It's official, Google is testing Sitelinks in a new tabbed format. The sitelinks that you're used to seeing are still there. However, above them are clickable tabs with more categories of sitelinks to choose from.

While we've not had the chance to mess with the new format ourselves, others have reported that it appears sitelinks within each tab are determined by relevance and popularity. The new tabbed sitelink format gives your site the opportunity to increase the number of sitelinks substantially, as you can see in the example below with the search for Apple.

Of course there are pros and cons to the new format for site owners. Some worry that the tabs just add bulk which in turn push listings farther down the line. There are also concerns that this is the latest attempt by Google to keep traffic on their own site longer.

The positive side is that giving visitors the chance to click right through to the information they're looking for could bring higher quality traffic. It will also decrease your site's bounce rate and increase time spent on each page dramatically. We'll reserve judgment and keep you posted as the testing continues or quietly ends.