Reddit is testing a new AI search tool that takes community recommendations and matches them with products that are fed into the platform from the product catalogs of their advertising partners.
The company wrote:
“For a small group of U.S.-based users, when relevant, search results will now include interactive product carousels with pricing, images, and direct where-to-buy links.”
Here’s how it works:
- A Redditor searches for something like, “best gaming chair to mask the smell of farts”
- At the bottom of search results, they will see a related product carousel that highlights items directly mentioned by users from conversations on related posts.
- Tapping on a product card allows the user to see more details about the product including where they can purchase it on select retailers.
As if there wasn’t already enough incentive for brands to spam Reddit with fake “authentic” conversation about their products, now it’s about to get a lot worse. To explain…
Reddit ranks very well on Google, and for years, companies have been manipulating the platform to surface their brands via posts that likely outrank their own websites for non-brand specific searches. For example, using one brand-controlled user account, they’d ask on the r/hiking subreddit, “What are the best waterproof hiking shoes for hiking in the rain?” Then from other company-owned accounts, they’d brigade the comments and upvotes with recommendations for their own brand, making it appear as if their hiking boots were the top choice by users in the subreddit.
And it worked! The post would get upvoted, eventually rank on Google when users searched for a similar query, and non-Redditors would see the recommendations for XYZ Hiking Boots Brand and search for the company.
I moderate several Shopify and e-commerce subreddits, and the tactic is pervasive on the platform. “What’s the best app for blah blah?” “Oh you might like ABC App!” which of course happened to just launch yesterday, with both the question and the answer coming from brand new accounts with 1 Karma. It’s an obvious tactic if you pay attention, but visitors from Google are likely viewing the post for 30 seconds and moving on, so the inauthenticity of the post engagements falls below their radar.
Fake engagement around brands has already been an issue that’s plagued Reddit for many years, and now with AI-recommended products headed your way, the incentives are even higher. It’s an issue that Reddit will need to pay extra attention to, but they likely won’t because the legitimacy of information on their forum matters less than the revenue it derives from the advertising. So buyer beware!
