Reddit Post Ranks On Google In 5 Minutes - What's Going On?

Evidence suggesting that Google may be ranking Reddit posts quickly includes a specific example where a Reddit post titled 'Google SGE Review' ranked in the top ten of Google's search results within 5 minutes of being posted. Initially, it was in position 8 and later improved to position 2 for the search query 'SGE Review'. This rapid ranking indicates that Reddit posts can achieve high visibility on Google SERPs in a very short time.

Some users believe Google is showing preference to Reddit in search results because of observations like a Reddit post ranking quickly and prominently in SERPs, often over other potentially more authoritative websites. This perception is further fueled by user reports of Reddit's high visibility for certain search queries and the discussion in the r/SEO subreddit where users complained about Google allegedly favoring Reddit.

Familiarity Bias is a psychological phenomenon where people show a preference for things that are familiar to them. In the context of Google's ranking of Reddit posts, users who are familiar with Reddit may choose its content over other sites in the search results, either due to lack of knowledge of the other sites or a bias against what they perceive as spammy and optimized websites. Google's algorithms may then pick up on these user interaction signals, interpreting them as a preference and satisfaction with Reddit results, potentially leading to higher rankings for Reddit posts.

A self-reinforcing feedback loop in the context of Reddit's visibility on Google refers to a cycle where Google's decision to show more user-generated content leads to more users being exposed to Reddit through search results. As users find plausible answers on Reddit and become more familiar with it, their familiarity bias may kick in, leading them to prefer Reddit results. This preference is then potentially detected by Google's algorithm, which could further increase Reddit's visibility in search results, regardless of the actual expertise and authoritativeness of the content.