A recent analysis by Ahrefs shows that public Facebook Groups are now the second most common site in Google’s Discussions and forums module, after Reddit. Facebook appears in 38.3% of the search results where the module shows up, with all Facebook URLs coming from public Groups.
In January, Facebook took Quora’s spot as the second-most common domain in the Discussions and forums module, and has stayed ahead of Quora since, per Ahrefs’ monthly chart. Posts from these public groups show up in Google search results, even if users are not on Facebook.
Glen Allsopp, Head of Marketing Strategy & Research at Ahrefs, worked with data scientist Xibeijia Guan on this analysis, using over 500 million search results from Ahrefs’ database. The post promotes Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer and Brand Radar tools.
What Ahrefs Found
Facebook’s presence spans numerous Groups, with its top 10 Groups accounting for 2.82% of its links, and the top 100 making up 9.27%. In one example, Allsopp found Google using an AI-generated title Meta added to a Group post as the link text in the module, though he noted Google might rewrite it for the query.
Reddit continues to dominate, appearing in 87.8% of US results where the Discussions and Forums section appears. Globally, Quora ranks third at 32%, and every site below it on the list sat at under 10%. The Discussions and Forums module appears in 11.7% of US search results.
Why This Matters
Questions your customers ask in a public Facebook Group can appear as Google search results you track, and a Group you’ve been managing as a support channel can show up there too, including those used by your competitors’ customers.
While Ahrefs’ data doesn’t explain what makes one Group post more visible than another, it shows which Groups already appear in search results.
Rather than starting a new Facebook group and gaining visibility from scratch, Allsopp suggests finding the Groups Google already shows for your queries and actively participating in them.
Looking Ahead
Facebook’s presence on Ahrefs’ chart started from zero in late 2024, and is now second behind Reddit. The thing to watch now is whether Facebook Groups overtake Reddit or if its growth steadies.
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