Google has recently disabled the ability to see 100 results per page in its URL bar, a feature that, although unofficial, had been in use for years. This change has generated great uncertainty among users and developers, as search position tracking tools have reported issues and have become inaccurate since the modification.
A step back to achieve more accurate results?
As a result of this update, many sites have reported a significant decrease in the impression data percentage in Google Search Console. This loss of data has led to questions about its accuracy, as some experts suggest that the previous numbers may have been inflated by bot activity. However, Google has not provided clarifications on why this change was implemented or its impact on Search Console data, leaving many questions unanswered.
A spokesperson for Google stated that the use of the URL parameter is not something the company officially supports. The company had tacitly accepted its use for many years. In 2018, Google removed the interface that allowed users to request a specific number of results on the search page, but the URL parameter maintained its functionality until last week, when it abruptly stopped working.
This change requires that search result tracking tools adapt to the new situation. Several companies have already informed their clients about the need for adjustments in their systems. Additionally, there is a possibility that the new limitation on results will make Search Console data more accurate, based on real interactions rather than inflations of previous data.