TL;DR Summary
In September 2025, Google removed the &num=100 parameter, changing how keyword impressions and ranking data are reported.
Edge Marketing analysis of 100 Australian SEO campaigns (Aug-Oct 2025) found that:
- 83% of sites saw a decline in impressions.
- The average drop was -49.6% across all campaigns.
- The weighted portfolio decline was -54%.
- 70% lost unique ranking queries.
- Short- and mid-tail keywords were most affected (-24.8% and -19.2% respectively).
- Average position improved by +1.1, indicating truer visibility.
These shifts confirm that the update did not reduce performance, but instead removed inflated sampling from deep SERP pages (positions 20-100).
The result: cleaner, more accurate Search Console data that reflects genuine first-page visibility.
Methodology: Data verified from Edge Marketing 100-campaign dataset, GSC exports, dated 2025-10-11
When a Tiny Parameter Shook Every SEO Dashboard
For thousands of marketers, the sudden loss in impressions left them questioning if rankings had crashed or if Google had changed reporting again.
In early September 2025, something strange happened. Marketers and SEOs across the world saw their Google Search Console (GSC) dashboards change overnight.
Impressions dropped sharply, Click-Through Rate (CTR) and average rankings appeared to improve, and familiar metrics suddenly didn’t make sense anymore.
The reason? Google quietly deprecated the &num=100 parameter, a query modifier that previously pulled up to 100 search results per page in Search Console’s API and UI. This marked a fundamental shift in Google’s reporting, changing how ranking visibility and query sampling are measured.
The change took effect in mid-September, marking the start of a new era in how Google’s data is interpreted.
“87.7 % of sites saw impression declines, 77.6 % lost unique ranking terms, and short- to mid-tail keywords took the biggest hit.”
–Tyler Gargula, Director of Technical SEO at LOCOMOTIVE Agency (September 2025)
Source: LOCOMOTIVE Agency Analysis of 319 web properties worldwide
For many, Google’s latest update was a wake-up call, a clear signal that it was time to wake up and adapt to major changes in SEO practices.
My Analysis here at Edge Marketing: 100 Australian Campaigns
Let’s explore the recent changes by taking a deep dive into the analysis of keyword performance and impression data.
To validate this impact locally, I analysed 100 active SEO campaigns managed by Edge Marketing, comparing two equal 30-day windows:
- Before: 9 August–6 September 2025
- After: 13 September–11 October 2025
The &num=100 retirement occurred right in between (7-12 September).
Each dataset measured:
- Total Impressions (impression data)
- Unique Ranking Queries
- Weighted Average Position
- Keyword Length Distribution (Short, Mid, Long Tail)
What the Data Shows by the Numbers
At first glance, the immediate impact of the Google &num=100 removal on key SEO metrics.
Across all our Australian campaigns, impressions declined by an average of -49.6%, with a portfolio-wide weighted drop of -54%, indicating that larger, higher-traffic sites were more heavily impacted.
- Impression % Change: Most sites saw impressions drop between –29% to -75%.
- Unique Queries % Change Distribution: 70 of 100 campaigns lost 15-30% of unique ranking queries.
- Impression-Weighted Position Distribution: Before: most impressions came from Page 3–4 results. After: those impressions shifted upward toward Top 3 and Page 1.
Comparison Table: At a Glance
| Metric | % Impacted | Direction | Key Observation |
| Impressions Decline sites | 83 % sites | ▼ Decline | 83 of 100 sites showed reduced visibility |
| Avg Impression Decline (Weighted) | -54% | ▼ Decline | Combining all impressions from all campaigns |
| Avg Impression Decline (Unweighted) | -49.6% | ▼ Decline | With a portfolio-wide weighted drop |
| Unique Queries | 70 % sites | ▼ Lost | 70 of 100 sites lost ranking keywords |
| Short-Tail (1-2 words) | -24.8 % avg | ▼ | Largest impact |
| Mid-Tail (3-4 words) | -19.2 % avg | ▼ | Moderate reduction |
| Long-Tail (5 + words) | -7.6 % avg | ▼ Mild | Least affected |
| Weighted Avg Position | +1.1 pts avg | ▲ | Suggests clearer rank visibility |
(Data source: Edge Marketing Internal SEO Dataset, October 2025, 100-site dataset, 2025-10-08)
This closely mirrors Gargula’s 319-site global study, but with milder long-tail variance, likely reflecting Australia’s narrower query volume.
The decline in impressions reported is primarily due to a measurement change in Google Search Console, which now filters out bot traffic and provides more accurate data on genuine user visibility.
In Plain English:
- “Impressions” = how often your pages appear in Google results.
- “Unique queries” = the number of different searches your site ranks for.
- “Short-tail” = simple, one or two-word searches like “local SEO.”
- “Mid-tail” = slightly longer, more specific searches.
- “Long-tail” = detailed searches, often closer to a user making a decision.
In short: sites didn’t lose visibility. Google just started showing truer, first-page data.
So What Actually Happened?
The &num=100 removal didn’t kill impressions. It killed inflation.
Previously, GSC sampled multiple SERP pages, counting “ghost impressions” from positions 20-100. This also allowed automated scraping to artificially inflate impression counts, making the data less representative of actual user behaviour.
Post-update, Google reports only first-page visibility, aligning metrics with what real users truly see and better reflecting user intent. This means the drop in impressions does not necessarily indicate a drop in organic traffic. Instead, the change shifts the focus toward quality content and user satisfaction as key outcomes, encouraging site owners to prioritise meaningful engagement and high-value SEO actions.
In Practice:
- Impressions fell as deep-page rankings vanished from sampling.
- Unique queries shrunk as low-visibility keywords were filtered out.
- Average position improved as only authentic Page 1 data remained.
In other words, Cleaner dashboards. More honest data. Less confusion.
Why This Matters for SEOs
If you report on organic performance, this shift resets the baseline for visibility metrics.
SEOs and marketers should revisit their SEO strategy to future-proof their reporting and ensure continued success. Adopting new metrics and understanding the impact of measurement change are essential to stay ahead in the industry.
It’s also important to review the tools used for reporting and analysis to ensure they align with the latest changes in search data and performance tracking.
Key Implications
- Annotate reports around Sept 7-12, 2025 in Looker Studio or Rank Tracking.
- Don’t compare pre- and post-September visibility data directly.
- Clicks remain stable – prioritise clicks over Google Search Console impressions as key metrics; changes in impression data may affect CTR, so track these together for accurate performance insights.
- Re-benchmark keyword buckets (Short / Mid / Long Tail).
In short: adapt your reporting, not your strategy.
Edge Marketing Australia vs Global Brand Benchmarks
| Metric | LOCOMOTIVE (319 Sites, Global) | Edge Marketing (100 Sites, Australia) |
| Impression Decline Sites | 87.7 % | 83 % |
| Query Loss Sites | 77.6 % | 70 % |
| Biggest Impact | Short + Mid Tail | Short + Mid Tail |
| Avg Position Shift | ≈ +1 | +1.1 |
Both datasets lead to the same conclusion:
Fewer queries in reports ≠ fewer real searches – just cleaner visibility.
This trend was observed not only in our sample but also globally, as many SEOs reported similar impacts across a wide range of websites, including blogs, SaaS platforms, e-commerce stores, and local businesses. The update affected website impression data and measurement strategies for diverse site types.
Takeaway: Fewer Queries, Clearer Data
The &num=100 retirement wasn’t a penalty, it was a purge of noise.
For years, SEOs tracked phantom rankings buried beyond Page 5. Now, Search Console aligns metrics with real-world searcher behaviour.
That’s a win for strategic reporting, even if your graphs look ugly for a while.
Key Insights for Fellow SEOs
- Impressions ≠ Traffic. They indicate sampling, not sessions. Use Google Analytics to verify if drops in GSC impressions actually reflect changes in organic traffic.
- Page 1 = Reality. Everything else is invisible to users and now to GSC, especially on desktop SERPs where the search engine’s changes have the most impact.
- Benchmark Afresh. Treat September 2025 as the new baseline, particularly for desktop rankings and visibility.
- Educate Stakeholders. Drops in impressions mean data accuracy, not decline. Note that access to comprehensive SERP data is now more restricted for any tool relying on automated methods.
- Adapt Tools. Rank trackers, third party tools, and SEO tools that relied on the &num=100 parameter for desktop SERPs and search engine data now need to re engineer their approach to maintain accurate reporting.
Final Thoughts
“Data without context is noise, and this update proved it.”
Google didn’t break Search Console; it made it honest. As SEOs, our responsibility is to adapt, annotate, and contextualise our data.
If you haven’t already, export your own GSC data (Aug-Oct 2025) and chart it. You’ll see the same story I did. The truth behind the impression drop.
If you’d like to audit your site’s impression changes, contact Edge Marketing for a complimentary visibility check. See how we can help your business grow with data-driven SEO that focuses on results, not just rankings.
