Reddit Rises, Clicks Fall, GBP Hits GA4 – SEO Pulse
▼ Summary
– After the May core update, Reddit grew its top-3 keyword presence in all 20 tracked niches, with a 54% increase in first-place keywords since March, though most domains that lost visibility in March did not recover.
– New zero-click data shows 68% of U.S. Google searches ended without a click from January to April, with only 23% of queries sending traffic to the open web.
– Google updated its SEO documentation, adding a page advising businesses to check third-party advice against Google’s guidelines, and updated its hiring page to warn about fraudulent SEO services and encourage FTC complaints.
– Google now offers a native link in Analytics for Business Profile metrics (calls, directions, bookings) and announced Gemini app features to draft replies and edit profiles, though multi-location reporting still requires the dashboard or API.
– The week’s theme is that search work is consolidating onto large platforms, as fewer clicks reach independent sites, top positions concentrate on Reddit, and local reporting moves into Google Analytics and Gemini.
Welcome to this week’s SEO Pulse, where we break down what the latest data and updates mean for your rankings, traffic, and local reporting. The landscape is shifting again, and understanding these changes is key to staying ahead.
Reddit Dominated Top Search Positions Across All Niches After the May Core Update
A comprehensive analysis by SE Ranking, examining 100,000 keywords, reveals that Reddit significantly expanded its presence in the top three search results across all 20 tracked niches. The platform claimed the number one spot for 13,872 keywords after May, a 54% increase from 8,993 in March. The most substantial gains were in experience-driven categories, with Reddit capturing 18% of top-three positions in the pets niche. In contrast, YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) sectors saw more modest shifts, with healthcare rising from 0.93% to 1.33%. Critically, two-thirds of domains that lost visibility in March failed to recover in May.
Why This Matters
This niche-level data refines the broad “Reddit is growing” narrative. An 18% share in pets presents a vastly different competitive challenge than a 1.33% share in healthcare. The trend also reversed from March, when Amsive’s analysis showed Reddit and similar platforms losing ground. This volatility underscores the risk of drawing firm conclusions from any single core update. For websites hoping for a rebound, the data delivers a stark warning: a subsequent update does not guarantee a recovery of lost ground.
SparkToro Data Reveals 68% of Google Searches End Without a Click
New zero-click search data from SparkToro, co-founded by Rand Fishkin, analyzed Similarweb’s clickstream panel from January to April. The findings show that 68% of Google searches concluded without a click. For every 1,000 searches, only 232 clicks reached the open web. Of all clicks, 66% went to the open web, 27% to Alphabet properties, and 6% to ads.
Why This Matters
When stakeholders expect click-through rates from previous years, this data provides a concrete benchmark. The measurement perspective is as critical as the traffic reality. Google’s new AI performance reports in Search Console focus on impressions, while independent data consistently shows fewer clicks. Tracking visibility now means monitoring where you appear, not just what arrives in your analytics.
What SEO Professionals Are Saying
Darren Shaw, founder of Whitespark, commented on Fishkin’s LinkedIn post, connecting the data to Google’s new Search Console reports: “I shared a post recently talking about how Google will be showing impression data from AI overviews and AI mode in search console. Lots of people complaining in the comments that there was no click data. I thought, ‘you don’t get it’.” Andre Alpar, board member at Alpar Ventures, questioned the methodology, noting that a portion of the 29% of users who perform another search eventually click, suggesting the “zero-click” figure isn’t absolute.
Google Revamps Its SEO Documentation
Google has published a new Search Central page covering third-party SEO tools and services, and updated its “Do you need an SEO?” page with roughly seven changes. The new page advises businesses to evaluate SEO advice, including AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), against Google’s own documentation. The updated hiring guidance warns about third-party tools, mentions AEO and GEO services, and for the first time, encourages business owners to contact the FTC about fraudulent SEO services.
Why This Matters
This guidance effectively splits SEO information into two categories: third-party opinion based on data or experience, and Google’s official documentation, which the page recommends as the benchmark for evaluating all other advice. Roger Montti’s analysis suggests the wording is aimed at agencies and service sellers, placing you on the receiving end of client scrutiny. The “Do you need an SEO?” page is often the first stop for business owners seeking help, and it now instructs them to weigh your recommendations and tools against Google’s own guidance. The explicit mention of AEO and GEO gives the terminology debate an official anchor. When a client asks about a separate AEO strategy, Google’s answer is now a matter of public record.
Google Business Profile Data Connects to Analytics and Gemini
Two significant updates are integrating Google Business Profile (GBP) data into new platforms. Google has documented a native Business Profile link within Google Analytics and announced a connection for the Gemini app. The Analytics link brings seven GBP metrics into reports, including calls, directions, and bookings. Once connected, Gemini can draft review replies, edit profiles, and answer performance questions. The Gemini features begin rolling out this month, with the Business Profile connection following in the coming weeks.
Why This Matters
Local reporting has long been fragmented, with website data in Analytics and call and direction data in the Business Profile dashboard. The Analytics link closes part of that gap. However, its usefulness depends on your setup. Analytics combines metrics across linked profiles, so multi-location reporting will still require the Business Profile dashboard or the API.
What Local SEO Professionals Are Saying
Darren Shaw welcomed the Analytics link on LinkedIn: “Google Business Profile data is coming to Google Analytics. You’ll soon be able to connect your Google Business Profile directly to GA4 and see local performance data inside Google Analytics. This means you’ll be able to report on things like calls, bookings, direction requests, website clicks, and total interactions. This is great because local SEO reporting has always been messy. Your website data is in one place, your GBP data is somewhere else, and you have to piece it all together manually.” Kaycie Mandour-Smith, managing director at Infinity Dental Web, noted a restriction: “Was so excited for this and then… if you have your listings in a manager account group, you can’t connect them. Have to ungroup them in order to be able to link. Hoping newer iterations will allow you to select a group and then a profile.”
Theme of the Week: Search Work Consolidates onto Major Platforms
Each story this week illustrates a broader trend: more of the search workflow is moving onto large platforms. SparkToro’s data measures fewer clicks reaching independent websites. SE Ranking’s numbers show top positions concentrating on Reddit across every niche. The Business Profile connections shift local reporting and management into Google Analytics and Gemini. This week is less about any single feature and more about where the work is being done. The data, reporting, tools, and advice all sit closer to the big platforms than they did a month ago.
(Source: Search Engine Journal)