Per week in the past, Google disabled the flexibility to see 100 outcomes per web page through the use of a URL parameter within the Google Search URL bar. Since that change, rank-checking instruments have change into an absolute mess, and even Google’s personal Search Console knowledge has seen a important drop in knowledge.
Google lastly replied to our questions on the elimination of this function, saying the URL parameter just isn’t one thing they assist.
Google’s assertion. A Google spokesperson advised us:
The usage of this URL parameter just isn’t one thing that we formally assist.
What’s Google not saying. Google did really assist this parameter for a lot of a few years, at the least unofficially. However in 2018, Google eliminated the interface to inform Google what number of outcomes you need to present on the search outcomes web page. However the URL parameter technique stayed and has labored by final week. Then it abruptly stopped working late Thursday evening.
I requested Google if this can be a bug, like we noticed in 2013 or if this can be a change in performance. Google simply responded with the above assertion.
Google didn’t say why the change was made. Was it as a result of Google was attempting to stop unauthorized scrapers from scraping its search outcomes. Google phrases of service have stated for ages that this was in opposition to its phrases of service.
Was it to cease OpenAI from utilizing Google’s search outcomes? I don’t know.
Can Google clarify why it appears Search Console knowledge is impacted? A large variety of websites are reporting shedding a major share of impression knowledge after this modification was made. Is it as a result of that knowledge was not actual within the first place and bots induced a major quantity of inflation with Search Console knowledge?
Once more, now we have much more questions that stay unanswered.
num=100 gone. However from studying Google’s assertion, it looks as if the num=100 parameter is not going to be supported.
Why we care. When you’ve got been utilizing that parameter, you then doubtless gained’t be capable of do this going ahead. Your third get together instruments that monitor Google’s search outcomes must adapt to deal with this modification, many have already despatched out statements to clients about this. And Search Console knowledge could find yourself being extra correct with actual human knowledge going ahead.
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