Google Expands EEA Search Result Units to Include Local Business Queries

Google has updated its European Economic Area search results to support local business queries within its two redesigned result units — a move that could reshape how directories and local businesses compete for visibility across the region.

The change was logged on September 18, 2026, when Google simultaneously updated its Search Central documentation for both the aggregator unit and the supplier unit. Both pages now list local businesses alongside previously supported categories including hotels, flights, long-distance trains or buses, and products.

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What Changed and Why It Matters for EEA Search

When Google first rolled out the two EEA result units on September 8, the supplier unit referenced brick-and-mortar businesses and plumbers as examples — but did not formally list local queries as supported. The September 18 update makes that support explicit and expands what EEA users will see when searching for local services.

Google's changelog entry is brief and direct: "The aggregator unit and supplier unit now support local business queries."

Understanding the Two Units

The distinction between the two units is important for anyone operating in local search.

The aggregator unit surfaces listings from approved vertical search services — a category Google describes as including directories, comparison shopping services, and metasearch engines. Only one aggregator unit appears at a time, and the top-ranked provider's results are expanded by default.

The supplier unit appears alongside the aggregator unit and displays the businesses themselves. A separate Google Actions Center page identifies local searches as those involving dining, services such as beauty salons, and experiences such as tourist attractions.

For local queries where these units appear, EEA search results now carry both an aggregator side and a supplier side — effectively splitting the results page into two distinct competitive spaces. This structural change has no direct equivalent in non-EEA markets, making it one of the more significant regional divergences in Google's search experience to date.

What This Means for Local Visibility

If you operate a local business or manage SEO for clients in EEA countries, the practical implication is immediate. The search results page for local queries is no longer a single competitive environment — it is divided. Appearing in one unit does not guarantee visibility in the other, and the rules governing each are meaningfully different.

Understanding why your business may not be appearing in Google search results is a useful starting point before assessing how these new EEA units affect your current visibility.

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How Directories and Local Businesses Can Participate

The Aggregator Unit: Approval and Feed Requirements

The path into the aggregator unit requires approval as a vertical search service. Google directs local applicants to the same interest form it uses for hotel, flight, and ground transportation queries. Local applicants must also supply a point of interest feed carrying fields such as:

• Business name
• Address and phone number
• Category
• Images
• Ratings

According to Google's Actions Center page, data sent through the feed is used exclusively to populate the partner's own unit and will not be shared with Google's own services or competitors' units.

The aggregator unit "replaces existing units" on the results page for local searches, though Google has not named which units are being replaced. Neither the aggregator nor the supplier Search Central page mentions the local pack or Business Profiles directly — a gap that leaves open questions about how established local search features are affected.

The Supplier Unit: A Lower Bar for Direct Providers

For local businesses themselves, the bar is considerably lower. The supplier page states that direct providers must serve users in the EEA but do not need to provide data beyond what Google can already crawl from their websites.

Sending a feed is optional and described as a way to enhance results rather than a requirement for appearing. Critically, the supplier unit only appears when an aggregator unit is present — meaning local businesses cannot appear in isolation through this system.

This dependency is worth noting. A local business's visibility in the supplier unit is contingent on an aggregator unit being triggered first. If no approved aggregator is serving a particular query or geography, the supplier unit will not appear regardless of how well-optimised a business's website may be.

Reviewing the top Google tools available for growing your business may help identify additional ways to strengthen your presence across Google's ecosystem while these new units develop.

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The Regulatory Backdrop and What Comes Next

Digital Markets Act Compliance

Google redesigned these search features to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act. The timeline adds urgency to the update. A European Commission press release dated July 23 stated that Google had 60 days to comply with its decisions regarding Search. The same release noted that Google faces periodic penalty payments if it does not satisfy the order.

As of September 18, no Commission statement had been published confirming whether the redesign meets compliance requirements. The 60-day window established in July places a deadline in late September — making the timing of Google's local business expansion notable even if Google has not publicly connected the two directly.

Unanswered Questions

Several details remain unclear, and they matter for anyone building a strategy around these units:

• Google has not disclosed how frequently the units appear for local queries
• Which aggregators have already received approval to participate has not been named
• The relationship between these units and existing features such as the local pack and Business Profiles remains unaddressed in official documentation

These gaps are not trivial. Until Google clarifies how the new units interact with existing local search features, businesses should monitor their EEA performance data closely rather than drawing early conclusions.

How Rank Tracking and Reporting Need to Adapt

For SEO professionals and marketers tracking performance in EEA countries, the practical implication is immediate. Rank tracking tools and Google Search Console data from EEA regions may begin reflecting a materially different search experience than the same queries produce in non-EEA markets.

Benchmarks and performance baselines built on pre-September data may need to be recalibrated. Blending EEA and non-EEA data going forward risks masking the distinct search experience now being served to European users — and obscuring whether these structural changes are helping or hurting organic performance.

For businesses looking to understand how broader Google data and trends can inform their positioning, exploring how to use Google Shopping Insights for business growth offers a useful lens on interpreting Google's evolving data tools.

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How to Act on This Information

Local businesses and directories operating in EEA markets should review their current visibility strategy in light of these changes.

Directories and aggregators that want to compete for placement should begin the vertical search service approval process and prepare a compliant point of interest feed. Waiting risks ceding early positioning to competitors who move faster in a newly opened channel.

Local businesses should audit what Google can currently crawl from their websites, since that data will directly influence supplier unit results. Optional feeds are available and may be worth exploring for businesses where categories, images, or ratings are incomplete or outdated online.

SEO teams tracking EEA markets should segment their rank tracking and Search Console reporting by geography immediately. The structural changes now being served to European users are distinct enough that consolidated reporting will increasingly produce misleading signals.