Google’s recent search updates have had a significant impact on website traffic, with many site owners reporting a drop in rankings. However, one platform that has seen a surge in referrals is Reddit. Multiple outlets have reported on Reddit’s traffic gains, with analytics company Similarweb revealing a nearly 40 percent year-over-year increase in May. This boost in traffic can largely be attributed to Google’s search engine updates.
Despite being around for nearly 20 years, Reddit has recently become more prevalent on Google search results pages. This has been noticed by SEO professionals and tech enthusiasts alike. Steve Paine, a manager at the SEO company Sistrix, stated that Reddit has experienced unprecedented growth in search visibility, unlike any other website in the last five years.
Speculation arose about a potential partnership between Reddit and Google being the reason behind this search bump. While it is true that Google obtained permission to train its AI models on Reddit’s content through a $60 million deal, Google denies that this agreement influenced the ranking of Reddit’s content in search results.
A more likely explanation for the increase in Reddit links appearing in Google search is one of Google’s recent search updates. The tech giant updated its search algorithm to prioritize “helpful content” from discussion forums. Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan confirmed that Reddit content is appearing more frequently in search results because it aligns with what users are looking for.
Users have long used a trick where they add the word “Reddit” to their search queries to get consumer opinions on products or services. These Reddit posts often contain unfiltered comments and opinions from other users. It is plausible that Google noticed this trend and, through its algorithm update, gave Reddit a boost in search results.
While Reddit is currently enjoying increased traffic, it remains to be seen how long this surge will last. As many website owners know, Google’s updates can quickly reverse any gains made in subsequent updates. However, for now, Reddit seems to have found favor with Google’s search algorithm, resulting in a significant increase in traffic.