Understanding the SEO Shake-Up from &num= Deprecation
The recent deprecation of Google’s `&num=100` search parameter, though seemingly minor, has created significant ripples throughout the SEO industry. This parameter allowed users and, crucially, SEO tools to specify the number of search results displayed per page, often enabling the retrieval of up to 100 results in a single request, rather than the default 10 or 20.
Its utility was immense for SEO professionals. The `&num=` parameter was a cornerstone for efficient SERP scraping, competitive analysis, and large-scale keyword research. It enabled tools to quickly gather extensive data on search engine results pages, including rankings, snippets, and other features, without the need for extensive pagination. This saved considerable time and computational resources, making the collection of comprehensive SERP data more scalable and cost-effective for SEO platforms and agencies.
Google’s decision to deprecate this feature likely stems from a desire to reduce server load, discourage automated scraping, and potentially steer heavy data users towards their official, often paid, APIs. For the SEO industry, the risks are clear: data collection now becomes more laborious and expensive. Tools must revert to simulating pagination, making multiple requests for smaller batches of results (e.g., ten pages of ten results instead of one page of 100). This increases the time required for data collection, amplifies the risk of IP blocking, and demands more sophisticated proxy management and error handling.
In response, SEO tools are adapting by building more resilient scraping infrastructures, incorporating advanced proxy rotations, and optimizing their pagination strategies. While these workarounds allow tools to continue functioning, they inevitably lead to increased operational costs and complexity. The deprecation of `&num=100` underscores Google’s ongoing efforts to control access to its search data, forcing the SEO community to continuously innovate and adapt to maintain vital insights into search engine performance.
(Source: https://moz.com/blog/why-does-google-parameter-num-matter-whiteboard-friday)
