Google reduces AI visibility: What the removal of “&num=100” really means

When Google quietly removed the “&num=100” parameter in September 2025, most users didn’t notice — but businesses did.
SEO tools, crawlers and LLMs now receive only 10 results per query instead of 100.

This seemingly small change reshapes digital visibility, content strategies, and machine-driven search.

1. Less data = less visibility

With fewer results available, AI systems see only a narrow slice of the web.

• Visibility drops by 77–88%

Not due to poorer performance — but due to reduced data.

• Long-tail content becomes invisible

Anything beyond the top 10 rarely appears in AI responses.

• Monitoring becomes more expensive

Tools require more queries to rebuild depth.

• AI responses lose diversity

Models learn less — and repeat more.

2. User behavior amplifies the trend: Zero-Click becomes the norm

Users increasingly:

• avoid scrolling
• skip results 11–100 entirely
• rely on AI-generated answers

Meaning:

The first answer becomes the only answer.

3. Another shift: Adobe’s acquisition of Semrush

Soon after the update, Adobe announced plans to acquire Semrush —
a sign of rapid consolidation in the digital visibility space.

The implications:

• Visibility becomes platform-controlled

Content, analytics and AI are merging into closed ecosystems.

• KI systems turn into new gatekeepers

If brands don’t appear in AI answers, they lose presence.

• Neutral visibility analysis becomes essential

Companies need cross-system transparency, not ecosystem-lock-in.

4. Machine-First Marketing: The next evolution

Multiple forces converge:

• reduced search visibility
• zero-click behavior
• AI-generated summaries
• ecosystem consolidation

This marks the beginning of a new discipline:

Brands must be visible to humans AND machines.

SEO alone is no longer enough.
What matters is whether AI systems can see, cite, and use brand content.

5. How companies can respond — with aiva

Our AI Visibility Platform aiva helps companies understand and strengthen their visibility in AI systems.

aiva answers key questions:

• Does my brand appear in AI responses?
• In which citations or sources am I mentioned — or missing?
• Which pages are visible to LLMs?
• Where are the content gaps?
• How must content be structured to reappear in AI outputs?

6. Conclusion: Visibility now extends beyond Google

The removal of “&num=100” marks a turning point.

The data window shrinks.
AI dependency expands.
Visibility must evolve.

Brands that adapt early will lead in the Machine-First era.

➡️ The future belongs to brands that remain visible to people and machines.

👉 Learn more at: effective-world.com