Google removes organic Shopping results across Europe

Google has removed organic Shopping search results across Europe, leaving only sponsored product recommendations in the shopping blocks of its search engine. This change, which began appearing last Wednesday, has resulted in the organic visibility of direct links to webshops dropping to nearly zero, according to analysis by Productrise.

The shift appears to be a response to long-standing antitrust actions by the European Commission. Google was previously penalized for abusing its market power by prioritizing its own product recommendations and price comparisons over competitors.

Under the new layout, search results often redirect users to price comparison services rather than directly to webstores. While this benefits comparison platforms, industry experts note that it may negatively impact webshops by reducing direct traffic and forcing them into affiliate models. Some analysts have described the change as a potentially inferior experience for consumers.