the pages Google is most likely to surface answer the queries behind those deeper visits.
This article summarizes reporting from seroundtable.com.