Google Antitrust Rulings and SEO: The Forces Reshaping Search Into 2027

Google spent the summer and early fall in courtrooms and regulators’ offices, and it ran its longest spam update of the year at the same time. Here is what the latest Google antitrust rulings actually decided, what is still open heading into 2027, and what a local service business should do about any of it.

The short version: little of this changes your marketing this month, but several decisions carry 2027 deadlines and the biggest search case is still on appeal.

What did the Google antitrust rulings decide this fall?

Two US rulings landed in September, and both went Google’s way.

Ad tech: no breakup

On September 2, Judge Brinkema of the federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia rejected a forced sale of AdX, part of Google’s ad tech business, and ordered behavioral remedies instead, according to Reuters and Search Engine Roundtable. That case was about Google’s advertising technology, not the search results your customers see.

AI Overviews: publisher suits dismissed

On September 30, Judge Mehta dismissed antitrust suits that Chegg and Penske Media had brought over AI Overviews. As Android Authority and Search Engine Roundtable reported, the judge said the issues may be beyond antitrust law and are for legislators to address.

“an expectation is not an agreement”

Judge Mehta, order dismissing the Chegg and Penske Media suits

If you were hoping a court would force Google to send more clicks back to websites, this case will not do it. Our recommendation is to plan as if AI answers are here to stay.

Is the US v. Google search case over?

No. It is unresolved. Both sides have appealed Judge Mehta’s remedies to the D.C. Circuit. The DOJ and states filed in July 2026 and Google filed in late September, according to MediaPost and Courthouse News. As of October 2, no oral argument date had been set.

The remedies under appeal date from September 2025. They require Google to share some search data with qualified competitors and to provide search and ad syndication, and they ban exclusive distribution deals for six years. Unless the appeal changes it, that ban runs from 2026 to 2032.

Nobody can say how or when the appeals court will rule. We recommend not building any 2027 plan that depends on the outcome. If rivals do gain ground, our view is that businesses with accurate, consistent information across the web will be best placed, and that work pays off regardless.

What are Europe and the UK doing to Google Search?

The EU: a fine, then an appeal

On July 23, the European Commission fined Google €890M under the Digital Markets Act, as Security Affairs reported. That breaks down to €460M for self-preferencing in shopping, hotel, transport and sports results, plus €430M over Play Store steering, with 60 days to comply.

Separately, Google said on September 29 that it is appealing EU orders to share search data by January 2027 and to open Android to AI rivals by July 2027, according to Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Land.

“We’re appealing decisions that will force us to share people’s private search history.”

Oliver Bethell, Google

Europe also changed how Google polices spam. From August 30, Google stopped enforcing site reputation abuse manual actions for searchers in the European Economic Area, lifted earlier EEA actions and added a reconsideration and mediation process, per Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Journal. A Google spokesperson said the change was made “to address the European Commission’s concerns.” The actions still apply outside the EEA, so nothing changes for a US-only business.

The UK: choice screens and AI controls

On September 23, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority proposed search choice screens on new Android devices and Chrome with up to 12 providers: the 5 most popular eligible providers plus 7 chosen at random, PPC Land reported. AI assistants would be eligible for the first time. The consultation closed October 9.

The CMA has also set a March 2027 deadline for page-level controls over Google’s generative AI features and expects click data, according to Search Engine Journal. We covered the site-level control Google already offers in our post on opting out of AI Overviews.

Will Google pay websites when AI uses their content?

A handful, maybe. 9to5Google reported on a Google “AI contribution pilot” in which earnings accrue “when your content contributes significantly to AI-generated responses,” with payouts shown inside Search Console. The Information reported that about 100 publishers are in the pilot, and that several smaller sites are receiving about 0.1% of their ad revenue, according to Search Engine Roundtable.

For a plumber, roofer or cleaning company, this is not a revenue line to plan around. Your return from AI visibility is the phone call, not a payout. That is why we recommend judging answer engine optimization work by leads, not citations alone.

The September 2026 spam update ran almost two weeks

The September 2026 spam update started around noon ET on September 24. Google said it “applies globally and to all languages” and “may take up to two weeks.” According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard, it finished October 8 at 4:37 am ET, after 13 days and 16 hours, far longer than Google’s other 2026 spam updates. Search Engine Roundtable covered the completion.

Manual actions are a separate story, and the evidence is thinner. SEOs, including Marie Haynes, reported more manual actions in the weeks before October 8, mostly for thin content, pure spam and scaled content. Google made no statement, and Search Engine Roundtable’s own review found “not a super big spike.” Treat it as a report, not a crackdown.

One more policy worth knowing: in April 2026 Google added a spam policy on back button hijacking. If a pop-up tool or chat widget on your site interferes with the back button, have your developer check it. We cover more in our breakdown of the August 2026 spam update.

Which 2027 dates should a local business watch?

Most of these won’t touch a US-only service business directly, but they shape the search products your customers use.

1. January 2027. EU deadline for Google’s search-data sharing, under appeal.
2. March 2027. UK CMA deadline for page-level controls over Google’s generative AI features.
3. March 18, 2027. The IETF AI Preferences draft-08 expires. It says it does “NOT REFLECT CONSENSUS,” so a newer draft is the likely next step.
4. July 2027. EU deadline for Android changes, also under appeal.
5. During 2027. Local Services Ads move into Google Ads for non-US accounts and the remaining categories.
6. Unknown. A D.C. Circuit decision in US v. Google. No oral argument date was set as of October 2.

Our forward-looking view, offered as a recommendation rather than a prediction: expect more AI assistants competing for your customers’ questions, more controls for site owners, and more pressure on Google to report clicks. None of that rewards waiting. It rewards a clean site, an accurate Business Profile and real reviews.

If you want a second opinion on whether any of this affects your site, talk to our team.

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