Google is running two display experiments on sponsored results in Search: a scrolling strip of social proof and an underlined domain name. Search Engine Roundtable’s Barry Schwartz covered both on Oct. 23, crediting Alex Greenland with spotting them.
In the first test, the ad cycles through review ratings, a visit count and a visit site link. In the second, the domain in the ad snippet gets underlined. Greenland described the second as an “animated underline of the domain chip” and posted videos on X. He saw the formats on about 5% of his searches, which makes this a narrow sample from a single observer.
Schwartz wrote that he suspected he had seen something similar before but could not find his earlier coverage. Neither test is confirmed as a launch. Advertisers need not change creative yet; they can, however, check that ratings and review assets are connected and current, since a moving display would make stale numbers more visible.
Search Engine Roundtable (Barry Schwartz), published Oct. 23, 2026.
