The Google Search update that silenced millions of websites.

Google Search just hid 90% of the internet: Here’s how smart media buyers are fighting back

When you type a query into Google Search, you expect to see an ordered list of relevant pages. For many years, SEO professionals and tool-providers relied on a little-known parameter in the URL, &num=100, which allowed retrieval of up to 100 search results on one page. That parameter has now been quietly deprecated, and the impact is significant, not just for SEO dashboards, but for discoverability, analytics, and ultimately sales.

What exactly changed in Google Search

Until mid-September 2025, it was possible to append &num=100 to a Google Search URL and access the first 100 organic results in one fetch. Tools and bots used this to index more than just the top 10 results. In effect, many smaller sites ranking at positions 11-100 were being seen by tools, scraped for data, or counted as impressions in dashboards.

Then Google confirmed that the parameter is not supported. The effect: retrieval is now effectively limited to the top 10–20 results per page, rank-tracking tools must paginate or reduce depth, and many website owners are noticing sudden drops in impression counts, keywords reported, and average ranking positions.

Why this matters for discoverability and sales

Discoverability online works through two linked mechanisms: (1) ranking in search results, and (2) being seen. When large numbers of results beyond the first page are effectively no longer surfaced or counted in analytics, the hidden risk is that many websites which used to benefit from “buried” positions (say pages with rank 15-30) are now invisible to certain forms of tracking and less likely to generate traffic.

According to an analysis of 319 web properties by Tyler Gargula of LOCOMOTIVE Agency, 87.7% of sites saw a drop in impressions after the parameter removal; 77.6% lost unique ranking queries. That means many sites are now under-reporting visibility or may be losing the incremental traffic that came from more obscure ranking positions. For a business, fewer impressions and fewer keywords often mean fewer potential leads or sales.

Moreover, for niche blogs, small businesses or local enterprises, this change increases the importance of ranking in the top-10 or top-20 results. If you are on page 3 or deeper, you may not even appear in some analytics slices, or worse, your potential traffic may have been overstated in the past.

The technical and analytical fallout

Traditionally, the tools that marketers rely on rank trackers, SERP APIs, competitive intelligence dashboards used the &num=100 parameter for efficient data collection: one URL fetch returning 100 results. With that removed, the same number of results now requires approximately ten separate paginated requests.

That means higher cost, more complexity, and some tools are reducing depth (for example tracking only top-20 or top-30 instead of top-100) to manage load and expense. On the analytics side, many sites have seen a sudden drop in impressions and a sharp jump in “average position” in Google Search Console not because performance improved, but because many low-rank impressions (bot or tool-driven) vanished.

From a technical perspective this marks a shift. The ecosystem of SEO tools must adapt. Reporting metrics that were valid in the past (e.g., “number of queries ranking in positions 11-100”) are less useful now. Further, businesses relying on long-tail visibility across many queries may need to re-think how they measure success.

What business owners must do now

If you run a business and depend on organic traffic via Google Search, here is what you should focus on:

1. Re-baseline your metrics.

Expect your impressions, number of ranking keywords and average position in Google Search Console to be significantly different. Communicate this with stakeholders so that a dip does not trigger panic. Recognise this is an industry-wide data event, not necessarily a drop in performance.

2. Prioritise the top results.

Given the new emphasis, being in positions 1-10 (and ideally the very top of page one) matters more than ever. If you were relying on page 2 or page 3 traffic, you may need to revise strategy. This means content optimisation, strong on-page signals, domain authority and backlink quality must be high.

3. Focus on conversions, not just rankings.

With visibility metrics less reliable, shift your attention to clicks, conversions, and actual business outcomes. A website ranking for many obscure keywords but generating no leads is less valuable than fewer keywords with strong traffic and conversion. Make sure your tracking aligns with business goals.

4. Use diversified discovery channels.

Organic search is still powerful, but don’t rely on a single source. Leverage social organic, referrals, direct traffic, newsletters and paid search where appropriate. In a landscape where Google Search visibility is shifting, broadening your funnel reduces risk.

5. Re-consider advertising strategy.

If your organic visibility is threatened, consider boosting your message through strong advertising channels. That includes premium placements on high-reach websites with global audiences, targeted display and native advertising, influencer collaborations and so forth.

How Sweet TnT Magazine can help

At Sweet TnT Magazine we understand the changes that Google Search has introduced and how they affect business-to-business message delivery. Our website reaches over 1 million readers monthly and more than 8 million page-views across the world. If you are a business owner worried about reduced discoverability and the performance of organic search, advertising with us ensures your message appears in front of the right customers.

We offer prominent banner leaderboard positions that generate visibility, targeted branding, and lead generation opportunities. While Google Search may be limiting the number of organic impressions for many sites, you can bypass this constraint by using high-impact display advertising on a trusted global platform.

Why act now

The removal of the &num=100 parameter is a clear signal: Google Search is no longer as transparent in visibility and reporting as before. Without adaptation, businesses that relied on long-tail organic traffic may find themselves disadvantaged. If your organic channel performance is uncertain, supplementing with a strong advertising strategy is a prudent step.

At Sweet TnT Magazine we can help you reach an engaged, worldwide Caribbean-friendly audience and beyond. Our global footprint means your message can be seen in Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean giving your brand international exposure.

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Pageviews (Jul-2024 – Oct-2025)

Data Completed to 31-Oct-2025 by Webalizer Version 2.23

Final thoughts

The search term “Google Search” has new implications. It no longer simply means “type-in, get 100 results”. The landscape has shifted: metrics are leaner, visibility is scarcer, and the importance of high ranking is magnified. For businesses this means two things: adapt your organic strategy, and invest in advertising channels that deliver guaranteed eyeballs.

If you want to avoid falling victim to the latest changes in Google Search, act now. Talk to Sweet TnT Magazine about how our banner advertising can deliver your message to the right customers globally. Your discoverability does not have to be constrained by algorithm changes.

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