Google killed the num=100 parameter last week.
Search results are now capped at 10 instead of 100.
Reddit stock dropped 15%, $5B gone overnight. Startups lost 90% of discovery.
Large language models like OpenAI and Perplexity
use Google’s index as a data source.
When Google cut visibility from 100 results to 10,
they eliminated 90% of the long-tail internet overnight.
Search Engine Land reported almost 9 out of 10 sites saw impressions drop.
Reddit’s an example of what happened.
– Most Reddit threads rank between positions 11-100.
– That window disappeared.
– Visibility cratered.
– LLM citations dropped.
– Stock tanked.
For startups, we live in the long tail search.
Does this mean you can’t rely on building a solid product
and hoping people find it anymore?
In an ecosystem driven by AI and search,
distribution isn’t secondary to product.
Distribution is the product.
The long-tail internet that used to capture curious searchers past result 10 is as of right now invisible to both humans and AI.
If your growth strategy depends on organic search beyond position 10,
you just lost 90% of your addressable discovery.
This matters more for startups than established brands.
Established brands rank in the top 10.
Startups live in the long tail.
Google made one parameter change.
Wiped out billions in market cap.
Distribution is no longer a growth strategy it’s the core strategy.
Don’t be at the mercy of Google and earned media if you can help it.