Reddit has quickly become one of the most influential platforms in the search ecosystem. With over 110.4 million daily active users and 53.9 million monthly active users in the UK, Reddit plays a growing role in how people research products and make decisions. Over the past year, Reddit threads have surged in Google rankings (appearing 191% more frequently in Google search results throughout 2024), regularly appearing in Discussions & Forums boxes and outranking well-optimised brand pages.
Reddit is also one of the top-cited sources by ChatGPT and other AI tools. When people ask AI assistants for recommendations, advice or solutions, they’re increasingly getting answers pulled directly from Reddit conversations. This makes Reddit visible at multiple stages of the user journey – research, evaluation, and pre-purchase.
People use Reddit to ask for advice, compare brands, and crowdsource feedback. They want real opinions from real people who’ve actually used products or services, and Reddit delivers unfiltered conversations, honest reviews, and genuine problem-solving discussions across every imaginable niche.
Reddit’s Growing Influence
Google surfaces Reddit threads for loads of queries, especially product, lifestyle, and “what’s the best…?” questions. Search for “best laptop” or “is [brand] worth it” and you’ll find Reddit threads ranking highly. Google’s algorithm has developed a clear preference for Reddit as a proxy for real-world sentiment: what people actually think, say and recommend. Users trust Reddit because it feels unfiltered and authentic, which is exactly why AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are leaning heavily on Reddit for real-world opinions, experiences, and product feedback.
If your brand isn’t present on Reddit, you may be missing a big slice of early-stage demand. When Reddit discussions feature your brand, you gain visibility in an entirely new discovery layer. When they don’t, you leave space for competitors (or random commenters) to shape the narrative. Reddit isn’t a direct-response channel, and it won’t necessarily deliver conversions. But it does shape what people see elsewhere: in search results, in AI responses, and in the early stages of purchase research. That’s where influence is formed.
For businesses, this represents both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity? Your brand can be part of these influential conversations. The challenge? Reddit’s community has zero tolerance for obvious marketing or sales tactics. From our perspective, Reddit’s rise is a natural extension of what search engines and AI models want most: trustworthy signals from real people. Traditional SEO still matters, but as AI Overviews and citations become more central to discovery, brands can’t rely on their own websites alone.
Why It Matters
Reddit sits at the intersection of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation). Threads that gain traction influence rankings, shape public perception, generate authority signals, and get reused inside LLM responses. That’s why we see Reddit as a strategic content layer – not a replacement for SEO, but a reputation engine that strengthens every part of your visibility.
For PPC, Reddit’s growth also opens up new opportunities for targeted ads within highly active communities. Reddit Ads have become a strong complement to Meta and Google for niche targeting, community-based audiences, and top-of-funnel education. When paired with an organic presence, Reddit advertising can:
- Help you appear where conversations are happening
- Build familiarity within relevant subreddits
- Reach users deep in research mode
- Get in front of active communities without violating posting rules.
PPC here isn’t about direct response; it’s about priming the audience and reinforcing your presence where conversations already influence purchase decisions.
How to Approach Reddit
The key to Reddit success isn’t treating it like another marketing channel – it’s about becoming a genuinely helpful member of relevant communities. This means:
- Start by listening. Spend time understanding subreddit culture and community rules. Engage lightly and build goodwill through upvotes and helpful comments, not branded content. Overt promotion is likely to get you banned from a subreddit.
- Lead with value. Answer questions, share helpful insights and contribute to discussions without mentioning your business or pushing your product. It’s about building trust.
- Be transparent. When you do mention your company, be honest about who you are. Reddit users respect transparency, but will ruthlessly call out deception.
- When you launch a branded profile, contribute valuable content that genuinely helps users: host AMAs (‘Ask Me Anything’ is an informal Q&A session), share educational content or guides, and create a branded subreddit.
- Think long-term. This isn’t a quick-win strategy. Building an authentic Reddit presence takes time, patience, and consistent effort.
Remember, it’s not about immediate traffic to your website. ‘Search everywhere’ optimisation is about building long-term brand presence across the entire search ecosystem and all the places your customers might discover you. Reddit is a way to amplify your performance.
The Last Word
If you’re not yet thinking about Reddit as part of your marketing strategy, now’s the time to start. The most successful Reddit strategies are built around authenticity, expertise and genuine community engagement. The brands that win are the ones that show up early, show up consistently, and show up with value, not sales pitches. And the benefits are clear:
- For SEO, Reddit strengthens authority signals, drives qualified traffic, and supports visibility in Google’s forums-focused SERPs.
- For GEO, Reddit is one of the clearest ways to influence what AI models cite and recommend – a major advantage as AI search grows.
- For PPC, Reddit offers a targeted, context-rich channel to reach communities that already show intent.
Reddit can be a serious source of influence with real impact on rankings and recommendations. If you want to explore how Reddit can strengthen your SEO, GEO, or PPC strategy, the Herdl team can help you put the right plan in place.