Were Our Views on ‘The Great Decoupling’ Incorrect? Analyzing the Impact of &num=100

Home » Were Our Views on ‘The Great Decoupling’ Incorrect? Analyzing the Impact of &num=100

Sep 25, 2025 | by Allen Glenn

In recent years, a growing trend known as "The Great Decoupling" has caught the attention of digital marketers, SEOs, and analysts alike. Initially, the term referred to the growing divide between impressions and clicks in Google Search Console (GSC) data. But with the recent changes in Google’s infrastructure, particularly the disabling of the &num=100 parameter, this phenomenon might need to be rethought entirely. So, what exactly has changed, and what are the broader implications of these shifts for digital marketing and SEO?

The &num=100 Parameter: What Was It and Why Did It Matter?

For years, Google Search Console allowed webmasters and SEOs to use the &num=100 parameter to view up to 100 search results on a single page. This functionality provided a way to track large volumes of search data quickly, which was particularly helpful for those monitoring rank changes, organic traffic, and overall visibility. By enabling access to up to 100 results per request, SEO tools could scrape Google’s search results pages more efficiently. This allowed for a more extensive analysis of keywords, search result placement, and impressions for any given search query. With this in mind, &num=100 played a significant role in helping SEO professionals get detailed insights into their website’s performance and discover opportunities for improvement. However, as of September 2025, Google decided to disable the &num=100 parameter, drastically altering how rank tracking and data scraping tools function. Websites could no longer access large volumes of search results per request, which meant fewer data points were being retrieved. Initially, this move appeared to have a significant impact on GSC data, with many webmasters reporting a dramatic drop in impressions.

Impact of the &num=100 Disabling on GSC Data

The immediate consequence of the disabling of &num=100 was a noticeable decline in reported impressions within Google Search Console. Websites that were accustomed to large numbers of impressions now saw them drop significantly. This decline wasn’t due to a real-world decrease in user engagement or search volume, but rather the result of fewer search results being fetched at once due to the change in Google’s infrastructure. With fewer results being scraped from Google’s index, the impressions data in GSC became more aligned with actual user engagement and search behavior. Previously, the &num=100 parameter allowed SEO tools to collect a larger pool of results, many of which were generated by bots. These bots could inflate impressions, resulting in data that did not accurately represent organic user interactions. As the volume of bot traffic decreased after the parameter change, GSC data became more reflective of actual user behavior, leading to the drop in impressions. The reduction in impressions could, therefore, be seen as a correction of previously inflated figures rather than a sign of declining visibility or performance.

How Bot Traffic Played a Role in the Impression Metrics?

Before the disabling of &num=100, bot traffic played a significant role in generating impressions. SEO tools relied on automated scraping tools to pull large numbers of search results for tracking purposes, which would often result in inflated impressions. In essence, these tools would crawl search results pages, artificially boosting the number of impressions counted in GSC, even if no real users were interacting with those pages. When &num=100 was disabled, scraping tools could no longer retrieve results at the same scale. As a result, the bot traffic that had previously inflated impressions was significantly reduced, leading to more accurate, genuine data. While the reduction in impressions might seem like a negative trend at first, it was actually a sign that Google was cleaning up its reporting metrics. The lower, more realistic impressions data reflected fewer bot interactions, resulting in a more honest representation of user activity on a site.

Revisiting 'The Great Decoupling': Was It Truly About AI and Zero-Click Searches?

Prior to the changes brought about by &num=100, many analysts and SEO professionals pointed to the growing phenomenon of the “Great Decoupling,” in which search impressions were increasing without a corresponding rise in clicks. This disconnect was often attributed to the rise of AI-generated summaries, featured snippets, and other types of zero-click searches, where users found answers directly on the search results page without ever clicking through to a website. However, the shift in Google’s data reporting mechanisms challenges the previous interpretation of this decoupling. The apparent disconnect between impressions and clicks may not have been as dramatic as it seemed. It’s possible that the decoupling was not solely the result of AI-driven features or zero-click searches but was also influenced by inflated impressions driven by bot traffic and rank tracking tools. Now, with more accurate and authentic impressions data, it's becoming clear that some of the perceived decoupling might have been artificial. By removing the ability to scrape 100 search results per page, Google has forced the industry to rethink its assumptions. Impressions and clicks may not have been decoupling as drastically as they seemed, but rather, previous reporting mechanisms were overstating their relationship.

Long-Term Implications for SEO and Digital Marketing

The disabling of &num=100 also raises important questions for the future of SEO and digital marketing:

1. Data Accuracy: SEO professionals will need to adjust to a more accurate portrayal of impressions and clicks in GSC. Instead of relying on inflated impression counts from bots, marketers will have a clearer understanding of actual user behavior, which will make data-driven decisions more reliable.
2. Bot Traffic Control: The move to limit SEO tools from scraping large numbers of search results could signal a broader trend in controlling bot traffic. This shift could make future SEO analyses more focused on real user data rather than artificially inflated numbers.
3. Content Strategy Adjustments: With more accurate impressions data, content strategies may need to adapt to a reality where organic visibility isn’t inflated by bots. Marketers will need to focus on optimizing for genuine user engagement rather than relying on external tools to generate false signals.
4. Increased Focus on AI: While the decoupling between impressions and clicks might not be as stark as initially thought, the influence of AI and machine learning on search behavior continues to grow. As search engines evolve, AI-generated content and zero-click features will likely continue to shape how users interact with search results.

Conclusion

The disabling of the &num=100 parameter has significantly altered the SEO landscape and prompted a reevaluation of the "Great Decoupling" theory. While AI and zero-click searches are undoubtedly important factors in the evolving search ecosystem, it's essential to recognize the role that bot traffic and inflated impressions played in the early interpretations of this phenomenon. As Google’s data reporting improves and becomes more reflective of real user behavior, SEO professionals must adapt to a more accurate representation of search metrics. The decoupling of impressions and clicks, while still relevant, may not be as dramatic as once thought—opening up new avenues for marketers to refine their strategies for the future. At Rank My Business, we are committed to staying ahead of these changes and helping our clients navigate the ever-evolving world of SEO. By embracing more accurate data and adapting to shifts in search engine algorithms, businesses can optimize their strategies for genuine user engagement and sustainable growth. Let us help you redefine your SEO approach and ensure that your business thrives in this new landscape.