Reddit is getting heavy exposure in Google’s new AI Overview feature, but the boost comes with strings attached.
Google launched AI Overview, which shows a natural language summary at the top of search results. Reddit turns out to be the second most-cited site there, just behind Quora. Semrush’s data shows Google favors Reddit content when feeding AI answers.
The background: In 2024, Reddit and Google struck a $60 million partnership. Google uses Reddit data to train its AI models and “facilitate more content-forward displays of Reddit information.” 
This has pushed Reddit’s traffic up. But the catch? Most visitors are “logged-out users” — people hitting Reddit via Google search without a Reddit account.
Redburn analysts warn this traffic is “misconstrued.” They say these users typically just skim answers, spending little time on Reddit, making them less valuable for advertisers.
On top of that, Google AI Overview’s natural language summaries may reduce direct clicks to Reddit. Reddit’s stock dropped in May amid fears this new feature could cut into its site visits.
Reddit and Quora did not respond to requests for comment.
Analytics firm Semrush explained the traffic appeal:
"Quora and Reddit users often ask and answer niche questions that aren’t addressed elsewhere. Making them rich information sources for highly specific AI prompts,"
"Reddit may also perform well because Google has a partnership with Reddit and uses Reddit data to train its systems."
