Google recently introduced a quiet but significant update that directly affects how rank tracking tools work. If your business uses platforms like Ahrefs, SEMRush, or Keyword.com to monitor rankings, you may have already noticed missing data beyond the first page of results. This change is not a glitch, nor is it a sign that your site has dropped out of search results. It is a shift in how Google allows data to be accessed, and it has important implications for how rankings are reported by SEO agencies like us.
As an SEO company, we want to explain what happened, why it matters for your business, and how we are adjusting our approach to keep our clients informed and focused on results that drive growth.
What Changed in Google Search
For many years, SEO tools relied on a feature that allowed them to pull up to 100 search results at a time. This made it simple to see where a site ranked across multiple pages with a single request. In September 2025, Google removed this feature by removing the &num=100 parameter. Today, the maximum number of organic results displayed per page is 10.
According to Search Engine Roundtable, this change disrupted virtually every major rank tracking platform because their systems were built around that shortcut. Other sources also confirmed that several providers quickly acknowledged gaps in data collection for rankings beyond the first 10 results.
This means that when you log in to your rank tracker, the information for page one is still accurate. However, positions on page two or beyond may not appear at all, or may only update sporadically as tools adjust.
Why This Matters for Your Business
When you are investing in SEO, it is natural to want visibility into every position your site holds. Historically, seeing a keyword move from position 47 to 20 was important to share as it indicated progress in SEO. The new update changes how that type of reporting looks and essentially means most tools can only see data for the top 10 results now.
Here is what you need to know:
- Your rankings on the first page remain fully visible and reliable.
- Rankings past the top 10 are more difficult for tools to capture consistently.
- Google Search Console is unaffected and still shows you impressions, clicks, and average positions for your own site.
The truth is that most customers do not click beyond the first page, so this reporting change should not have a true impact on the performance of your SEO. While page two data provided context, it rarely translated into direct business impact. This change reinforces the importance of focusing energy on page one visibility, where the real opportunities exist.
How We Are Adapting Your SEO Strategy
Most SEO agencies (including us) have already put adjustments in place to keep your SEO reporting running smoothly. We believe this update is less of a setback and more of an opportunity for marketers to sharpen their focus on what really matters.
Here are a few adjustments we’ve made internally:
Concentrating On High-Value Keywords
We now place even more emphasis on tracking the keywords that align with your business goals. These are the terms most likely to generate leads and sales because of their positioning on page one. By putting even more of a focus on these keywords, business owners will see progress where it makes a tangible difference. You could set up rank tracking for every keyword under the sun, but only the keywords on page one truly have an impact.
Leveraging Google Search Console & Google Analytics
While third-party tools adjust, we still rely heavily on data from Google Search Console combined with Google Analytics. This gives us a clear picture of how your pages perform in real search scenarios. It also allows us to see exactly how ranking improvements translate into traffic and conversions.
Strategic Deep Dives
For select keywords where you are close to page one, we continue to periodically monitor these positions manually or through Google Search Console. These periodic checks provide insight into which opportunities are worth pushing forward and which are less impactful.
What You Will Notice in Reports
Because of this update, reports may look different from what you are used to. You may see fewer keywords listed overall. You may notice that positions beyond the top 10 appear inconsistently or not at all. In some cases, Google Search Console may show improved average positions or lower impression counts simply because of the way Google altered reporting.
This does not mean your site’s performance has dropped. It means the industry has lost a shortcut for seeing results that mattered less to actual business outcomes. We will continue to cross-check rankings against real traffic and conversions so that the story remains accurate.
How This Benefits Your SEO in the Long Run
While the update may feel disruptive at first, there is a benefit for your business. This change reduces noise. Instead of tracking hundreds of keywords buried deep in the results, businesses can put more attention on improving the rankings that bring measurable value. As Keyword.com stated in its response to this update, “The Top 20 is where the real action happens—where competitors show up and where visibility impacts performance the most.”
What We Recommend Going Forward
Here is how we are guiding our clients through this transition:
- Focus on page-one visibility for core keywords that matter to your business
- Use Google Search Console and Google Analytics as the foundation for performance measurement
- Treat rank tracking as one tool in the toolbox, not the single source of truth
- Pay attention to the keywords where you are closest to breaking into the top 10, because those are the easiest wins
- Continue to invest in strong content, technical improvements, and local SEO where relevant
Remember that your SEO investment is about growth, not about chasing every keyword on page five. A solid SEO company’s job is to move your business into the positions that matter and to keep you there, focusing on what drives leads and revenue. Contact us if you have any questions about this update and how it may impact your marketing.
