Google and Reddit have signed an AI content licensing deal, according to a detailed report by Reuters. This news comes as no surprise, as SEOs have already noticed Google favoring Reddit in the Discussions and forums SERP feature. In some cases, Reddit has even outranked original sources of content, causing backlash among SEO professionals.
The question that arises from this deal is whether Reddit’s increased visibility in Google’s search results is a result of the partnership or an attempt to address the issue of searchers appending “reddit” to their searches. It is possible that both these factors play a role in Reddit’s prominence in search results.
The agreement between Google and Reddit involves Google paying Reddit $60 million per year to train its artificial intelligence models, such as Gemini. However, neither company has officially commented on the deal, which was reportedly signed earlier this year. This news comes as Reddit prepares for an initial public offering (IPO).
Reddit has been clear about its intention to charge AI companies, including Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, for using its content. Steve Huffman, founder and CEO of Reddit, stated in an interview with The New York Times that the platform’s data is valuable and should not be given away for free to some of the largest companies in the world.
The impact of this partnership can be seen in the rankings on Google. According to SEO consultant Glenn Gabe, the number of URLs ranking in Google has increased from 22 million last May to 41.1 million today. This significant jump indicates that not only have rankings improved, but there has also been an increase in the number of pages ranking.
Overall, this content licensing deal between Google and Reddit has raised questions about the fairness of search rankings and the value of online content. As Reddit gains more visibility on Google’s search results, it remains to be seen how this partnership will impact the platform’s future and its relationships with other AI companies.
In conclusion, the Google and Reddit AI content licensing deal has sparked discussions within the SEO community. With Reddit outranking original sources of content on Google and the significant increase in rankings, the impact of this partnership is undeniable. As both companies remain tight-lipped about the details of the deal, it will be interesting to see how this collaboration shapes the future of search and the value of content.
