Google Adds Local Business Queries to EEA Search Units
Google updated its Search documentation on 18 September 2026 to add local business queries to two search features in the European Economic Area: the aggregator unit and the supplier unit. The change matters to directories, comparison services, and businesses that serve EEA users.
This is a regional search presentation update. It is not a new universal ranking system, and it does not mean every local search will show these units. Türkiye is not part of the EEA, so businesses serving only Türkiye should not assume the feature applies to their searches.
What are aggregator and supplier units?
The aggregator unit can show results from eligible Vertical Search Services. These may include directories, comparison services, metasearch engines, and online travel agencies. For a local query, a user may see results supplied by one eligible aggregator and switch to another provider where available. A click leads to the aggregator’s site.
The supplier unit is for direct providers. Google’s examples include individual hotels, airlines, physical business owners, and service providers such as plumbers. It appears alongside the aggregator unit and only when the aggregator unit appears.
The distinction is practical. A directory that lists many plumbers is an aggregator. A plumbing company offering its own services is a supplier. The two have different participation paths.
Who can participate?
For the aggregator unit, a business must serve users in the EEA, qualify as a Vertical Search Service, provide relevant content and data, and meet Google’s quality standards. Google’s documentation points local business aggregators to an interest form and a Local Point of Interest feed. Local business results in this unit are populated through direct data feed integrations.
For the supplier unit, the website must serve EEA users and represent a direct provider relevant to the query. Google says no extra data beyond crawlable website content is required, although feeds may enhance results. This does not guarantee inclusion. Google still decides when the unit appears and which information is useful for the query.
What should local businesses check?
- Make each location easy to understand. Use a dedicated page with the business name, address, phone, opening hours, services, service area, and a working contact or booking path.
- Keep facts consistent. Match the website, business profiles, directories, and feeds. Conflicting hours or addresses weaken the information available to users and search systems.
- Allow crawling. Important location pages should not require login, carry a noindex directive, or be blocked by robots.txt.
- Use accurate structured data. Add the most specific LocalBusiness type that matches the real business. Structured data helps explain a page but does not guarantee a special result.
- Separate direct and aggregator roles. A directory should prepare complete entity records and its data feed. A direct provider should strengthen its own location pages and customer journey.
For a Turkish company serving customers in EEA countries, the first question is whether its website and local offering genuinely serve those users. Language, location details, delivery or service limits, and local contact routes should make that clear. A translated page alone does not prove local availability.
Sources: Google Search documentation update, 18 September 2026; Aggregator unit documentation; Supplier unit documentation.