If your SEO dashboard suddenly showed drops in impressions, keyword counts, or rankings in late August or early September, you weren’t imagining it. Following Google’s recent retirement of the num=100 parameter, reports show that 77% of sites experienced a loss of keyword visibility after the update, which removed inflated impressions from search results far beyond the first page.
But this change isn’t anything to panic about. What the new update actually means for marketers is that the numbers now paint a more realistic picture of how websites and their content perform, translating to more accurate reporting and more opportunities to refine strategy.
Here’s what num=100 was, why it was removed, and what to keep in mind when looking at your SEO metrics.
So, What Was num=100?
Although you’ve likely never actually used num=100 yourself, your SEO tools definitely did. Acting as a small piece of code at the end of a Google search URL, the num=100 parameter told Google to load 100 results per page instead of the default 10. This then let platforms like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush scrape data with a single request, and track rankings more efficiently.
At first glance, more data might seem like a good thing. Bigger keyword lists, higher impression counts, and extra rankings can feel like proof that your site is being noticed. The catch is that the metrics reported using num=100 did not do a great job of realistically representing actual user behavior. By capturing results far beyond what typical searchers view, some SEO tools were creating an illusion of broader reach that wasn’t based in reality.
The num=100 Effect
Inflated Impressions
One of the most noticeable side effects of num=100 was inflated impression counts. Search Console was logging views for results buried on page three, four, or even further, driving numbers that looked impressive but had little connection to actual clicks or traffic.
Bloated Keyword Lists
Keyword reports grew bloated under num=100, causing sites to look like they were ranking for long-tail and fringe phrases that had almost no chance of delivering visits.
Skewed Average Positions
All those invisible impressions from deep in the SERPs dragged down site-wide averages, making traffic rankings look weaker than they actually were.
What Happened When Google Ended num=100
When Google stopped supporting num=100, it effectively closed a shortcut that SEO tools had relied on for years, preventing scrapers from pulling hundreds of results in one request. Overnight, the “ghost” impressions, inflated rankings, and keywords disappeared, leaving behind numbers that better reflect what real users actually see in search.
The change may be tied to how large language models scrape web data or part of Google’s broader move toward AI-driven search results, but the company hasn’t confirmed a reason. A Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land that “the use of this URL parameter is not something that we formally support,” and did not comment further on why the change happened now.
What This Means for Marketers
If your first reaction to these changes is to panic, hold that thought. While impressions dropping and keyword lists shrinking might feel like a signal that something is broken, the truth is far simpler: your actual traffic and conversions likely haven’t changed much. What has changed is the reporting, and that means your dashboards and data analysis may look different until teams catch up to adjust how they interpret these numbers.
Expect Lower Numbers in Reports
Impressions and keyword counts will drop, possibly dramatically. But that doesn’t mean your rankings really fell. It means inflated signals have been removed, and traffic should remain steady, which is the clearest proof that visibility with actual users has not changed.
Your Tools Might Act Weird
Some SEO platforms are still recalibrating. Semrush and Accuranker have already flagged disruptions, and others will likely follow. Until they adapt, dashboards may look inconsistent for a few months. And because scraping requires more resources now, some tools may even raise their prices.
Communication Is Key
When reports start to look different, marketers need to help their teams and clients understand what’s really changed. This isn’t a drop in performance, it’s a correction in how results are measured. The focus should move away from surface-level metrics like impressions and toward the numbers that actually reflect performance: traffic, conversions, and revenue. Clear communication now will prevent confusion later and help leadership see the story behind the data.
Get Ready for a Strategy Reality Check
This update confirms what SEO experts have said for years: rankings beyond page two have little to no value. Real reach has always come from page one visibility, and now marketers will be able to look at those numbers in a way that reflects the truth more clearly. With this information, it will now be easier for businesses and organizations to understand where their website clicks and conversions actually happen, and focus efforts where they matter most.
What This Signals About the Future of Search
So why the change? The new update is part of Google’s broader direction towards:
- Cleaner reporting: Removing inflated data so metrics reflect real visibility.
- Less scraping: Limiting bulk queries that strain Google’s systems.
- New search experience: Aligning with infinite scroll and AI-driven results.
The end of num=100 fits into a much bigger story about where search is headed. Pagination is disappearing, AI is reshaping how results are presented, and zero-click searches are becoming a normal part of the experience. Infinite scroll has replaced page-by-page clicking, and AI overviews are starting to change how results are presented. The idea of digging into “page 10” is already outdated, and more often than not, users find their answers on the first screen they see instead of scrolling through page after page of links.
For anyone managing SEO, this shift is a wake-up call. Rather than chasing every keyword, what matters now is focusing on the highest-impact content that search engines and AI tools can easily find, summarize, and trust. Marketers who succeed in this environment will be those who provide clear, authoritative answers and show up in the spaces where their most important users are actively engaging.
The Bottom Line on num=100
The end of num=100 doesn’t hurt your SEO. It cleans up inflated reporting, giving you a clearer view of how people actually find your site. This update gives marketers an opportunity to focus on the key metrics that matter: traffic, conversions, and growth.
It also signals where search is heading: away from endless pages of links and toward results shaped by AI and on-screen answers. That change may feel disruptive now, but it pushes the industry toward measuring what truly drives impact, instead of chasing noise.
If you need help making sense of the new data landscape, our team at First Ascent can help you analyze traffic, reframe your metrics, and keep your strategy focused on what matters most. Contact us if you have any questions!