Google’s new SERPs limit explained: SEO implications you need to know

Google has quietly rolled out an update to its search engine results pages (SERPs), and while it’s got plenty of SEO pros talking, what does it really mean for your business?

The search results update

Last month, Google removed the ability to view more than 10 search results per page.

So, instead of having the option to view up to 100 results per page, the default view of 10 results is the only option.

What it means for your website

This may just seem like a quiet change in the background, but it affects marketers in more ways than one.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. It’s more important than ever to appear on the first page of results

Appearing on the first page of search results was already a goal for most.

But, with the recent update, it’s more important than ever.

Now, those that were seeing up to 100 results per page will only see 10 and will be less likely to click through the pages.

The Google UX design doesn’t encourage users to click through the pages either.

So, if you’re on the third or fourth page, your website will likely see less traffic.

In fact, Forbes reported that even being on the second page makes you a lot less visible, with only 6% of website clicks being from the second page.

2. It’ll be harder to appear in AI results

The rise of AI chatbots and large language models (LLMs) has seen many marketers adapt their content to appear in AI results.

However, AI chatbots scrape search engine results to access data and provide answers.

And, seeing as they often only scrape data from the first page, Google just dramatically cut down what AI has access to.

Now that the SERPs are capped at 10 results, the pool of data AI can access has effectively shrunk. That means if your website isn’t ranking in those top spots, AI systems won’t see or surface your content.