TIMELINE OF EVENTS
● Early September 2024: the “Great Decoupling” was coined as SEOs saw impressions climb while clicks diminished. At the time, the assumption was that AI Overview SERP results were not yielding clicks but were counted as additional impressions in GSC data.
● Sep 12, 2025: Google quietly disabled the &num=100 parameter, which allowed displaying 100 search results per page instead of 10.
● Sept 15, 2025: Google Search Console data started to show declines in impression data and improvements in average ranking data.
○ SEO industry discussions highlighted ripple effects; keyword rank tracking tools relying on the parameter became less effective.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Google recently disabled the &num=100 search results parameter. This change not only impacts rank-tracking tools but also coincides with a big shift in Google Search Console (GSC) reporting. Many sites are experiencing sudden drops in impressions, especially on desktop. This isn’t necessarily a loss of visibility — it’s more about how impressions are now measured.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUR BRAND’S DATA
Some of the “impressions” GSC counted in the past were inflated by automated tools scraping results. With that noise removed, impressions may look lower, and average positions may look higher. This change makes the data more reflective of real user behavior going forward, but it also means historic comparisons won’t be apples-to-apples.
WHAT WE’RE DOING FOR CLIENTS
Here’s how we’re managing the change and ensuring clarity in reporting:
● Impressions will appear lower and average rank improved, but we’re guiding clients to focus on clicks and CTR as the more reliable signals of performance in GSC.
● Some tracking tools may show gaps or rely on outdated snapshots due to the loss of 100-result crawling. We’ll continue validating tool data and provide context where needed.
● Our dashboards will highlight these shifts so that they are not misinterpreted when reviewing client performance.
● As an agency, we’re developing a method to re-baseline impression and average ranking data for more accurate year-over-year and month-over-month comparisons across all our clients.
IN THE WEEDS: WHY DID GOOGLE DO THIS?
While Google hasn’t provided an official explanation, here are the leading theories:
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Reduce Bot Noise in Reporting: Many SEO tools relied on the &num=100 parameter to scrape results at scale. That scraping created “bot impressions” in GSC, inflating impression numbers. Removing the parameter helps clean up reporting.
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Protect Search Infrastructure: Scraping with &num=100 allowed tools to pull 10× more results per query, putting unnecessary strain on Google’s systems. Shutting this off reduces server load.
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Tighten Data Alignment with Reality: By filtering out artificial impressions, GSC data now more closely reflects what real users see (10 results per page). This likely improves accuracy for advertisers, SEOs, and internal teams.
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Align with AI-driven SERPs: As Google rolls out AI Overviews and more dynamic result sets, simplifying how impressions are measured may help them prepare for future reporting frameworks.
From the removal of the &num=100 Parameter, to social search, to generative engine optimization (GEO), the way that search works and how consumers discover is undergoing significant—and rapid!—change. Connect with us to ensure your brand keeps apace.
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