Local Memo: LinkedIn Links Clarified, Reddit Surges in AI Search, New Google AI Summaries, ChatGPT Focuses on Factuality
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Summary
This week, platform updates highlight how algorithms and AI are reshaping digital visibility. LinkedIn clarifies when links impact reach, Reddit emerges as a top source in AI-driven search, Google experiments with AI-generated summaries in snippets, and OpenAI upgrades ChatGPT with improved factuality, shopping, and formatting.
LinkedIn Links: When They Help and When They Hurt
The News LinkedIn’s Sr. Director of Product Rishi Jobanputra explains that including a link in a LinkedIn post does not automatically hurt reach. The key factor is how the post is framed. If the post itself provides genuine value (sharing insights, sparking conversation, or offering a takeaway), and the link is positioned as a resource to deepen understanding, reach remains strong. However, when a post exists solely to drive clicks to the link without offering standalone value, LinkedIn’s algorithm deprioritizes it, leading to lower reach.
What This Means When crafting LinkedIn captions, focus first on delivering value to the audience. Treat the link as a bonus resource rather than the centerpiece of the message. Think of the post as needing to stand on its own: if someone never clicks the link, they should still walk away with something useful.
To put this into practice:
- Lead with insights, not the link. Write a caption that shares a perspective, data point, or tip that is meaningful on its own.
- Use links as a supplement. Position the link as “extra credit” for those who want to dive deeper.
- Test alternatives. If you notice engagement drops when a link is included, experiment with placing the link in the comments or removing it entirely if it’s not essential.
- Monitor performance. Track how different approaches affect metrics like reach, engagement rate, and click-through to find the best balance for your audience.
By reframing links as supporting material rather than the primary focus, you can maintain strong reach while still guiding interested readers to additional content.
Reddit Emerges as a Key Player in AI-Driven Search
The News According to Social Media Today (via SEMRush data), Reddit has become the second most-visited website in the U.S. and the third in Canada, fueled largely by AI chatbot referrals, where Reddit is the most-cited source. Another reason for this surge could also be tied to Reddit’s deal with Google, which gives the search giant exclusive access to Reddit’s data for its search and AI-generated responses. As a result, Reddit content is being featured more prominently in Google’s AI overviews, driving massive referral traffic back to the platform.
What This Means For marketers, this signals a growing opportunity in the age of what many are calling Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Because AI tools favor Reddit for its authentic, human perspectives, brands that engage strategically within relevant subreddits could increase visibility in AI-generated answers. Reddit’s own tools, like the Brand Playbook and Pro Trends, can help businesses understand how to build presence and participate effectively. While Reddit may not have been a primary channel for many marketers, its rising influence in AI-assisted search means it’s worth rethinking how your brand shows up on the platform.
AI Summaries Appear in Google Search Snippets
The News As reported by Barry Schwartz in Search Engine Roundtable, Google is currently testing AI-generated summaries within search snippets. In this experiment, each search result shows a slim bar beneath it with the Gemini logo and a short AI-generated summary describing what the linked page covers. The test was first spotted by Landon Moore, who shared screenshots on X. Unlike traditional snippets, which usually pull text directly from a webpage, these summaries appear to be AI-written overviews, somewhat similar to but more expansive than what Bing has tested with AI captions.
What This Means If rolled out broadly, this change could reshape how users interact with Google results. Instead of relying solely on meta descriptions or on-page content, searchers would see AI-generated summaries that may influence click-through rates (both positively and negatively). For SEO professionals and content creators, this underscores the importance of clear, well-structured content that AI can easily interpret and summarize accurately. It also suggests that traditional snippet optimization strategies may need to evolve, as AI takes a more active role in framing search results for users.
OpenAI Improves ChatGPT Search With Factuality, Shopping & Formatting Updates
The News More news this week coming out of Search Engine Roundtable from Barry Schwartz: OpenAI has rolled out updates to ChatGPT’s search capabilities with a focus on factuality, shopping, and formatting. The company says the improvements make results more accurate, reliable, and useful, with fewer hallucinations and higher-quality answers. Specifically:
- Factuality: Reduced hallucinations and stronger answer accuracy.
- Shopping: Smarter detection of shopping intent, showing product results when relevant but avoiding them when not.
- Formatting: Clearer answer presentation with improved readability without sacrificing depth.
This follows earlier updates to ChatGPT Search announced back in June.
What This Means For users, these changes mean better trust and usability when relying on ChatGPT for answers, whether for research, product discovery, or quick takeaways. For businesses, the shopping improvements could influence product visibility and search-driven customer journeys, making ChatGPT a more relevant channel for e-commerce. The focus on factuality also reinforces ChatGPT’s role as a credible alternative to traditional search engines, while improved formatting enhances accessibility for both casual and professional use cases. Together, these refinements show OpenAI pushing ChatGPT further toward being a practical, everyday search option.
