Introduction to Google’s Search Parameter Change
Google recently made a significant change to its search engine by disabling the "num=100" search parameter. This parameter allowed users to view 100 search results for a given query. The change has had a ripple effect on the digital marketing industry, particularly on rank-tracking tools that relied on this parameter to crawl Google’s search results.
How the Change Affects Rank-Tracking Tools
The removal of the "num=100" parameter forces data providers to scale their crawling by ten times to extract the top 100 search results. This is an unsustainable position for many data providers, as it would require significant resources and investment. Mike Roberts, founder of SpyFu, has vowed to continue providing top 100 data to users, despite the challenges. However, Tim Soulo, CMO of Ahrefs, has taken a more pragmatic approach, suggesting that the future of ranking data will focus on the top 20 search results.
The Future of Rank Tracking
Soulo’s assessment is based on the fact that ramping up data pulls by 10x is not feasible for most SEO tools. He questions the need for keyword data below the top 20, suggesting that it may come at a steep premium in the future. Many industry experts agree with Soulo’s perspective, arguing that anything below the top 20 only indicates that a page is indexed, but does not provide actionable insights. Page two positions, on the other hand, offer useful information, as they show that a page is relevant for a given keyword term, but may lack quality, user experience, or relevance compared to the top 10 results.
The Impact on Search Console Data
The removal of the "num=100" parameter has also affected Google’s Search Console data. Users have reported significant drops in keyword impression data since the change. An analysis of over 300 Search Console properties found that 87.7% of sites experienced drops in impressions, while 77.6% experienced losses in query counts. This suggests that search results scraping may have distorted Search Console data, providing an inaccurate picture of search performance.
Google’s Fight Against SERP Scraping
Google’s decision to disable the "num=100" parameter is part of a larger effort to combat SERP scraping. The company is hiring an engineer to assist in statistical analysis of SERP patterns and develop models to combat scrapers. This move is expected to improve the accuracy of Search Console data and provide a clearer picture of search performance.
What It Means for the Future
The removal of the "num=100" parameter marks a significant shift in the search industry. It forces the industry to reconsider the value of data beyond the top 20 results and may lead to better attribution and clearer measures of relevance. As the industry adapts to this change, it is likely that new approaches and tools will emerge to provide more accurate and actionable insights for digital marketers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Google’s decision to disable the "num=100" search parameter has far-reaching implications for the digital marketing industry. While it presents challenges for rank-tracking tools, it also offers an opportunity for the industry to evolve and provide more accurate and relevant insights. As the industry continues to adapt to this change, it is essential to focus on the top 20 search results and develop new approaches to measure search performance. By doing so, digital marketers can gain a clearer understanding of their online presence and make more informed decisions to improve their search engine rankings.