DMA: the mixed results of Google's test for hotels

Under pressure from European regulators, Google is trying to adapt to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The latest experiment: removing maps and rich features for hotel searches in certain European countries. A test that did not convince Google (which was not exactly thrilled to carry it out either), and it decided to end it earlier than planned.

Google facing the European DMA headache

Since March 2024, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) has imposed a strict framework on digital giants like Google. The goal? Restore fairer competition in EuropeBut for Google, it's a real puzzle to be considered sufficiently compliant by European regulators.

The company has already made numerous adjustments, notably by promoting for free price comparison sites in its search resultsThis seems to have pleased some market players, but many others — such as hotels or small merchants — complain. Why? Because these changes have caused their direct traffic to fall, sometimes dramatically.

To meet regulators' increasingly demanding requests, Google recently tested radical changes: removing interactive maps and other enriched tools for hotel searches in Germany, Belgium and Estonia.

The test results: a loss for everyone

Between November 26 and December 12, 2024, Google ran this test in three European countries: Germany, Belgium and Estonia. The idea was simple: display stripped-down search results, without maps or practical details like prices or reviews directly visible. A return to the famous “ten blue links”, a version of Google that some consider more neutral.

Result? Not very convincing.

According to Google:

• Users had more difficulty finding a hotel. Some had to repeat searches, and many simply gave up.
• Hotels saw their traffic drop by more than 10%, affecting hundreds of thousands of establishments across Europe.
• Comparison sites, which were supposed to benefit from these changes, didn’t actually see an increase in traffic.

Faced with these negative impacts, Google decided to stop the test. In its statement, the company explains that this kind of change serves neither users nor local businesses, and prefers to talk with the European Commission to find alternatives:

“As we are pushed toward more changes, we may have to remove this type of useful feature entirely. The results of this test show that this would be a lose-lose situation for users and European businesses. We look forward to discussing these findings with the European Commission and working to find a more balanced solution.“

A dilemma for Google

This test clearly illustrates Google's delicate position. On the one hand, the company wants to avoid sanctions from regulators by complying with the DMA's requirements, as evidenced by the numerous SERP changes made in recent months. On the other hand, it must continue to offer useful and effective services that appeal to internet users in order to remain a leader.

The risk is strategic: if its search results become less convenient, users could turn to other solutions. And for users, the question remains open: do we really want to sacrifice useful tools like interactive maps, in the name of neutrality ? It is not certain that the DMA will really benefit internet users either.

It is a shame to reduce hotels' visibility in favor of hotel comparison sites, which do not necessarily add value and can pose a risk for independent hotels. The German Hotel Association (IHA) has even expressed its concern about the removal of hotel features from Google Search. Will European regulators agree to reconsider their position for greater flexibility? The question remains unanswered…

The article “DMA: the mixed results of Google's test for hotels” was published on the site Abundance.