Google expands EEA search units for local businesses, complies with DMA

Black and white hand puts a red location pin on the local small cafe or shop building. Destination sign in an arm. Modern photo collage… — Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Google updated its search result units in the European Economic Area (EEA) on September 18 to support local business queries, impacting how directories and local businesses appear, in a move to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The change introduced two new search units, an aggregator unit and a supplier unit, which now integrate local business information across the EEA as a deadline for DMA compliance approaches.

The aggregator unit is designed to display listings from approved vertical search services, including directories, comparison shopping engines, and metasearch engines, according to Google.

Conversely, the supplier unit directly features the businesses themselves.

To appear in the aggregator unit for local queries, directories and other aggregators must gain approval as vertical search services and provide Google with a point of interest feed.

Local businesses, however, can appear in the supplier unit without submitting additional data to Google, provided they serve users within the EEA.

Google’s Search Central pages for both new units were updated on the same day the change was logged, detailing the operational specifics for partners and businesses.

This redesign directly addresses requirements set forth by the EU’s Digital Markets Act and the European Commission‘s Search decision, which aim to foster greater competition in digital markets.

The company stated that data supplied through the point of interest feed would be used exclusively for the partner’s specific unit and would not be leveraged for Google’s own services or for competitors’ units.

The DMA, which came into full effect in May 2023, designates certain large online platforms as ‘gatekeepers’ and imposes a range of obligations and prohibitions to ensure fair and open digital markets.

Google, as one of these designated gatekeepers, faces a compliance deadline for implementing these changes across its services.

The integration of local business queries into these new units represents a significant adjustment to Google’s search algorithms and display mechanisms within the European Economic Area.

The European Commission has been actively monitoring compliance efforts by designated gatekeepers, with penalties for non-compliance potentially reaching up to 10 percent of a company’s total worldwide annual turnover.

Source: Search Engine Journal