Google Adjusts Search Results in Europe to Address Rivals

Following concerns from rivals over decreased traffic, Google intends to alter how search results are shown in Europe. Additionally, the business will eliminate hotel maps in three nations, albeit some rivals feel that these adjustments are insufficient.

Following concerns from rivals over decreased traffic to their websites as a result of prior modifications made by the Alphabet division and EU authorities looking into whether the firm violated EU tech regulations, Google intends to modify how search results are shown on its platform in Europe. EU authorities are looking into whether the business has broken any EU technology regulations in the meantime. The UNN reports on it, citing Reuters.

Google is not allowed to give preference to its goods and services on its platform under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). The Act, which went into effect last year, aims to limit Big Tech’s influence.

Since then, the most widely used internet search engine in the world has made an effort to satisfy the divergent needs of small merchants, hotels, airlines, and price comparison websites, among others. According to the latter three organizations, recent Google adjustments have resulted in a 30% decrease in direct booking clicks.

In a blog post on Tuesday, Oliver Bethell, Google’s legal director, stated, “We have therefore proposed more changes to our European search results to try to accommodate these requests, while still meeting the goals set by the DMA.”

The changes include new formats that allow competitors to display pricing and images on their websites, larger and uniformly designed units that provide consumers the option to pick between supplier and comparison sites, and new ad units for comparison sites.

“We think the latest proposal is the right way to balance the difficult trade-offs that the DMA involves,” Bethell stated.

As part of a brief test to determine user interest, Google also intends to eliminate the map that displays hotel locations and the results that appear underneath the map in Germany, Belgium, and Estonia. This format is comparable to Google’s previous “ten blue links” approach from years ago.

“We’re very reluctant to take this step, as removing helpful features does not benefit consumers or businesses in Europe,” Bethell stated.

According to the European Commission, Google’s compliance recommendations are still being evaluated. Since March, Google has been under scrutiny from the Commission. Companies may lose up to 10% of their yearly worldwide revenue as a result of DMA infractions.

Google critic Kelkoo, a British pricing comparison website, turned down the proposition.

“They do not resolve the obvious preferential treatment of Google’s own CSS (Comparison Shopping Services) within the search results, with rivals either limited to far less favourable display (if they even appear) or forced to act as customers of Google rather than competitors,” Richard Stables, chief executive of Kelkoo, said.

According to the German Hotel Association, customers would find it less convenient and transparent if booking and comparison websites resumed using blue links.

“The return to basic blue connections makes it more difficult for hotels to compete, especially independent operators and small enterprises. It undermines their profitability and sustainability by lowering their visibility and making them more reliant on third-party platforms that demand hefty charges,” the statement read.

Google has not yet addressed its concerns, according to lobbying group EU Travel Tech, which is made up of Booking.com, Amadeus, Airbnb, and the Expedia Group. The group encouraged the Commission to prosecute Google with DMA violations.

YouTube “seems to be stepping away from exploring innovative and impactful solutions that could resolve the concerns raised by the Commission and third parties,” according to the organisation.