EU fines Google $3.5 billion over anti-competitive ad-tech business
Google may be forced to divest its ad-tech business, but Google will appeal.
Topic: European Union competition law
Google faces $13 billion in EU civil claims after Shopping antitrust fine
The lawsuits by EU rivals may force major changes to Google's shopping and comparison queries and ad visibility.
EU’s top court upholds $2.7 billion fine against Google
The record $2.7 billion fine against Google was for favoring its own price-comparison service in search results.
The 5 latest Google Ads features and how to make the most of them
A guide to testing the latest Google Ads features and let them work for you.
Genius sues Google and LyricFind for more than $50 million in damages
The company alleges breach of contract, unfair competition and lost ad revenue.
Google fined another $1.7 billion by EU for ‘abusive’ AdSense publisher contracts
Google has now been fined a cumulative total of roughly $9.3 billion and there's one more potential case lurking.
Antitrust, data and consumer privacy will take center stage at new FTC hearings
Will they lead to a new Google investigation, more Facebook scrutiny?
Report: EU about to fine Google billions in Android antitrust case
The first antitrust fine was roughly $2.8 billion; this one could be larger.
Google’s antitrust infringement continues ‘unabated’, Google Shopping competitors tell European Commission
Four months in, 19 rivals say too little has changed.
Spotted: Links to competing shopping engines in UK Google Shopping results
The new look is in response to the European Commission's antritrust ruling against Google, but it may not satisfy rivals.
CSEs will compete head-on with Google Shopping in EU search results
To provide "equal treatment" in the ad auction, Google Shopping will operate as a separate business unit bidding against Comparison Shopping Engines
Alphabet to create separate business unit in Europe to run Google Shopping
Effort is attempt to comply with European antitrust decision; would force Google to bid against rivals in the AdWords auction as a standalone entity.
Google proposes a new version of ‘rival links’ to remedy shopping search antitrust violation
Submission appears similar to its earlier, unsuccessful settlement proposal.
The biggest trends & changes in PPC so far in 2017
From new products to ads updates to targeting changes, here's a look at the paid search changes that mattered most.
SearchCap: Google ends ODP description, EU fines Google & local best practices
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Business profile and review best practices from TripAdvisor and YelpJun 2, 2017 by Greg Sterling Businesses that complete their profiles see 5x the customer leads each month. Gilbert Baker Google doodle […]
Yelp, TripAdvisor: Google’s mobile ‘best-of lists’ hide our content
Google is adding content for users on the go, but some local search rivals see the move intentionally marginalizing their content.
SearchCap: Google Search Console emails, EU antitrust expanded & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google Search Console bug sends re-verification notifications to usersJul 8, 2016 by Barry Schwartz Don’t panic, says Google — That verification email from Google Search Console was an accident, but it […]
Google facing likelihood of third antitrust complaint in Europe
AdWords and search-box contracts the focus of potentially impending third Statement of Objections from European Commission.
Copyright bully Getty Images complains to EU that Google coerced it into image search
Company says high-res image search results have harmed traffic and revenues.
Microsoft Pulls Funding For Anti-Google Lobbying Group FairSearch
According to a report in Re/Code appearing last week, Microsoft has pulled financial support from FairSearch, an anti-Google “watchdog” or lobbying group that has been at the forefront of advancing European antitrust moves against the company. We sought comment from Microsoft when the report appeared, but the company declined to respond. The FairSearch site lists […]
Local Traffic “Diversion” — Google Claims It’s A Bug, Yelp Says It’s Intentional
Local search represents between 30 and 40 percent of mobile search results. Local is critical for consumers and represents billions in annual ad spending. And it’s a high-stakes area for all the companies involved in serving or selling to local businesses. Over the weekend, the following exchange took place on Twitter regarding Google’s local search […]
Google Comes Out Swinging, Denies All Antitrust Charges In Shopping Search
In a formal filing and in a companion blog post by Google SVP and General Counsel Kent Walker, Google has vigorously denied that it has abused its market position in search. Instead, it characterized its actions and UI changes as directed toward quality and improving the user experience. In the blog post entitled “improving quality […]
Google Asks Europe For More Time To Respond To Antitrust Charges
According to the Wall Street Journal, Google has been given extra time (until August 31) to respond to the European Commission’s antitrust charges. The original deadline was August 17, next Monday; however, Google requested additional time. Notwithstanding historical complaints about maps/local and other vertical areas, for the present, the “Statement of Objections” (formal antitrust charges) […]
SearchCap: Yelp Study On Google, Local Search Pitfalls & Google Analytics Remarketing
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Choosing the Right Images for Your Ads- July 14 Webcast A picture is worth a thousand words Study By Former FTC Advisor Tim Wu Claims Google Local Search Results Violate Competition […]
Google Cites Incorrect Traffic Data In Response Post To EU Antitrust Charges
Company argued Guardian and Yelp got more direct traffic than they actually do.
SearchCap: comScore Metrics, Bing Image Search & Google App Installs
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Yelp Ups Its Search Game With “Yelp Now”: Adds Dinner Reservation & Food Ordering Search Filters New filters let users search restaurant listings based on available reservation dates and times, as […]
EU Antitrust Charges Filed Against Google, Focus On Comparison Shopping Only
Complaint leaves out other vertical search categories, for now.
Reports: EU To File Formal Antitrust Charges Against Google This Week
Company could face billions in fines if Commission decides to impose them.
Europeans Have Authority To Seek Google Break Up Though Unlikely To Do So
Break Google up. That’s the thrust of a “non-binding” resolution the European Parliament is expected to adopt at some point in the near future, according to a report on Friday from Reuters. The recommendation is likely to be to separate Google’s search engine from the rest of the business. Needless to say, if this were to come to pass it […]
German Publisher Axel Springer: Loss Of Snippets Caused 80 Percent Traffic Drop
Axel Springer, Germany’s largest publisher and the owner of Europe’s largest newspaper, has said it wants back in to snippets. According to Reuters, the German publishing giant revealed that traffic to its four largest online properties from Google search results “had fallen by 40 percent” and referrals from Google News had dropped “by 80 percent in the past […]
Focus On User Group Uses Google Algorithm To Attack Map Pack
Yesterday a new anti-Google consortium called “Focus on the User” launched a website that cleverly uses Google’s own words and algorithm to make an argument against Google+ Local (map pack) search results. It also operates as a concrete proposal that might substitute for the now defunct “rival links” compromise in the Google-EU antitrust matter. One […]
EU Antitrust Endgame Looking More Murky, Risky For Google
The Wall Street Journal added more color to the unfolding story of the collapse of the Google-European Commission antitrust settlement. Notwithstanding denials by outgoing competition czar Joaquín Almunia, it’s clear that pressure from major European publishers, rivals and politicians undermined the deal. We’re in something of a “now what?” moment. If a settlement cannot be […]
SearchCap: Bing Ads Layout, Yelp Joins EU Google Antitrust & Twitter/Google Study
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google’s EU Censorship Removes Links For More Than Just Names On Their Own It turns out that those in the European Union asking Google to “forget” links they don’t like that […]
Microsoft Bing Testing Showing “Alternative” Search Engines In Search Results
We’ve seen how Google may display competitive search engines in their search results, based on an EU antitrust settlement. But how will it look for Bing if they did the same thing? Aaron Wall at SEO Book posted a screen shot of what he saw Bing testing around displaying “alternative” results in the Bing search […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 18, 2014
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Bing Ads Starts Allowing Keyword Variations Once Flagged As Duplicate Just about anyone who has imported a campaign from Google AdWords or uploaded a new keyword set into Bing Ads has […]
European Publishers File New Antitrust Complaints Over Google News & Images
European newspapers, magazines and photographers are not happy with Google and how their content and images are shown in the Google search results. IDG News reports Google was slapped with a new antitrust complaint over Google Images. EMMA wrote that newspapers and magazines are “extremely concerned by the Commission’s on-going assessment of the new set […]
EU Antitrust Chief: Google “Diverting Traffic” & Will Be Forced To Change
While saying he’s “still investigating,” the head of the European Union’s antitrust regulatory body has told the Financial Times that he’s convinced Google is “diverting traffic” and that it will be forced to change its results. From the FT interview: “We are still investigating, but my conviction is [Google] are diverting traffic,” Mr. Almunia told the […]
Report: Google Seeks To Avoid EU’s Antitrust Wrath By “Labeling” Its Own Services
The Financial Times (FT) is reporting that the thrust of Google’s antitrust settlement proposal to European Competition Czar Joaquín Almunia primarily involves “labeling” its own services to distinguish them from other organic search results. According to the FT, citing “people familiar with the search giant’s submission”: Under the proposal, Google would put its brand on any […]
EU Offers To Settle With Google Over Anti-Trust Claims
European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia issued a statement this morning offering “preliminary conclusions” of the EU’s investigation of numerous antitrust complaints against Google. It lays out “concerns” about Google’s market power in four areas. Almunia acknowledges Google’s prior statements about a willingness to settle and suggests that if a settlement can be reached Europe and […]
Google Braces For Early 2012 (400-Page) EU Antitrust Report
According to dealReporter (via the Financial Times), the first stage of the formal European antitrust investigation against Google is almost complete. Google will shortly receive a 400-page “statement of objections” presenting findings from the European Commission’s investigation. It will detail Google’s alleged “abuse of dominance” and presumably — this is drawing an inference from the […]