Google removes the num=100 parameter (2025) — effects on ranking tools, data and SEO/GEO

Google has made many minor and major adjustments to its search engine in recent years — from new SERP features to core updates to fundamental changes in how search engines handle content. A more technical one, but for the SEO industry important innovation is the abolition of the num=100 parameter, which was used for a long time to control the number of search results displayed per page.

In this article, we explain exactly what this parameter was, why it is no longer supported and what consequences the change has for SEO tools, their customers and ultimately also for website operators. We show why this change focuses on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) steers.

What was the num=100 parameter?

By default, Google shows ten organic hits on a results page. With the addition? num=100 at the end of a search URL, this number could be increased to up to 100 search results per page.

instance: https://www.google.com/search?q=seo+agentur&num=100

For normal users, this was a convenient feature that gave you a faster overview of the first 100 hits. For SEO tools However, the parameter was much more important: They used it to query the positions of keywords more efficiently and read out complete ranking sets in a single request.

Since when is num=100 no longer supported?

Google began gradually switching off the parameter in the summer of 2024. Since the beginning of 2025 at the latest, it has been completely ineffective: Even if you append &num=100 to a search URL, Google only shows the usual standard number of ten results per page.

For the entire SEO industry, this is a profound change in technical data collection.

Consequences for SEO tools such as Semrush, Ahrefs and Sistrix

Rank tracking tools such as SE Ranking, SEMrush, Ahrefs or Sistrix have been using the num=100 parameter for years. With the abolition, the technical basis is now fundamentally changing:

Especially for extensive keyword sets, this means considerable additional work for tool providers.

What do customers of these tools have to expect?

The consequences for users of SEO tools are immediately noticeable. Companies that closely monitor their online visibility must adjust their expectations:

• Slower data collection: Since tools have to submit more requests, the time until fresh rankings are available is extended.
• Possible price adjustments: Higher costs on the part of providers could be passed on to customers in the medium term.
• Slight data discrepancies: Since the queries are now more fragmented, there may be more technical faults or minimal fluctuations.

Important: The position of a keyword is still recorded correctly — there is no change in that. Rankings remain a valid indicator, but should be considered even more closely in conjunction with other key figures such as click rate, impressions or conversion.

Implications for website operators and strategy

Removing the parameter has no direct effect on the indexation your website, as Google plays out the results page by page internally anyway. However, there are indirect consequences for monitoring and reporting:

• Increased focus on Google Search Console (GSC): Since SEO tools may have slight differences in presentation, agencies and internal marketing teams will have to rely more on alternative and primary data sources such as GSC in the future.
• Strategic realignment: Simply monitoring keyword positions is no longer enough. The analysis of user behavior, click probabilities and visibility indices is becoming much more important. This is exactly where the added value of an experienced SEO agency.
  
• The rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): New optimization fields such as Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) are becoming increasingly important. In order to remain visible in the new AI-driven search environment, cooperation with a professional GEO agency be considered.

What does GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) mean in this context?

The abolition of the num=100 parameter is part of a longer series of measures taken by Google to make classic, automated queries more difficult. At the same time, the focus of search through AI overviews and generative results is increasingly shifting from classic ranking positions to holistic user experiences and direct response capabilities.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) means the strategic adjustment of content to be optimally positioned in AI overviews and generative search results from Google and other engines. The focus is on topic authority and the creation of content that directly provides AI models with precise, citable answers.

For companies, this means:

1. Rankings remain important, but they are no longer the only decisive factors.
   
2. Data quality in tools is becoming a strategic factor that must be carefully examined.
   
3. New optimization fields such as GEO come to the foreground. If you want to be prepared today, you should work with a specialist GEO agency How to check ZUMO SEO.
   

Conclusion and takeaways

The abolition of the num=100 parameter is a technical detail with major effects on the entire industry.

The 3 most important points for website owners:

1. Data collection is slowing down: Expect delays in providing fresh keyword rankings in your reporting tools.
   
2. GSC becomes the primary focus: When measuring performance, rely primarily on data from Google Search Console.
   
3. Strategy is everything: Reports and always look at rankings in context, not in isolation. The focus is shifting to user experience and geo-optimization.
   

Right now, it is worthwhile to work with a specialist SEO agency to intensify and take advantage of the opportunities for geo-optimization at an early stage. Because one thing remains certain: The rules of the game for search engines are changing — and anyone who wants to remain successful must adapt.