Why 87% of Websites Lost Half Their Google Impressions Overnight – And Why It’s Actually Good News
Introduction
If you logged into your Google Search Console after 10 September 2025 and witnessed your impressions plummeting by 30-50% or more, you weren’t alone. Across New Zealand and globally, website owners from Paraparaumu to Perth watched their impression metrics fall off a cliff whilst frantically checking if their sites had been penalised or hacked.
Analysis by SEO consultant Tyler Gargula, examining 319 websites, found that 87.7% of sites experienced impression drops after the change, with desktop impressions taking the biggest hit whilst mobile impressions were affected to a lesser extent. Yet here’s the twist – for most businesses, this dramatic drop isn’t the disaster it appears to be. In fact, it might be the reality check the digital marketing industry needed.
This comprehensive guide reveals what really happened during Google’s September 2025 update, why your Search Console metrics suddenly changed, and most importantly, why this apparent catastrophe could actually benefit your business’s online visibility in the long run.
Key Takeaways
- Google removed the &num=100 parameter on 10 September 2025, eliminating inflated bot impressions
- 87.7% of websites experienced impression drops, primarily affecting desktop metrics
- Real human traffic and clicks remain unchanged despite dramatic impression declines
- Average position metrics improved as low-quality impressions were filtered out
- The data now reflects genuine user engagement rather than artificial bot activity
The September Shake-Up: What Actually Happened
The Technical Change That Triggered Panic
Around 10 September 2025, Google removed the ability to use a URL parameter called num=100, which previously allowed anyone to add &num=100 to a Google search URL and retrieve 100 results instead of the standard 10. This seemingly minor technical adjustment sent shockwaves through the digital marketing community.
Rank tracking tools like Semrush had used this feature to gather search ranking data efficiently – one request pulled 100 results, but now those same tools must make 10 separate requests, multiplying their infrastructure costs by roughly 10 times. The timing aligned perfectly with the impression drops website owners began seeing in their Search Console data.
For businesses along the Kapiti Coast, from Raumati Beach to Waikanae, this meant waking up to analytics dashboards showing what appeared to be catastrophic losses. Local service providers, e-commerce sites, and professional services firms all reported the same pattern – massive impression drops accompanied by improved average position metrics.
Understanding the Bot Traffic Reality
Many believed Google filtered bot traffic (non-human views) from Google Search Console reports, but the correlation between the num=100 removal and widespread impression declines suggests that wasn’t the case.
What we’ve discovered is that a significant portion of reported impressions came not from potential customers in Paraparaumu searching for your services, but from automated tools scraping Google’s results. Previously, even if your page ranked on page 3 or 6 of Google, it could still generate impressions if scraped by a rank-tracking tool or bot using &num=100. Now that functionality is gone, those deeper-ranked impressions aren’t being recorded as they once were.
Why Your Numbers Dropped (But Your Business Didn’t)
The Desktop vs Mobile Divide
The data reveals a telling pattern. Desktop impressions took the biggest hit, whilst mobile impressions were affected to a lesser extent, which makes sense because most rank tracking tools default to desktop tracking. This disparity proves the drops weren’t related to actual user behaviour changes. Real users, particularly in New Zealand, increasingly search on mobile devices. If this were a genuine visibility crisis, we’d see proportional drops across all devices.
A popular health information website saw monthly impressions drop from 38,000 to 24,000, yet their average position improved from 31 to 16, and their clicks stayed consistent. This pattern has been replicated across countless websites globally and mirrors what VF Digital has observed across our Kapiti Coast client base.
The Average Position Paradox Explained
One of the most confusing aspects was seeing average positions improve whilst impressions plummeted. Your average position went up because low-ranking impressions from bots were removed, but your actual rankings probably stayed the same.
Think of it this way: if your website previously showed impressions for rankings on pages 5, 6, or 7 of Google (positions 50-70), these were almost certainly bot-generated. Real users rarely venture past page 2. With these artificial impressions removed, your average position calculation now only includes rankings where actual humans might see your site.
What This Means for Kiwi Businesses
The Wellington Region Perspective
For businesses operating in the Wellington region, from Porirua to Paraparaumu, this change offers valuable clarity about genuine market reach. Local businesses targeting terms like “plumber Paraparaumu” or “digital marketing Kapiti Coast” can now see accurate data about when real potential customers encounter their listings.
Understanding what converts helps you prioritise content improvements and internal linking strategies, whilst click-through rate for positions 1-10 shows what percentage of searchers actually click your website. These metrics have always been more valuable than raw impression counts, and now they take centre stage.
VF Digital recommends focusing on actual click-through rates from genuine searches, conversion rates from organic traffic, and revenue attribution to SEO efforts. These indicators tell the real story of your digital marketing success, not inflated impression counts that included bot traffic.
How to Interpret Your New Reality
Establishing New Baselines
Mark September 10 in your reporting. Treat it like a line in the sand. This date represents a fundamental shift in how Google counts impressions, making before-and-after comparisons problematic. Use broader windows and smoother data rather than currently volatile daily numbers.
For businesses working with digital marketing agencies or reporting to boards and investors, clear communication about this change is essential. Don’t panic when stakeholders see lower impression counts. Educate your team. Share this update with anyone who reviews your SEO reports so they understand the context.
Identifying Real Problems vs Reporting Changes
If impressions dropped but your average ranking position stayed steady, you’re likely dealing with reporting changes or reduced search demand. Cross-check with rank tracking tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or even manual rank trackers.
VF Digital recommends comparing organic traffic in Google Analytics, monitoring actual enquiry and conversion rates, checking Google Business Profile insights for local searches, and conducting manual searches for key terms to verify rankings. If these metrics remain stable, your visibility hasn’t changed – just the way it’s measured.
The Hidden Benefits of Cleaner Data
More Accurate ROI Calculations
With bot traffic removed from the equation, businesses can now calculate accurate returns on their SEO investments. Previously inflated impression counts made campaigns appear more successful (or unsuccessful) than reality. Now, every impression represents a genuine opportunity for engagement.
This clarity is particularly valuable for small to medium businesses in regions like Kapiti Coast, where marketing budgets require careful allocation. Understanding true visibility helps justify continued SEO investment or identify areas needing improvement.
Better Strategic Decision Making
The dramatic drop in Google Search Console impressions starting mid-September 2025 has been alarming to many, but it’s largely the result of a shift in how Google processes and counts visibility data. This shift provides clearer insights for strategic planning. Marketing teams can now accurately assess content performance, identify genuinely high-performing keywords, and allocate resources to pages with real traffic potential.
Moving Forward: Your SEO Strategy Post-September 2025
Adapting to the New Normal
Don’t panic. Continue to monitor organic traffic and periodically check high-performing keywords. If rankings and clicks remain stable, you likely don’t need to make drastic changes.
This change reinforces what good SEO has always been about – creating valuable content for real users. Focus your efforts on quality content creation that answers real user queries, local SEO optimisation for Wellington region searches, mobile-first design reflecting actual user behaviour, and page speed improvements that enhance user experience.
For Paraparaumu and Kapiti Coast businesses, this change presents an opportunity to double down on local SEO strategies. With cleaner data, you can better understand when local customers actually see your business in search results.
Why This Is Actually Good News
This wasn’t a penalty. It wasn’t an algorithm update. It was a cleanup job. By removing artificial inflation from impression metrics, Google has done the digital marketing industry a favour.
John Mueller from Google somewhat made a comment on the impression decrease with the average position increase within the Search Console reports, suggesting these weren’t “real impressions”. This acknowledgment confirms what many SEO professionals suspected – the previous data included significant non-human activity.
With everyone now operating from the same clean baseline, businesses that previously relied on inflated metrics face a reckoning. Conversely, those delivering genuine value will see their true performance shine through. The playing field has been leveled, and quality wins.
VF Digital’s Approach to the New Normal
At VF Digital, we’ve developed specific protocols to help Kapiti Coast businesses navigate this transition. Our approach includes historical data reconciliation to understand what your pre-September data really meant, establishing realistic benchmarks for future performance, and developing custom reporting solutions focused on meaningful metrics.
Rather than mourning lost impressions, we celebrate the clarity this change brings. Our strategies have always prioritised business outcomes over vanity metrics, and now the data supports this approach more clearly than ever. We help local businesses generate qualified leads through targeted SEO, improve conversion rates with user-focused optimisation, and
Conclusion
While the sound of a Google Search Console impressions drop sounds like a bad thing, it’s actually the opposite. For years, impression data was inflated by bots scraping search results. Now your reporting reflects reality: real humans, real searches, real clicks.
The September 2025 Google Search Console changes initially appeared catastrophic, but they’ve actually provided the gift of clarity. For businesses across the Kapiti Coast and Wellington region, this cleaner data enables better decision-making, more accurate ROI calculations, and strategic focusing on what truly matters – real user engagement and business growth.
VF Digital stands ready to help your business navigate this new landscape. We understand that behind every metric is a real business with real goals, and our approach focuses on driving meaningful results, not chasing vanity metrics. The September changes haven’t diminished your online presence – they’ve simply revealed its true nature.
If you’re ready to understand what your data really means and develop strategies based on genuine performance metrics, contact VF Digital today. Let’s build your digital success on the solid foundation of accurate data and proven strategies that deliver real business results.
Remember: The game hasn’t changed. Google just cleaned the scoreboard.
Source Links
- Google Search Console Data Changes Overview – https://www.seroundtable.com/google-comments-search-console-impressions-dip-40136.html
- Analysis of September 2025 Impression Drops – https://www.garrettdigital.com/gsc-impressions-drop/
- Impact on SEO Tools and Tracking – https://www.found.co.uk/blog/september-2025-google-search-console-impressions-drop-whats-really-happening/
- Technical Explanation of num=100 Parameter Removal – https://smithdigital.io/blog/google-search-console-impression-drop-sept-2025
- Industry Response and Best Practices – https://marketing.trialguides.com/news-insights/google-search-console-impressions-drop-september-2025
- Understanding the Data Anomaly – https://www.footbridgemedia.com/marketing-tips/google-search-console-impressions-drop-2025
- Practical Response Strategies – https://griffinmottconsulting.com/blog/google-search-console-impressions-drop-september-2025-update/
- Regional Impact Analysis – https://dgtlmart.com/blog/google-september-2025-search-update/
- Australian and New Zealand Perspective – https://aiad.com.au/blog/why-are-my-google-search-console-impressions-going-down/
Comments are closed.