Google EEA Units Now Support Local Business Queries: What Local SEO Teams Must Do Next

Five query types, two result units, one date: 18 September 2026. Google updated the documentation for the aggregator unit and the supplier unit and added the local query format to both. Local SEO in Europe now has a different results page to plan for, and we break down exactly what changed and how to respond  

What Changed in Google Search Central on 18 September 2026

Google stated that the aggregator unit and supplier unit now support local business queries, and it added “and local businesses” throughout both documents. The aggregator page also points local applicants to a dedicated feed guide. For local business queries, it refers readers to the Local Point of Interest Feed documentation. 

The change builds on a larger shift. From 8 September 2026, commercial searches for hotels, flights, long-distance trains and buses, and products can show a dedicated aggregator unit alongside a supplier unit for direct businesses. Local businesses are now the fifth query type on both pages. The first four were hotels, flights, long-distance trains or buses, and products. 

How the EEA Aggregator Unit Works for Local Queries

The aggregator unit exists for comparison and directory-style services. Google describes it as a multi-provider feature for Vertical Search Services, including online travel agencies, comparison shopping services, metasearch engines, and directories. 

Its behavior follows a fixed pattern:

• One aggregator shows at a time. The top-ranked eligible aggregator is expanded by default, and users can switch to another participating aggregator when one is available. 
• Clicks leave Google. Clicks inside the unit go to that aggregator’s site. 
• Approval comes first. Directories and other aggregators need approval as a vertical search service before they can appear. 
• Content must match the query. Businesses must have relevant content for the respective query to be eligible for the aggregator unit. 

For local queries, the NewsBreak summary of Search Engine Journal’s report lists the covered categories as including services such as beauty salons and things to do such as attractions.

Local Point of Interest Feed: Data Requirements for Directories

The feed decides who appears in the local aggregator unit. For lodging and local business queries, the unit is populated by direct data feed integrations. Markup on a website does not replace this step. 

Applicants send Google a point of interest feed with fields such as business name, address, phone number, category, images, and ratings. Google now sends local applicants to the same interest form used for hotel, flight, and ground transportation queries. 

Directory owners should also note the data-use terms. The Actions Center page says feed data is used only to fill the partner’s own unit and is not used for Google’s services or competitors’ units. 

We recommend this checklist for directory and listing platforms serving European users:

1. Audit the listing database for complete name, address, phone (NAP) values.
2. Standardize business categories against a single taxonomy.
3. Attach images and ratings at the listing level.
4. Submit the Google Search Aggregator Features form.
5. Build and test the feed against the Local Point of Interest Feed documentation.

Supplier Unit Eligibility: What Local Businesses Must Know

Individual businesses get the simpler side of the system. Local businesses can appear in the supplier unit without sending Google extra data. Direct businesses can be eligible using information available through normal web crawling. 

The conditions are narrow. The supplier-unit page lists two requirements: the website must serve users in the EEA, and the business must be a direct provider. The dependency matters most: the supplier unit only appears when an aggregator unit does. 

A local business therefore cannot control its supplier-unit visibility alone. A salon, restaurant, or repair shop appears there only when a participating directory triggers the aggregator unit for that query. Presence on approved directories becomes a visibility lever, so we advise reviewing which directories are likely to join the program in each target country.

Impact on Local Pack and Google Business Profile Visibility

The documentation leaves one gap open. The Actions Center page says the aggregator unit replaces existing units on the results page for local searches, but it does not name those units, and neither Search Central page mentions the local pack or Business Profiles. 

We treat the effect on the local pack as unconfirmed. Teams should monitor it rather than assume it. The responsible approach is to keep Business Profile data accurate while tracking how EEA local results actually render, query by query. Local queries may also have been signposted earlier. A Google Actions Center page had already said Google was updating results for dining, services, and things-to-do searches with the same two units, without a launch date. 

Rank Tracking and Search Console Changes in EEA Markets

Reporting is the second practical risk. For local queries, rank tracking and Search Console data from EEA countries may now reflect a different search experience than the same queries get elsewhere. Comparing a German or French local query against a UK or US baseline can mislead. 

We suggest this measurement routine:

• Segment EEA countries in every local rank-tracking report.
• Flag queries where position improves but clicks fall. These are the queries where a block took the click, not a ranking loss. 
• Capture SERP screenshots monthly for priority local keywords.
• Compare click-through rates before and after 18 September 2026.

Local SEO Action Plan for Europe After the DMA Update

The units belong to Google’s Digital Markets Act compliance work. Google documents EEA-specific experiences including aggregator units, supplier units, ecosystem carousels, job-site features, and structured-data carousels. Local queries now sit inside that framework, and we recommend the following sequence. 

For local businesses and agencies:

• Confirm the website clearly serves users in the EEA, with country-specific pages and addresses.
• Verify NAP consistency across the website, Business Profile, and major directories.
• Maintain strong LocalBusiness structured data so crawled information stays accurate.
• List the business on directories likely to qualify as aggregators.

For directories and local marketplaces:

• Express interest through Google’s aggregator form.
• Prepare the Local Point of Interest feed with complete fields.
• Monitor how the unit displays for each category and country.

For SEO teams:

• Create EEA-only reporting views for local keywords.
• Document SERP layouts before and after the change.
• Re-check the Search Central pages regularly, since the documentation evolves.

Key Takeaways on Google’s EEA Local Business Units

The 18 September 2026 update turns local search in Europe into a two-sided system. Directories compete for the aggregator unit through approved data feeds, while direct businesses appear in the supplier unit whenever an aggregator unit is shown. Business Profile and local pack effects remain undocumented, so measurement discipline matters more than assumptions. We recommend acting on the feed, directory, and reporting steps above while the rollout is still new.

Source: https://developers.google.com/search/updates