Do you run a hotel, an airline route, a comparison site or an online shop with customers in Europe? Then Google’s search results looked different for some of your visitors this week. Here is the short version of the Google DMA search results change. On 8 September 2026, Google began rolling out a new results page across the European Economic Area (EEA). It gives rival comparison services their own slot, plus a separate slot for direct providers.
That came right after a second change just for Europe. From 30 August 2026, Google stopped letting site reputation manual actions affect results for searchers inside the EEA. Neither change applies to searches made outside the EEA.
Below I go through what Google has actually confirmed, what it means for different types of site owners, and what I’d watch over the next few weeks.
Why Google Is Changing Search Results in Europe
The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) sets clear rules for “gatekeepers”, meaning very large platforms. Google Search is one of them. A key rule is that a gatekeeper must not rank its own services above similar services from other companies.
On 23 July 2026 the European Commission fined Google €460 million for self-preferencing (favouring its own services) in Search. The Commission found that Google showed its own shopping, hotel, transport and sports results more prominently than rivals. That included the top of the page, richer visuals and filters. Google got 60 days to comply, or face regular penalty payments of up to 5% of its worldwide turnover.
The 8 September rollout is Google’s answer, and it lands inside that 60-day window. Google tested similar layouts with European users earlier in the year, starting with hotel searches. So the format is not a total surprise. Google has also been very direct in public. It says the changes make Search worse for Europeans, and that people outside Europe are not affected.
Whether the Commission accepts this design is a separate question. It had not said so when this article was published.
What Changed in Google DMA Search Results on 8 September
Google published two new Search Central help pages on 8 September that describe the new features. Both apply only to users in the EEA. That covers the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The UK and Switzerland are not in the EEA.
The Aggregator Unit
The aggregator unit is a results block built for what Google calls Vertical Search Services (VSSs). In plain words, these are sites that compare offers from many businesses. Google gives online travel agencies, comparison shopping services, metasearch engines and directories as examples.
Google’s documentation on the aggregator unit says it works like this:
- Search types: hotels, flights, long-distance trains or buses, and products.
- One unit at a time: only one aggregator unit shows on a results page.
- Top provider opened up: the top-ranked provider’s results are expanded by default. They show details like photos, prices or ratings where available.
- Switchable: searchers can pick a different provider from a list of options.
- Clicks leave Google: picking a result sends the searcher to that provider’s site.
In practice, a search like “hotels in Lisbon” made in Spain may now show a block led by a travel booking site. Other comparison services are one tap away. Before, Google’s own hotel features took up that space.
The Supplier Unit
The supplier unit is the balance. It gives direct providers their own space. A direct provider could be a single hotel, an airline or a retailer.
Two details matter here. The supplier unit only shows when an aggregator unit shows. And Google says direct providers don’t need to send any extra data beyond what it can crawl from their website. Data feeds can improve how they look, though.
What Happened to Google’s Own Features
Google has said in public that the redesign removes or cuts back features people used every day. Early reports on the live pages say business carousels for hotels, airlines and restaurants moved lower on the page. They also lost real-time pricing.
I’d be careful with any exact layout description for now. The rollout is gradual, and searches from different EEA locations have not all shown the same design. Google’s documents describe the two units. They don’t describe a fixed page layout.
Local Results
Local searches are something to watch, not act on yet. Google’s Actions Center developer documents describe the same aggregator and supplier approach for local verticals like dining, services and things to do. But Google gave no launch date. The Search Central pages from 8 September listed only hotels, flights, long-distance trains or buses, and products.
So if you run a restaurant or a local service business in Europe, there is no confirmed change to how you show in the local pack yet. Your Google Business Profile still matters exactly as it did last week.
What Changed for Site Reputation Abuse in the EEA
The second change is quieter, but it matters to publishers. Google’s site reputation abuse policy targets third-party content placed on a strong site to take advantage of that site’s ranking power. People often call this “parasite SEO”. Google has used manual actions (penalties applied by a person at Google) to enforce it since 2024.
In an update on the Search Central blog on 28 August 2026, Google said that from 30 August:
- Inside the EEA: a site reputation manual action no longer affects results shown to EEA searchers.
- Instead: Google may treat the problem section as separate from the main domain. Over time it then ranks on its own merits, not on the host site’s strength. Google says this is not a ranking signal in itself, and it gave no timeline for it.
- Past EEA actions: Google said it would lift earlier manual actions under this policy for EEA searches.
- Outside the EEA: nothing changes. A manual action still pushes the affected section down for searchers elsewhere. The rest of the site is not affected.
- Notices: site owners are still told about manual actions in Search Console, and they can still file reconsideration requests.
- Mediation: Google added that eligible sites may take a dispute to mediation after a reconsideration request.
Google described this as a change agreed with the European Commission. The Commission had opened DMA proceedings into the policy in late 2025 after publishers complained. Google said it is still committed to the policy.
The result is odd but important. The same URL can now rank normally for a searcher in Germany and be pushed down for a searcher in the US. Google also said it won’t hold it against a site if pages hit by an action outside the EEA are not noindexed.
What These Changes Mean for Site Owners
The impact depends a lot on your type of business and where your searchers are.
Comparison Sites and Online Travel Agencies
This group has the most to gain, but only if it takes part. Showing in the aggregator unit is not automatic. Google’s documents say a provider must:
- Show interest through Google’s form. There is one for travel verticals and a separate contact form for comparison shopping services for products.
- Be approved as a Vertical Search Service.
- Send data through the required feed or real-time API for its vertical.
- Meet Google’s quality standards and Search content policies, and have content that fits the search.
The data routes differ by vertical. Hotels use a lodging feed. Flights and ground transport use real-time APIs. Products follow Google’s product data guidance. Google has not said how it picks the top provider, beyond saying it shows what is most helpful for each search. It also hasn’t said how long approval takes.
Only one provider is opened up by default. That makes the top spot very valuable. In my view, it turns data quality into a real fight with competitors, not just housekeeping. I mean accurate prices, availability, clean images and correct names.
Hotels, Airlines, Retailers and Other Direct Providers
For direct suppliers the picture is mixed. You get your own supplier unit without applying. But it only shows when an aggregator unit shows. And the aggregator above it may be a booking site that takes a commission on your rooms or products.
Google has said many times that its earlier DMA changes cut free direct booking clicks to European businesses. Whether this redesign does the same is something only your own data will tell you.
The basics still apply. You need a site Google can crawl, clear prices and availability on the page, and accurate structured data. If you already run hotel or product feeds with Google, keep them up to date, because feeds can improve supplier results.
Publishers and Sites Hosting Third-Party Content
Maybe you host partner content like coupon sections, sponsored reviews or white-label sections. The 30 August change means a manual action will no longer hit your EEA visibility. It does not mean the content is safe. I’d be very careful not to read it that way.
Google can still split that section from your domain for EEA searches. That removes the borrowed strength that made it rank. And the manual action still applies to every searcher outside Europe. Our guide to Google’s August 2026 spam update explains why low-value hosted content is still a risk under Google’s wider spam systems.
Local Businesses
Nothing confirmed has changed for local pack results yet. Keep an eye on the local verticals. Google’s developer documents suggest dining, services and things to do are next.
What Did Not Change Outside Europe
If your audience is in the US, UK, India, Australia or anywhere else outside the EEA, these announcements don’t change your results pages:
- Google’s own hotel, flight and shopping features still show as before.
- There is no aggregator unit or supplier unit outside the EEA.
- Site reputation manual actions still push affected sections down.
The catch is for sites with mixed audiences. A UK travel brand that sells to Spanish and Italian customers now works with two different versions of Google. If you already target several countries, your hreflang setup helps Google show the right version of a page. But it won’t change which results layout a searcher sees. The searcher’s location decides that.
What to Monitor in the Coming Weeks
This is still moving. The 60-day window to comply runs to late September, and both Google and the Commission may change things. Here is what I’d track.
Your EEA Traffic in Search Console
This is where I’d start. Filter the Performance report by country and compare EEA countries against a non-EEA baseline. Say clicks drop for hotel, flight or product searches in Europe, while the same searches hold steady elsewhere. That points to the redesign, not a ranking problem.
Compare from 8 September onwards against the same length of time before it. Watch clicks and click-through rate, not just impressions. The new units change how many results sit above the fold (the part of the page you see without scrolling).
Your Analytics and Referral Data
If you are a direct provider, check whether more of your European bookings now come through comparison sites instead of organic search. Splitting by country in a Looker Studio dashboard built on Search Console and GA4 makes this easy to see week by week.
Keep in mind that Google recently started sending some result clicks through an in-between URL. That can affect how referrals are credited. Our explainer on google.com/goto redirects covers what to check.
Rank Tracking by Location
Rank trackers set to one country will miss the split. If you have EEA markets, track at least one EEA location next to your main market. Expect positions to be harder to compare, because the units are not normal blue links.
Manual Actions and Reconsideration
If you get a site reputation manual action, remember it now applies only outside the EEA. Treat it as seriously as before. Fix the real issue and file a reconsideration request.
Google’s Documentation and the Commission’s Response
Watch the aggregator and supplier unit pages for changes to the supported search types, especially local businesses. Also watch for any Commission statement on whether the redesign meets the DMA. A “no” would mean more changes.
How to Check Your Own EEA Results
You don’t need special tools to see what European searchers see. Here is the simple approach I use:
- List the searches that matter most to you in hotels, flights, ground transport or products, and the EEA countries where you sell.
- Run those searches from an EEA location. Use a team member or partner based there, or a trusted location-checking tool set to that country.
- Note whether an aggregator unit shows, which provider is opened up, and whether your business shows in the supplier unit.
- Repeat the same searches from a non-EEA location to see the difference.
- Compare against your Search Console country data from before and after 8 September.
- If you are a comparison service that doesn’t appear, review Google’s eligibility rules and send the interest form.
Repeat this check every week or two while the rollout settles, because not all EEA searchers see the same design yet.
Conclusion
The Google DMA search results changes are real, but narrow. From 8 September, EEA searchers began seeing aggregator and supplier units for hotel, flight, long-distance transport and product searches. Since 30 August, site reputation manual actions no longer affect EEA results. Outside Europe, nothing has changed.
Your next step depends on who you are. Comparison services should look at applying as a Vertical Search Service. Direct providers should split their European data and watch for lost clicks. Publishers should not read the site reputation change as permission. If you want a refresher on the systems under all of this, start with how Google Search works in 2026.
