EU DMA: Google self-preferencing in search

The European Commission is about to issue a decision that could have far-reaching effects on the visibility of commerce, travel and comparison sites in Google Search. European Union regulators are expected to find that Google unlawfully favored its own specialized services over rivals in search results. The ruling is expected under the Digital Markets Act and centers on how Google’s own shopping, travel and vertical services are displayed in the SERPs.

DMA proceedings and expected timeline

According to reports by the Financial Times citing people familiar with the matter and internal Commission documents, the decision is expected next week. At stake is how Google presents its own services compared with competing offerings. Google controls some of the most valuable commercial search real estate. An order requiring structural changes could therefore visibly shift organic visibility for comparison sites, travel platforms, shopping services and other businesses competing for high-value queries.

For SEO teams and publishers the case matters because preferential treatment of Google’s own services directly influences which providers users see first on high-intent searches. Mandatory adjustments could open new visibility windows in competitive commercial categories — especially where Google has so far placed its own modules prominently.

Possible effects on Google Search

The core of the case is how Google treats its own vertical services versus competitors in search results. If the Commission finds unlawful self-preferencing, mandatory search changes may follow. Such interventions can reshape SERP architecture in shopping, travel and other verticals and thereby rebalance ranking signals, click distribution and the relative strength of organic listings versus Google-owned placements.

Comparison portals and marketplaces that heavily rely on organic traffic from purchase-ready queries should watch developments closely. Changes to how vertical services appear can redirect traffic patterns within weeks. At the same time, demands rise for clear brand and offer data, structured information and solid on-page coverage of user intent if competition for SERP slots becomes more open again.

• Review of whether Google unlawfully favored its own shopping, travel and specialized services in the SERPs
• Possible obligation to change search displays affecting comparison, travel and shopping visibility
• Additional focus on third-party access to search data and AI features

Fines and deadlines raise the pressure

The Commission is expected to fine Google hundreds of millions of euros across two DMA decisions. Daily penalties may also apply if Google fails to comply with parts of the orders within 60 days. That deadline matters in practice: it shortens the window in which search changes can go live and raises the likelihood of noticeable SERP shifts in commercial categories.

For companies heavily dependent on Google visibility, that creates planning pressure. Content owners and SEO leads should measure traffic shares from shopping, travel and comparison queries, document competing SERP features and prepare scenarios for reduced Google-owned placements. Teams that early on build hybrid channels and direct demand are less exposed to short-term SERP redesigns.

Access to search data for competitors

A second key track concerns third-party access to search data. The Commission is also expected to decide whether Google must share ranking, query, click and view data with other search engines. Google argues that such sharing would threaten user privacy and exceed the Commission’s authority. From an SEO perspective, broader data access for alternative engines would be a structural lever: better training and ranking data could strengthen search competition and, over time, reduce dependence on a single SERP landscape.

Whatever the outcome, one point remains clear: organizing visibility only through Google-owned modules or heavily dominated vertical spaces creates concentration risk. Diversification via brand channels, structured product data, local signals and editorial authority becomes more important the more regulators intervene in SERP design.

AI access and Gemini parity under review

The Commission is also considering whether Google must give third-party AI providers access to the same features available to Gemini. That links classic search regulation with the next visibility layer: generative answers, assistants and AI-powered search surfaces. For GEO and SEO, possible feature parity would mean competitors in AI search could use similar building blocks — from data connections to presentation logic.

Marketers should therefore not only watch classic organic rankings but also how brands and offers appear in generative overlays, shopping modules and AI answers. Content with clear facts, up-to-date offer clarity and credible expertise remains a robust lever when SERP and AI surfaces are reordered.

What SEO and marketing teams can do now

First, audit visibility on queries today dominated by Google’s own verticals: product comparisons, flights, hotels and shopping intent. Second, set measurement points so impression, CTR and organic session shifts can be spotted quickly after a DMA decision. Third, review alternative entry paths: comparison partners, direct booking flows, newsletters and content hubs with strong E-E-A-T signals.

Technically, keep indexability, structured data and clear canonical strategies in solid shape in case new SERP slots open or Google modules step back. Editorially, pages that answer user questions precisely and support purchase decisions without relying on individual featured panels will benefit. The expected EU decision is therefore not only an antitrust event but a potential turning point for how organic visibility is distributed in commercial search.

Whether and to what extent Google must make changes will become clearer with the forthcoming ruling. What is already certain: the debate on self-preferencing, data access and AI feature parity once again puts search architecture, vertical competitiveness and strategic SEO planning at the center of digital visibility in Europe.