If you’ve logged into Google Search Console recently and noticed a sudden fall in impressions after around 10 September, you’re not alone. Website owners and SEO professionals across the world have been seeing the same pattern, a sharp drop in impressions, sometimes paired with an improvement in average position.

The first reaction is often panic: has your site been penalised or fallen out of the rankings? In most cases, the answer is no. The cause appears to be related to a change in how Google handles search result data, not a loss in your real visibility.

At Corsto Web Design, we’ve been tracking this closely to understand what’s really happening, why your numbers have changed, and what (if anything) you need to do about it.

Why Impressions Have Dropped Since September 10

Over the past few weeks, SEO professionals have linked this issue to a Google Search update that removed the use of a specific search parameter called num=100.

Until recently, this parameter allowed tools and bots to fetch up to 100 search results on a single page. Many SEO software platforms relied on it to track rankings and gather keyword data efficiently.

When Google quietly removed support for that parameter, those automated queries could no longer access results in the same way and that’s where the impact shows up:

  • Impressions from non-human searches have disappeared. Some of the impressions previously recorded in Search Console were being triggered by bots and tracking tools, not real users.
  • Average position often looks better. With the low-ranking “bot impressions” removed, the remaining data is focused on genuine user interactions, making your average position appear higher.
  • The change mostly affects desktop data because most SERP tracking tools run desktop-based checks rather than mobile searches.

So, what looks like a big drop in performance is, in many cases, just cleaner and more accurate data.

Why Your Average Position May Have Improved

If you’ve noticed that your average ranking position seems to have gone up while impressions have dropped, it’s not a coincidence. Here’s why:

  • The data now excludes impressions for search positions beyond page one that were mostly seen by bots.
  • Your average position is now calculated using results that real users actually see, which naturally pushes that average higher.
  • Clicks and traffic in Google Analytics or server logs often remain stable, proving that real-world visibility hasn’t changed much, if at all.

In short, the change may look dramatic on paper, but in practice, it could be a sign that your data has simply become more representative of human behaviour.

What You Should Check

Before making any assumptions or changes, it’s worth verifying whether the drop is genuine or purely statistical. Here’s what to look at:

1. Check your organic traffic

Compare your website’s organic sessions in Google Analytics. If they haven’t dropped significantly, your site’s real visibility is likely unchanged.

2. Compare clicks, not just impressions

Within Google Search Console, see whether clicks have fallen at the same rate as impressions. If clicks are stable, it’s a strong indicator that your site is performing just as well as before.

3. Review your top-performing pages

Use the “Pages” and “Queries” tabs to identify where the biggest impression losses occurred. Often, it’s deeper pages or low-traffic keywords that were previously inflated by automated queries.

4. Check for technical issues

Look at your Index Coverage, Sitemap, and Manual Actions reports to rule out genuine problems such as deindexing, crawl errors, or security alerts.

5. Look for ranking data gaps

Many rank-tracking tools (including Semrush and Ahrefs) have been affected by this change too. Missing or incomplete keyword data in those tools can further exaggerate the perceived drop.

What You Don’t Need to Worry About

It’s important not to overreact to what is, in most cases, a reporting adjustment.

Avoid:

  • Rewriting large amounts of content without confirming an actual visibility loss.
  • Assuming your website has been penalised or devalued by a Google update.
  • Comparing year-on-year impressions without accounting for the September data change.

Google hasn’t confirmed this adjustment officially, but the timing and evidence strongly suggest that the September 10 drop reflects the removal of non-human activity rather than a true ranking decline.

How We’re Handling This at Corsto Web Design

At Corsto Web Design, we’ve already adjusted our client reporting and analytics processes to reflect the new reality.

Here’s how we’re responding:

Establishing a new performance baseline

We’re treating the week of 10–15 September as a reset point. All data moving forward will be compared against this new, cleaner baseline, ensuring clients get an accurate picture of performance.

Focusing on meaningful metrics

We’re shifting focus away from raw impressions and towards the numbers that actually matter: clicks, engagement, conversions, and revenue. These are the metrics that show genuine business growth.

Validating rankings manually

For key search terms, our team performs manual checks in clean browser sessions to verify that clients’ websites still appear where expected.

Monitoring further updates

We continue to track announcements and data from across the SEO community to ensure that our reporting remains accurate and transparent.

What This Means for Your Business

The key takeaway is simple: don’t panic.
If your traffic and leads are consistent, your website hasn’t lost visibility, it’s just that Google has stopped counting certain types of impressions.

In fact, this change may be beneficial in the long term, as it filters out artificial data and gives a clearer view of how real people interact with your brand online.

At Corsto Web Design, we help businesses stay informed and adapt to the constant changes in Google’s ecosystem. Whether it’s SEO strategy, web development, or data tracking, our team ensures your digital presence remains strong, accurate, and effective.

Need help understanding your Search Console data or improving your organic visibility?
Get in touch with Corsto Web Design today, we’ll help you interpret the numbers and strengthen your online performance.