Google Proposes Equal Treatment for Vertical Search Services in EU Search Results

Reuters reports Google is preparing to change how Search displays results to avoid billions in fines under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The proposed change would let “vertical search services” (VSS) such as Expedia or Hotels.com show their own result boxes in Search with the same formatting as Google’s own services.

Key points:

• Google would allow each VSS to display a dedicated results box populated from that VSS’s inventory.
• Google’s own services would keep the same visual format and appear alongside the VSS box; displayed order would be determined by “objective and non-discriminatory criteria.”
• Results from airlines, car rental companies, and other direct suppliers would still appear, placed above or below the VSS box depending on query relevance.

The DMA has pushed major platform owners to open their ecosystems—Apple, for example, has been forced to permit third-party app stores. Regulators argued Google favored its own services (like Google Flights and Google Hotels) over specialized vertical search providers, potentially limiting competition and developer choices.

Google’s proposal is aimed at addressing those concerns by ensuring VSS providers get an equal, transparent opportunity to appear in search results. Whether the plan will convince EU regulators remains unclear; officials will likely examine the details of the “objective” criteria that determine which box appears and when.

For more detail, see the Reuters report: Reuters: Google considers changing search results to avoid EU fines.

What to watch next:

• How regulators respond to Google’s VSS box proposal and the precise non-discriminatory criteria Google offers.
• Whether the change materially improves visibility and traffic for third-party vertical providers.
• Any follow-up technical or UI changes rolled out by Google and how they affect user experience.

Discussion: Do you think equal-format VSS boxes will level the playing field for travel and shopping search results, or is this just a cosmetic change? Share your thoughts below.