Read Search Console impressions and average position without context

The problem

Sudden changes in impressions and average position look like ranking changes.

Steps

1. Before reading a change, check whether Google changed how it reports.
2. Compare clicks, which are less affected, alongside impressions.

Evidence

Since September 2025, when Google stopped supporting the &num=100 results parameter, average position changed because the denominator changed. Many “gains” and “drops” around those dates are measurement, not rankings.