Why/How These Boxes?

[Digitaldar]

Always something new in the SERP

Can anyone tell me why certain sites are getting their sitelinks "boxed"

https://www.screencast.com/t/elwtyZj4

I did a search later and only the site in 4th organic position had boxed links; it is the same site that is 3rd in the above image.

Appreciate insight!

 

[James Watt]

You're just picking up on Google's new sitelink Carousel design. They've been testing it since late 2016, but this is the first time everyone's seeing it everywhere. I kind of liked the old way, but we'll just have to see how it affects CTR for the various pages in a spread. My guess is click throughs to internal pages will diminish, and more people will just go to the home page, but we'll see.

 

[Digitaldar]

Thank you James.
Any idea why certain sites are being shown with sitelinks and others are not? it is not reserved for the first organic site - assume this is part of the testing?

And do I just manage my sitelinks in normal fashion in the Search Console?

Thanks!

 

[James Watt]

My understanding is it's just a new way of integrating sitelinks. Manage it as you have been. I assume the reason 1 and 3 and not 2 in your screenshot had sitelinks, is pretty much why any site does or doesn't have sitelinks. To hit the basics, submit your sitemap, have clean navigation, and have a small collection of inner pages getting high traffic and low bounce rate showing prominently in said navigation.