List of threads detailing the issue
Direct links:
- https://old.reddit.com/r/RedditAlternatives/comments/1frcdxs/it_looks_like_reddit_is_currently_trying_new_ways/
- https://old.reddit.com/r/TheoryOfReddit/comments/1fqmwid/has_the_reddit_algorithm_recently_changed/
- https://old.reddit.com/r/TheoryOfReddit/comments/1fmo04b/reddit_is_purposely_pushing_political_posts/
I’m no SEO expert, but search engines penalize websites for gaming the system. I’ve already read some suggestions that Google is not sure what to do with the fediverse because it already looks like spam, and that may be why it doesn’t show up often in search results. That’s beyond my knowledge.