Google Rolls Out Redesigned Search Results in Europe Amid DMA Compliance

Google has rolled out redesigned search results in the European Economic Area (EEA) to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act. The changes give comparison services and direct suppliers their own result units for certain commercial searches, such as hotels and flights.

The aggregator unit shows listings from eligible aggregators, with the top-ranked provider's results expanded by default. Clicks inside the unit go to that aggregator's site. People can switch to another participating aggregator when one is available, but only one aggregator unit shows at a time.

Direct suppliers get their own unit without extra data work, but it appears only when an aggregator unit does. Google's algorithm still sets the rankings, according to Reuters.

Nick Fox, Google's senior vice president of knowledge and information, said in a statement that the changes will degrade the user experience for Europeans, boosting online intermediaries at the expense of local businesses, and removing helpful features people rely on every day. He added that users outside the EU will not be impacted by these changes.

Google tested the design with millions of users in Europe, who showed a high level of dissatisfaction because they had to retype queries. The company also said it expects the latest changes to cut free direct booking traffic to European businesses by 30%.