Google Testing New Dotted Underlines and Shaded URL Designs in Search Results
Google is currently experimenting with fresh aesthetic changes to its search engine result pages (SERPs), specifically targeting how website URLs are presented within search snippets. Recent reports from the search community indicate that Google is testing both dotted underlines and shaded backgrounds for URLs in organic search results.
The Latest UI Experiments
This testing follows a recent rollout of blue dotted underlines for sitelinks in sponsored results. However, these new tests appear to be expanding into the organic listings. Observations from search experts, including reports by Radu Oncescu and Deepak Yadav on X (formerly Twitter), highlight that the search giant is attempting to make source URLs more visually distinct for users.
Comparing the Designs
Users have reported seeing two distinct variations of these design experiments:
- Dotted Underline: The URL text features a subtle dotted line beneath it instead of the standard solid line or no underline at all.
- Shaded URL: In this iteration, the URL is placed within a softly shaded box, highlighting the domain and path information to make it stand out from the meta description text.
These variations are being compared against the current, standard interface to determine if they improve user click-through rates or site credibility perception.
Why This Matters for SEO
While these changes may seem purely cosmetic, they reflect Google’s ongoing effort to improve the usability and readability of SERPs. Visual cues like shading and specific underlining styles are often tested to help users identify the source of information more quickly, which could indirectly influence how users interact with snippets. At this stage, the tests appear to be limited, and it remains unclear whether these design choices will become a permanent fixture for all users or remain limited to specific regions or query types.
As always, SEO professionals should monitor how these potential UI shifts affect their organic search visibility, though standard best practices regarding clear URL structures and metadata remain the priority for search optimization.