Google began rolling out changes to EU search results on September 8 to comply with the Digital Markets Act, warning that the redesign would reduce search quality, Reuters reported.
The new layout gives one specialist comparison service the most prominent placement, followed by two others with fewer details. A carousel containing hotels, airlines and restaurants appears below, with features including live prices removed.
Google’s algorithm determines the rankings. The company says users outside the EU are unaffected.
The rollout follows a €460 million fine imposed by the European Commission on July 23. The Commission found that Google favoured its own shopping, hotel, transport and sports services through higher placement, enhanced visuals and filters that comparable third-party services did not receive. It ordered Google to end the non-compliance.
Under the DMA, designated gatekeepers must apply fair and non-discriminatory ranking conditions. The categories covered by the Commission’s decision extend beyond the travel and restaurant examples described in the latest rollout.
Businesses have raised concerns about how Google implements those requirements.
In its July response to the decision, European hospitality association HOTREC supported enforcement against Google but warned that proposed changes could favour booking platforms over businesses’ own websites. It said those changes could reduce the visibility of direct offers and increase businesses’ dependence on intermediaries.
“DMA compliance must not simply replace one distortion with another,” HOTREC director general Marie Audren said.
Booking.com is itself covered by the DMA. The Commission designated its online intermediation service as a gatekeeper in May 2024.
Google had previously reported traffic losses following earlier compliance changes. In November 2024, it said airlines, hotel operators and small retailers had reported declines of up to 30% in free direct booking clicks. Those figures predate the September rollout and do not measure its impact.
Photo credit – Pawel Czerwinski / Unsplash
Start the conversation by posting the first comment