September 10, 2025 – a date the SEO industry will remember for a long time. Google, without any warning, disabled the &num=100 parameter that had been the foundation of most rank tracking tools for years.
What Actually Happened?
Instead of one query returning 100 results, you now need 10 separate queries. This means 10x higher costs for SEO tool providers and potential API limit issues.
Ripple Effect in Numbers
- Rank tracking tools showing errors or missing data
- Desktop impressions drop in Google Search Console since September 10
- Average position increase in reports
- SERP screenshots temporarily stopped working
“The Great Decoupling” in a New Light
For the past year, the industry has been puzzled by rising impressions without corresponding CTR growth. Everyone blamed AI Overviews.
Plot twist: Maybe it was SEO tool bots loading pages with 100 results?
Brodie Clark proposes a theory that artificial “impression inflation” partially resulted from analytics bots generating more views than normal 10-result pages.
What This Means for You
If you’re a website owner:
- Check Search Console – drops since September 10 might be data “cleanup”
- Use the week from September 10 as your new baseline
- Don’t panic if you see desktop impressions decline
If you use SEO tools:
- Contact your provider – some tools have already adapted
- Prepare for potential pricing changes
- Monitor whether your data is complete
The Bigger Picture
This might just be the tip of the iceberg. Ryan Jones warns: “All the AI tools scraping Google are going to result in the shutdown of most SEO tools. People are scraping so much, so aggressively for AI that Google is fighting back, and breaking all the SEO rank checkers and SERP scrapers in the process.“
Bottom Line
Google hasn’t confirmed yet whether this is a test or permanent change. One thing is certain – the SEO industry must be ready for rapid adaptations.
Final question: Is this the beginning of the end of “cheap” SEO analytics, or perhaps an opportunity for developing new, more advanced solutions?
Google always plays by its own rules. All we can do is adapt and play better.
Source: https://brodieclark.com/the-great-decoupling-num100/
Written by Peter Sawicki, an experienced strategist with a background spanning multiple industries, from private enterprises to government projects. Having worked across different countries and markets, I bring a global perspective and practical insights to every SEO strategy I design. As a diver and adventure seeker, I’ve learned to balance attention to detail with a drive to explore new solutions, a mix that shapes both my work and my life.
