The Digital Markets Act (DMA): What agencies should know about its impact on search
- Krystal Taing
- May 1
- 8 min read
Author: Krystal Taing
The digital landscape has long been dominated by a handful of tech giants whose influence over search, social media, and eCommerce has grown seemingly unchecked. The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) has begun (and will continue) to change that dynamic. By targeting the monopolistic activities of ‘gatekeepers’ like Google, Meta, and Apple, the DMA aims to foster a fairer, more competitive digital ecosystem.
This legislation isn’t just another regulation to be aware of—it’s a game changer. For agencies, understanding the DMA is crucial to help their small business clients navigate these changes and capitalize on new possibilities. Enterprises are in a similar situation, but with the added challenge of executing at scale.
From changes in search engine operations to shifts in marketing strategies, the DMA introduces both challenges and opportunities that you must prepare for. Let’s get started.
Table of contents:
Why the European Union introduced the Digital Markets Act
The digital economy has grown exponentially over the past two decades, with much of this growth driven by a few dominant players. Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta (formerly Facebook), and companies like them have become gatekeepers, controlling access to essential services like search engines, app stores, and social media.
This dominance leads to several problems:
Limited competition — Smaller businesses struggle to compete against these giants that can prioritize their own services and stifle innovation.
Data moats — Gatekeepers collect vast amounts of user data, giving them an outsized advantage in targeted advertising and user behavior analysis.
Limited consumer choice — Gatekeepers often lock consumers into specific ecosystems with limited alternatives.
To address these issues, the European Union developed the Digital Markets Act, which came into effect in May 2023. Its primary goal is to create a level playing field where small businesses and new entrants can compete fairly.
The DMA sets clear rules for gatekeepers, aiming to:
Prevent self-preferencing, where gatekeepers prioritize their own products or services.
Ensure interoperability and data portability, allowing users to switch platforms easily.
Foster innovation by giving smaller players a fair shot at reaching their audiences.
For agencies, understanding the DMA isn’t just about compliance; it’s about staying ahead of industry shifts and leveraging new opportunities for clients.
Key elements of the Digital Markets Act
To guide your stakeholders, you’ll first need to learn the following elements of the DMA:
What is a ‘gatekeeper’?
Changes in search engine operations
What is a ‘gatekeeper’?
A gatekeeper is a large digital platform that meets specific criteria outlined by the DMA. These include:
Annual revenue: Companies with an annual EU revenue of at least €7.5 billion in the last three years or a market valuation of at least €75 billion.
User base: Platforms with more than 45 million monthly active end users and at least 10,000 yearly active business users in the EU.
Core platform services: Companies that offer essential services, such as search engines, social media platforms, messaging apps, or online marketplaces.
Examples of gatekeepers include Google (Search and YouTube), Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Apple (App Store), and Amazon (eCommerce and AWS).
To curb anti-competitive practices, the DMA imposes several regulations on gatekeepers:
No self-preferencing — Gatekeepers cannot rank their own products or services more favorably in search results. For instance, Google may no longer prioritize Google Shopping over competitors.
Data sharing and portability — Users must be able to move their data between platforms. This includes transferring playlists, contacts, or messages from one service to another.
Interoperability — Messaging services, like WhatsApp and iMessage, may need to work seamlessly with smaller competitors, allowing users to communicate across platforms.
Transparency in advertising — Gatekeepers must provide advertisers with more detailed performance data, offering insights into how their ads perform relative to competitors’ ads.
These changes aim to dismantle gatekeepers’ stranglehold on digital markets, opening up opportunities for smaller players.
Changes in search engine operations
Search engines (particularly Google) face significant changes under the DMA. As a gatekeeper, Google is required to adjust its algorithms and operations to comply with the new rules.
Immediate changes (already in effect) | Anticipated changes |
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These changes will alter how agencies approach SEO and paid search strategies.
The DMA era: Strategic adjustments for agencies
Whenever gatekeepers change how they operate (or the government forces them to do so), you’ll need to pivot your plans accordingly. On a high level, that means you’ll need to:
Adapt SEO strategies
Under the DMA, traditional SEO practices may require significant adjustments. Agencies should consider the following strategies:
Focus on content quality — As search engines emphasize neutrality, content relevance and quality will play an even larger role in ranking. Agencies must prioritize creating high-quality, user-focused content.
Diversify keywords and platforms — With potential shifts in search algorithms, relying solely on Google could be risky. Agencies should explore optimizing for alternative search engines, like Bing.
Leverage structured data — Schema markup and structured data can improve how search engines understand and display content, boosting visibility.
Adjust paid search strategies
Paid search campaigns will also face new dynamics. To that end:
Explore alternative ad platforms — As Google’s ad dominance is challenged, consider diversifying ad spend across emerging platforms.
Monitor campaign performance closely — With increased transparency requirements, agencies will gain more insights into ad performance. Use this data to refine targeting and bidding strategies.
Comply and innovate
Staying compliant with DMA regulations doesn’t mean sacrificing creativity. Agencies can:
Audit client practices — Ensure all marketing practices align with DMA requirements, particularly in data usage and reporting.
Experiment with new formats — Interactive content (like quizzes or live streams) can boost engagement and stand out in search results.
Leverage the right technology
Adopting the appropriate tools is crucial for staying competitive in a DMA-regulated environment:
SEO tools — Platforms like Semrush or Ahrefs can help monitor rankings and keyword performance changes.
Local marketing tools — Tools such as Uberall or Moz Local can help you optimize local business listings across multiple platforms, ensuring maximum visibility.
Anticipate future changes
The DMA is just the beginning. As digital markets evolve, more regulations may emerge, potentially influencing:
Privacy practices — Stricter data protection laws could impact targeted advertising.
AI and automation — Future regulations might address the use of AI in search algorithms and content creation.
Organizations must remain agile, investing in ongoing education and staying ahead of regulatory trends so that they can hit the ground running when new laws go into effect.
Prepare your agency to navigate changes from the DMA
The Digital Markets Act marks a turning point in how the digital economy operates, and agencies need to be both strategic and tactical in their response. Here’s a summary of the most impactful steps your agency can take to help clients thrive in this new era:
Conduct a DMA compliance audit
Evaluate your current strategies to ensure they align with the DMA’s regulations. Focus on practices related to SEO, paid advertising, and data usage. This ensures that both your agency and your clients avoid penalties while staying competitive in a compliant marketplace.
For example:
Determine if your client/business utilizes services from any of the designated gatekeepers, which include Alphabet (Google, YouTube), Amazon, Apple, Booking.com, ByteDance (TikTok), Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), and Microsoft (LinkedIn)
Ensure that personal data collection aligns with the DMA’s consent requirements, which state that consent must be…
Freely Given — Users should have a genuine choice without any form of coercion.
Specific — Consent should be obtained for distinct purposes.
Informed — Users must be provided with clear information about data collection and its intended use.
Unambiguous — Consent should be indicated through a clear affirmative action.
Review and document how personal data is utilized, ensuring it is only used for the purposes for which consent was obtained.
Avoid combining personal data from different sources without explicit user consent, as prohibited under the DMA.
Verify that gatekeepers allow the use of third-party applications on their operating systems without undue restrictions.
Ensure that clients can access data generated on the core platform services and that gatekeepers do not favor their own services over those of third parties.
Confirm that users have the ability to uninstall pre-installed applications and change default settings on operating systems or browsers that favor gatekeepers' products and services.
Ensure that users can easily withdraw consent and that this process is as straightforward as giving consent.
Ensure that gatekeepers provide advertisers and publishers with information about advertisements placed, including remuneration, fees, and performance metrics, free of charge.
Verify that the business is allowed to offer their products and services on third-party platforms or their own platforms at the same price as on the gatekeepers’ platforms.
Maintain thorough records of data processing activities, consent records, and compliance measures.
Regularly audit data practices to ensure ongoing adherence to DMA requirements.
Diversify digital strategies
Reducing reliance on a single platform minimizes risks and opens new opportunities for audience engagement. Expand beyond Google by optimizing for alternative search engines (like Bing) or LLMs (like ChatGPT).
If there are emerging players/smaller platforms in your industry, you may be able to secure favorable terms and grow alongside them. You can also target underserved niches—smaller search engines or platforms may cater to specific audiences, providing you opportunities for niche marketing.
Revisit local search optimization
Local search remains critical for small businesses, so ensure visibility across all relevant platforms to drive foot traffic and conversions.
Update local business profiles across multiple platforms, not just Google My Business. Incorporate strategies for platforms like Apple Maps and other location-based services.
Leverage new transparency in paid advertising
Greater insights allow you to optimize campaigns more effectively, improving ROI for your clients. Use the additional ad performance data required by the DMA to fine-tune targeting, bidding, and creative strategies.
Focus on high-quality, DMA-compliant content
Invest in creating diverse, high-quality content, such as blog posts, videos, and infographics that align with evolving search algorithms.
Quality content will remain a cornerstone of visibility, particularly as regulating bodies demand more neutrality and transparency.
Adopt advanced tools and technology
Implement tools that help track rankings, local visibility, and ad performance across multiple platforms. Platforms like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Uberall are great starting points.
These tools will help you stay agile, making data-driven adjustments as search shifts under the DMA’s influence.
Educate your clients
Empowering your clients with knowledge strengthens trust and positions your agency as a forward-thinking partner.
Host webinars, workshops, or provide one-on-one consultations to explain the DMA’s impact and the steps you’re taking to adapt.
Stay agile and future-focused to thrive in the midst of new regulations
As technology and consumer preferences develop, regulatory agencies will continue to step in to protect competition. It’s a cycle you can almost set your watch to.
Whether it’s the DMA or any other new legislation, dedicate time to R&D for new tactics and technologies. Set up systems to track regulatory updates and emerging market trends.
Digital regulations will continue to evolve, and agencies that stay ahead of these changes can maintain a competitive edge for themselves and their clients.
Krystal Taing - Global Director of Pre-sales Solutions, Uberall Krystal Taing is the Global Director of Pre-sales Solutions at Uberall. She is a Google Business Profile Platinum Product Expert and faculty member at LocalU. She helps brands at managing hybrid customer experiences.
