The European Commission has fined Google for favouring its own services in search results. What this means for Spanish SMEs that depend on organic ranking.
The European Commission has fined Google €890 million for a practice that has been under investigation for years: favouring its own products and services in search results over the competition. The world's most used search engine is not neutral — and now there is a ruling officially confirming it.
What Google did exactly
The ruling states that Google positioned its own services (Google Shopping, Google Maps, Google Flights, Google Hotels) prominently in results, above competitors who in many cases offered more relevant results for users.
What changes in practice for search results
Google will have to give more visibility to third-party results in the affected categories. For local service websites in Spain, the impact on Google Maps may be significant: if Google has to level the playing field against other directories and comparison sites, ranking well in local searches becomes more accessible.
The real threat: AI and the end of the organic click
There is a bigger threat to SEO than the fine, and it is the behavioural change that AI search is bringing. More searches are being resolved directly on the results page without the user clicking. Google AI Overviews are reducing CTR across many search categories.
What Spanish SMEs should do now
Diversify traffic sources. Total dependence on Google organic traffic is a risk that has become more apparent. Work local SEO if your business is physical. Appear in AI responses, not just Google results — the AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) strategy involves structuring your content so AI models cite you when someone asks a question related to your sector.
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