We’ve been covering many of the Google Maps changes, many related to what searchers see in Europe related to the required DMA changes Google has to make. But searchers are complaining about several of these changes in the Google forums.
There has been many complaints in the Google forums about not being able to see and click on the map in the Google search results to access directions or more details. Well, in the EU regions, clicking on the map has been disabled and the map link in the Google search bar has also been removed. Why? Well, European law related to the DMA changes required Google to remove it.
Here is one of many threads where a top contributor compiled some of the complaints and wrote:
There are a number of user reports of being unable to access Google Maps from the desktop Google Search results page.
This issue is being investigated by the Google Search team.
As updated information becomes available, it will be posted in this thread.
Well, it was not a bug but rather a feature, as I explained above.
Ashwarya from Google posted in that Google Web Search Help thread saying “In order to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), we made changes to Google Search in European Economic Area (EEA). Maps that may appear in Search results do not link to Google Maps (example 1). The Maps link at the top of the Search page that links to Google Maps has been removed (example 2). Google published a blog about compliance with the DMA. Here’s the link to the blog if you’d like to learn more.”
Here is example 1 that shows that the map will not be clickable but only expandable, clicking on the map does not take you anywhere:
Here is example 2 that shows how Google removed the “map” link from the search bar:
Again, this is in the EU regions.
Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.
