Google Makes Changes to Search Features to Appease EU Regulators

Update December 13: Google has stopped testing a simplified search results format for hotels in Germany, Belgium and Estonia after seeing a “significant drop in user satisfaction.” Traffic to hotel and agency websites also declined overall.

Google announces multiple changes to its search functionality to comply with EU requirements Digital Market Law. The changes are intended to level the playing field between the tech giants and third-party comparison sites.

The Alphabet-owned company will roll out search results layouts and give equal weight to results from comparison sites and direct supplier sites such as airlines, restaurants or retailers. They can also display more detailed information on the results page, such as prices and images.

Google has also created dedicated ad units for comparison platforms, allowing them to stand out more in search results.

Some users are not satisfied with search results

Additionally, Google conducted a test to understand the impact of formatting all search results into simple blue hyperlinks. Between Nov. 25 and Dec. 12, it removed the search results feature on hotels, vacation rentals and comparison sites for users in Germany, Belgium and Estonia.

These include maps showing hotel locations, hotel results, and hotel information. The idea is to temporarily observe how reverting to blue links affects traffic and user experience.

Google said users were “significantly less satisfied” with search results because it took them longer to find hotels and vacation rentals, with many giving up before finding what they were looking for. Traffic to hotel websites dropped by more than 10%.

Google legal director Oliver Bethell said the results proved that simplifying search would be “a lose-lose situation for both users and European businesses.” Blog article.

“We believe the latest proposal is the right way to balance the difficult trade-offs involved in DMA,” he added. another blog“. We remain hopeful that we can reach a legally compliant resolution and continue to provide useful technology to European users and businesses.

look: Meta and Apple violated Digital Markets Act, EU accuses

SEO experts comment on Google’s search changes

Alex Moss, SEO expert at Yoast, said the changes will have a positive impact on smaller companies and comparison sites. “This will increase the democratization of information, which is the most natural way to have an objective search experience and allow users to make improved and more informed decisions,” he told TechRepublic.

However, he believes that what Google should do to provide a level playing field is “definitely not the same as the legal requirements of the DMA”. “Google will comply with legal requirements and that’s it – especially if it affects margins,” he told TechRepublic.

However, Elie Berreby, an SEO strategist from Cyprus, said that removing the search function for restaurants and vacation rentals is a malicious compliance act.

“To demonstrate why it makes sense to resist regulatory compliance, they designed a temporary ‘search engine test’ that would remove Google search functionality that is very useful to users in Belgium, Estonia and Germany (the EU’s largest countries by GDP and population) .

“While the DMA is simply asking for equal treatment from Google, their search experience appears designed to generate frustration and put European consumers on Google’s side.”

Changes Google made in response to DMA led to fewer clicks from airlines, restaurants and small retailers

The DMA prohibits Google from favoring its services over those of its competitors in search results or other online platforms. Violations may result in fines of up to 10% of Google’s total global turnover, or up to 20% for repeated violations.

When the DMA came into effect in March, the company announced a number of Significant changes to products and servicesincluding temporarily removing some Google search widgets to allow businesses to compete on results pages. It also introduces new settings for choosing how data is shared between different Google services, as well as a “choice screen” for Android and Chrome to encourage users to choose their preferred browser.

However, a few weeks later, the European Commission Investigating Google parent company Alphabet’s alleged gatekeeping – Or promote your own services above your competitors in apps and browsers. It claims that the way Alphabet presents Google search results could lead customers back to Google services, such as shopping, flights or restaurants.

Bethell said some of the changes the company made in response to the legislation, while good for travel aggregators and comparison sites, were bad for airlines, hoteliers and small retailers.

“They reported a 30% drop in clicks on free direct bookings since we implemented the initial changes,” he wrote. “However, comparison sites insist our changes need to go further.”

The EU, UK and US are cracking down on Google’s anti-competitive conduct in online search and advertising

European regulators have Google firmly in their crosshairs due to its massive dominance of online search and advertising. In September, the European Court of Justice Fine of 2.42 billion euros maintained Accused that Google violated EU antitrust rules by favoring its own comparison shopping service “Google Shopping” in search results.

The committee is investigating whether Google favors its own ad-tech services, but preliminary findings last year showed that “Forced divestment” Part of the ad tech business will be the only way to solve the competition problem.

The EU is not the only country concerned about Google’s alleged anti-competitive behavior. In September, the UK Competition and Markets Authority provisionally ruled that Google Ad tech market dominance is bad for competitors.

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice and State Attorneys General Launch an antitrust investigation Investigating Google’s ad technology practices, accusing it of “illegally using distribution agreements to hinder competition.” The investigation remains ongoing.

Additionally, in August, a federal judge Ruling that technology companies monopolize general search services and text ads, violating antitrust laws.

However, Google isn’t going down without a fight. Successful €1.5 billion antitrust fine overturned The bill was reviewed by the European Commission in 2019 to prevent third parties using its AdSense platform from displaying competitors’ ads next to Google search results.

The company was also fined 4.34 billion euros by the European Commission in 2018 for abusing its dominant position by pre-installing Google search on Android devices, but has since upgraded its appeal to the European Court of Justice.