Google dramatically increased the amount of Reddit replies in search results in order to show real user opinions, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that it’s having a negative effect on the quality of search results. Everyone seems to know, except Google.
Lack of experience but makes sense
User-generated content typically found in product reviews, travel reviews, Reddit, and web forums are opinions formed by anonymous individuals of unknown experience and knowledge. It is based on personal opinions and prejudices that are limited to each person’s experience, and unfortunately lack of experience has never stopped anyone from expressing their opinion.
The terrifying quality of user-generated content typically found on Reddit is that when an opinion “makes sense” (regardless of factual accuracy), it’s virtually guaranteed to be upvoted by all the other similarly experienced users who don’t have the expertise to distinguish between inaccurate opinions that “make sense” versus accurate factual opinions.
All you have to do is look at the SEO community going from one trend to another because ideas make sense and inevitably get thrown out.
Ideas that make sense are similar to AI hallucinations. AI hallucinations “sound good”, but that’s not the same as sounding right. The legacy of things making sense is the idea that the sun revolves around the earth, which “made sense” for millennia.
Common sense is a big problem on Reddit because it allows those without experience and knowledge to share plausible but inaccurate opinions.
I asked Chef Allen (Facebook profile) on the experience of food and recipe discussions on Reddit.
He shared his expert opinion:
“Reddit is not a reliable place to get recipes. From untested recipes to improper measurements and lack of instructions, finding a reliable recipe on Reddit is nearly impossible. People mean well, but most responses to recipe requests are met with disappointing results if one actually tries to make the suggested recipe.
Reddit is not designed to share tried and tested recipes from seasoned recipe developers.
Example of facts vs. opinions from Reddit
There are many examples of how Redditors’ lack of expertise leads to opinions and biases that override the facts and negatively impact the quality of content.
This is an example related to SEO.
Two facts about links:
Googler Gary Illyes explained at Pubcon Austin that links are no longer in the top 3 ranking factors. Next, note that in March 2024 Google’s spam policy page de-emphasized links by stating that they are a ranking factor, but no longer saying that they are an important ranking factor.
Today on Reddit someone observes that links don’t play as important a role as in the past.
Screenshot of a Reddit post about links
And several Redditors argue against it, including sine who joined Reddit in recent years and may have completely missed the heyday when links were the undisputed #1 ranking factor.
Here’s one person’s response:
Here is another example. A top Reddit thread on how to make birria de res, which is a Mexican stew recipe for cooking goat meat that originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
The first person to answer is someone who guesses what kind of meat is good for a birria.
Redditor guessing an answer
This person posting an assumption is typical of the responses given not only in this Reddit thread, but in any number of threads. That’s not to say there aren’t experts on Reddit, but for those of you with years of SEO experience, when was the last time you turned to Reddit for SEO advice?
Lack of EEAT in user generated content
The idea of ranking the opinions of real people makes sense, perhaps more so in some contexts than others. For example, when it comes to saltwater fishing, I would 100% take the opinion of someone who posts on an East Coast fishing forum like Stripers Online or one of the Surfcaster’s Journal writers who have decades of practical fishing experience. I value the Surfcaster’s Journal experience so much that I pay to access its content. It’s that good.
But what about Reddit? I have experience in both saltwater and freshwater fishing, and honestly, Reddit is the last place I would ever go for fishing advice.
For example, it is well known that the best time to catch striped bass on the East Coast is at night, when striped bass sneak up in the dark to ambush prey. They can be caught during the day, but night is definitely the best time to catch the larger sized fish.
However, many top-level discussions on Reddit focus on day fishing.
Example of personal bias in a Reddit answer
Contrast this with the Surfcaster’s Journal logo where it is clear that night fishing is the heart of the sport of bass fishing.
Recipe sites vs Reddit
Casey Markee (@MediaWyse)a renowned search marketing consultant specializing in food and recipe blog optimization agrees that Reddit threads in search results are a bad experience for users.
Explained:
“Although Google has argued that the proliferation of Reddit results is to provide more first-hand experience to guide users, this rarely results in superior results in the recipe niche. Especially for more complicated recipes, the step-by-step instructions step and the expert advice that comes with these recipes, beats what you’ll find in a reddit classifieds thread.
For example, a complicated recipe like “Beef Wellington” has a lot that can go wrong, especially when it comes to filling the dough and getting clean cuts when it’s done. Just look at the Reddit result returned for this query and compare it to the many better written and more detailed recipes to see how big the difference is in the experience presented.
You wouldn’t want to rely solely on a Reddit thread to make even the average complicated recipe. The results will not be satisfactory. Most Reddit threads are “too general” and don’t really provide the level of expertise needed to ensure a recipe is made “perfectly” the first time.
Top Reasons Why Reddit Shouldn’t Be Highly Ranked
Lack of expertise
This is already obvious.
Anonymity
The anonymous nature of Reddit among its millions of users makes it easy for anyone to post anything without experiencing the self-moderating effects of a forum community where knowledgeable members are always around to pick on poor advice.
partiality
Reddit answers tend to reflect user biases, some of which stem from a lack of experience
subjectivity
Reddit posts tend to be based on biases or tastes that may have more to do with their geographic and cultural backgrounds than facts, experience, and knowledge.
Echo Chambers
This is a well-known effect where like-minded people will band together and reinforce each other’s biases and prejudices.
cognitive biases
A common trait in social media and user-generated content is that cognitive biases such as the Dunning-Kruger effect are amplified. The Dunning-Kruger effect is when someone who is inexperienced overestimates their knowledge of the subject and contributes to the overall decline in understanding.
Oversimplification
This ties into what Casey mentioned about Reddit threads being “too general” and one of the reasons for this is that the people answering the questions don’t have the contextual understanding and all the nuances that go with what leads to an oversimplification of any donation. topic
Google is using content of questionable expertise
The definition of dubious is something that cannot be trusted or is doubtful. Opinions shared on Reddit by people who are inexperienced and share opinions anonymously are considered dubious. However, Google not only favors Reddit in search results, but also pays millions of dollars for access to content that lacks knowledge, experience, authority, and trustworthiness.
Google has said it prioritizes content from real people with experience, which makes sense in certain contexts, such as their experiences with products. But is prioritizing Reddit content too far away from content with real experience?
Featured image by Shutterstock/Roman Samborskyi
