Google reverts to basic search format for travel results in Europe
- Google is testing a simplified display for travel-related search results in select European countries.
- The change will remove hotel maps, prices, and ratings from search results.
- This adjustment is part of Google's efforts to comply with the EU's DMA while assessing user experience and website traffic.
In Germany, Belgium, and Estonia, Google has initiated a temporary change to travel-related search results as of November 26, 2024. This adjustment strips out added features such as hotel maps, prices, and ratings, reverting to a simpler display of individual links. The motivation behind this change is part of a broader effort to comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA). This legislation aims to foster fair competition and maintain users' online experiences amidst concerns that Google's evolving search algorithms were negatively affecting website traffic for travel-related sites. Google's intention is to examine how this experiment impacts user experience and website traffic over the test period. While this move has been described by advertising representatives as beneficial for users, feedback from users indicates that the search results had been worsening despite becoming more cluttered.