Google Launches New Search Features in Europe

Google is launching new search experiences for its users in the European Economic Area (EEA). These new features have been created in order to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA).

So, what are these changes and how will they impact your European users? Here’s a quick guide to Google’s new search features.

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What are Google’s new search features in the EEA?

Google has announced three new search features for users in the EEA: carousel-style rich results, aggregator units and refinement chips, and improved results for flight-related queries.

Carousel-style rich results

Results for travel, shopping and local queries will soon feature in a carousel-style format. For queries such as “hotels near me”, Google will present results in a visually engaging, scrollable carousel. This will also display relevant information such as prices, reviews and images.

Aggregator units and refinement chips

Aggregator units and refinement chips will provide a more user-centric experience. Firstly, users will see links to major aggregate websites relevant to their search. Secondly, refinement chips will enable users to filter their search results with greater precision, enhancing the relevance of displayed content.

Flight-related searches

For flight-related search queries, Google will highlight results from airline websites in a separate unit. This new feature aims to simplify the process of finding flight details.

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Why is Googling introducing these new search features in Europe?

The introduction of these new features aligns with Google’s efforts to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act and meet regulatory requirements. The DMA imposes regulations on large tech companies – including social media sites and search engines – operating within the EU. By implementing these changes, Google aims to ensure transparency, fairness and user-centricity in its search services within the EEA. You can read more about Google and the DMA here.

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When will we see these new features in action?

In February 2024, Google announced these upcoming changes in a blog post. These new search features are set to be rolled out across the EEA over the next few months. The enforcement date to comply with the DMA is 6 March 2024, however, companies have been granted a six-month transition period.

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What are the implications and how will it impact visibility?

We can expect to see Google moving towards a more user-centric search experience by the end of 2024. For users, this will mean an interactive and tailored search experience, one that provides easier access to a range of diverse sources.

For businesses, there’s potential to benefit from higher visibility and more traffic. However, this depends on structured data markup. With markup, your results stand to benefit from rich results; without, your web pages will remain in the standard text search results.

Is your website ready for these upcoming changes? Speak to our experts to learn more about data markup and prepare for these new Google search features.