Reddit is negotiating moats for access in search results
To get through Google’s Search morass — filled as it is with bad AI Overviews and sponsored content — it often helps to append “site:reddit.com” to your query. Right now, Google, which already has way bigger market share than its peers, seems to have a monopoly on using that trick to find any new Reddit threads, presumably thanks to its $60 million deal with the online forum, 404 Media reports.
That’s because Reddit is currently negotiating the rights to its search results and hasn’t been able to reach deals with many search engines. A Reddit spokesperson told the Verge that “some are unable or unwilling to make enforceable promises regarding their use of Reddit content.”
Bing, DuckDuckGo and other alternative search engines that don’t rely on Google’s indexing no longer bring up recent Reddit content. A Microsoft spokesperson told Search Engine Land that Reddit had updated a file to prevent Bing from crawling Reddit.
“The news shows how Google’s near monopoly on search is now actively hindering other companies’ ability to compete at a time when Google is facing increasing criticism over the quality of its search results,” 404’s Emanuel Maiberg wrote.
This article was updated Thursday morning to reflect statements from Reddit and Microsoft spokespeople given to The Verge and Search Engine Land, respectively.
That’s because Reddit is currently negotiating the rights to its search results and hasn’t been able to reach deals with many search engines. A Reddit spokesperson told the Verge that “some are unable or unwilling to make enforceable promises regarding their use of Reddit content.”
Bing, DuckDuckGo and other alternative search engines that don’t rely on Google’s indexing no longer bring up recent Reddit content. A Microsoft spokesperson told Search Engine Land that Reddit had updated a file to prevent Bing from crawling Reddit.
“The news shows how Google’s near monopoly on search is now actively hindering other companies’ ability to compete at a time when Google is facing increasing criticism over the quality of its search results,” 404’s Emanuel Maiberg wrote.
This article was updated Thursday morning to reflect statements from Reddit and Microsoft spokespeople given to The Verge and Search Engine Land, respectively.
