77% of Sites Lost Visibility After Google’s num=100 Update: Data
▼ Summary
– Google removed the num=100 parameter, causing 87.7% of sites to lose impressions in Google Search Console.
– 77.6% of sites lost unique ranking terms, with short-tail and mid-tail keywords most affected.
– Rankings now show more queries in top positions and fewer on page 3+, reflecting actual positions without distortion.
– The change makes performance reports appear weaker but likely provides more accurate data by eliminating scraper-inflated impressions.
– Google has not confirmed if the change is permanent, but the impact is widespread and significant across websites.
A recent analysis of Google’s removal of the num=100 parameter reveals a dramatic impact on search visibility, with 87.7% of the 319 sites studied experiencing a decline in impressions. Conducted by Tyler Gargula, Director of Technical SEO at LOCOMOTIVE Agency, the findings highlight how this technical shift is reshaping SEO reporting and data interpretation across the board.
The study shows that 77.6% of websites lost unique ranking keywords, indicating a broad reduction in the number of queries for which these sites appear in search results. Short-tail and mid-tail keywords were particularly affected, suggesting that more generic and moderately competitive terms saw the steepest declines.
At the same time, rank distribution shifted noticeably. Fewer queries now appear beyond the third page of results, while more have moved into the top three positions or onto the first page. This realignment implies that ranking data now more accurately reflects genuine user visibility, free from the artificial inflation previously caused by the num=100 parameter.
The decline in reported metrics does not necessarily mean an actual drop in organic performance. Instead, it points to a cleanup of impression data that had been skewed for years by automated scrapers using the now-removed parameter. As a result, Google Search Console data has become more reliable, though at first glance many reports may appear weaker.
Desktop impressions have fallen sharply since the change took effect late last week, accompanied by a notable rise in average position across many sites. This has led to confusion among SEO professionals, who are now reassessing performance benchmarks and historical data trends.
Major SEO platforms like Semrush and Accuranker have acknowledged disruptions in their data tracking and are actively developing solutions to align with the new search environment. Industry experts, including Brodie Clark, have echoed concerns over sudden impression drops and artificially elevated average positions, noting that the num=100 feature may have distorted metrics for an extended period.
Google has not yet confirmed whether this adjustment is permanent or unintentional. However, the scale of the impact, affecting the majority of sites in the dataset, suggests the update is both widespread and significant. SEOs are advised to review their metrics with caution, focusing on engagement and conversion trends rather than impression volume alone.
The original data was shared by Tyler Gargula via LinkedIn, providing valuable early insight into one of the more substantial technical shifts in recent search updates.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
