Google Dismantles European Product Carousels Amid EU Compliance Efforts
Google has largely removed product carousels from search results in Europe as it attempts to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). The move affects online retailers that rely on carousels for product visibility. According to Productrise, a search ranking platform, there's been a near-total disappearance of product carousel results across thousands of daily queries, with declines ranging from 90% to 100% over just a few days.
The Shopping tab has also been removed from Google's navigation bar in Europe. Online retailers that used carousels to improve product visibility will need to adjust their ecommerce strategies. Carousels acted as part of a broader strategy to maintain product visibility and optimize search rankings, which are critical for converting shoppers into buyers.
Without carousels, shoppers may find it harder to discover products via traditional search methods, potentially reducing opportunities for impulse purchases. Retailers could lose shoppers to competitors with stronger product discovery experiences that are less dependent on search engines.