Google just made a subtle but massive change
Last month, Google quietly removed the num=100 search parameter.
This means you can no longer view 100 results at once. The default max is now 10.
Why does this matter?
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Most LLMs (OpenAI, Perplexity, etc.) rely (directly or indirectly) on Google’s indexed results, alongside their own crawlers.
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Overnight, their access to the “long tail” of the internet was cut by 90%.
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The fallout:
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According to Search Engine Land, 88% of sites saw a drop in impressions.
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Reddit, which often ranks in positions 11–100, saw its LLM citations plummet. Its stock dropped 15%.
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For startups, this is brutal. Visibility just got harder. Reddit as part of AEO just changed entirely.
It’s no longer enough to build a great product you need to crack distribution first. Because if people can’t discover you, they’ll never get to evaluate you.
Most engineers seem to always neglect this reality, but a mediocre product with great distribution will always beat a great product with mediocre distribution.
As Peter Thiel says:
“Most businesses get zero distribution channels to work: poor sales rather than bad product is the most common cause of failure. If you can get just one distribution channel to work, you have a great business. If you try for several but don’t nail one, you’re finished.
Superior sales and distribution by itself can create a monopoly, even with no product differentiation. The converse is not true. No matter how strong your product — even if it easily fits into already established habits and anybody who tries it likes it immediately — you must still support it with a strong distribution plan.&quot;
Distribution &gt; Product
(h/t Adarsh Appaiah on LinkedIn)

Smiley Face

Amir

Google removed the num=100 search parameter, limiting results to 10 per page instead of 100. This change significantly impacts LLMs that rely on Google's indexed results, reducing their access to long-tail content by 90%. The shift caused 88% of sites to see reduced impressions and affected platforms like Reddit. The change emphasizes the critical importance of distribution strategy over product quality for startups and businesses, as discoverability becomes increasingly challenging.

Google Just Made a Subtle but MASSIVE Change

Source about <a href="https://t.co/rZVgh7ZJw2" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">“88% of sites saw a drop in impressions”</a>

Out of all the people he could quote, this guy decided to quote peter thiel, literally the real-life tech villain of our era.

Discoverability is a huge issue. It’s why no one really leaves YouTube, TikTok or Instagram. No one discovers video channels outside of those three unless you’re hyper focused and target an existing community hub.
Seems the days of marketing just gaming Google keywords are coming to an end. Looks like they’re going to have to figure out where the accounts hang out if they want to sell accounting software.

Very insightful!! Thanks for the article.