Google’s URL Parameter Removal and the Implications for Large-Scale B2B SEO

The short answer, not really. Google has recently updated the tracking and reporting within Google Search Console by removing the &num=100 URL parameter from organic search.

What this means for a lot of B2B SEO campaigns is a major drop in organic impressions.

One look at performance drops like this can send a lot of marketers and business owners panicking and questioning their entire strategy (even question whether they have been penalised).

Our advice to clients is to keep calm and carry on (for now). We don’t want to make any major strategy changes without seeing what might happen over a longer period. Google are constantly making large and small algorithm updates, if we reacted to everything then it could get a little chaotic and we won’t truly understand what’s working.

The ?num=100 parameter is used to request a large number of rows of data (in this case 100 rows of data) in API responses. Removing this parameter means that Google Search Console is now reporting from a smaller number of data points.

Now that Google Search Console and other tracking tools are reporting from a smaller number of data entries, you will have noticed a major drop in Impressions and a rise in Average position.

From what’s being said online, this is a way in which Google can interpret and report search data more accurately. Additionally, some speculate that some of the report data may have been inaccurate before, meaning that some of the previous data was not real.

The removal of the &num=100 parameter is shifting how performance is measured. With fewer impressions and keywords in reports, it may appear that performance is weaker, even if rankings remain steady.

However, this change could actually lead to more accurate data, as rank trackers and scrapers using the 100-page parameter were inflating impression counts, potentially making the data less reliable before.
So, more accurate data and less fluff. Marketers can more accurately use data to inform organic search decisions.

The #1 rule for any Google or search engine update is… Don’t panic!

A lot of businesses will see a downwards pattern emerging and believe that they have to shift their entire focus. Often not, this is an overreaction.
Google’s key focus is on providing the best user experience, most reliable information and trusted businesses to fulfil a need/ want. Which means that following the best guidelines behind E-E-A-T, should continue to organically grow your domain.

Although you may fear that impressions have fallen off of the face of the earth, I would pay more attention to your Click performance and your Average Position performance. If you start to see a negative shift in these two metrics, then there may be a reason to investigate further.

Well, so far Google have made no statement about pulling this decision and reverting back to old reporting tactics. So this update looks like it may be set in stone.

Now that may not be the case forever, but this behaviour from Google indicates that an immediate revert is not likely to happen.

So to wrap up, Google Search Console and other reporting tools should be more accurate, remove the fluff and inaccurate data from their reports. Impressions have taken a hit (some reporting up to an 87% drop in visibility), but unless click and average position performance have been negatively hit, I wouldn’t stress to much about this.

If you are worried about the organic performance of your website, then please feel free to get in touch with Beach Marketing for a free website audit and review.