Which in my opinion, those user engaged clicks signal to Google that the link is...

treycopeland on April 18, 2018 | parent | context | favorite | on: Ask HN: Does SEO still work in 2018?

Which in my opinion, those user engaged clicks signal to Google that the link is relevant to that user for that query, especially if they stay and interact on the site. I believe that gives that site a ranking boost for that query. Those are just my opinions and cannot 100% confirm.