Reddit is a well-known social media platform, acting as a public forum that allows discussions on a wide variety of topics across the globe. Reddit describes itself as ‘a network of communities where people can dive into their interests, hobbies and passions’.

Many searches are beginning to use platforms like Reddit as part of their search journey, particularly when it comes to finding other individuals who have an experience with a particular brand or product that they’re interested in engaging with.

With the rise in spam in Google Search and the influx of AI content overwhelming the search engine, rumours state that more people are beginning to trust platforms like Reddit over Google SERPs to find the information that they need.

In this article, we’re going to be diving into the growth Reddit has seen over the past few months as well as discussing whether or not Reddit is a valid tactic for your SEO campaign. 

Table Of Contents

• Reddit's Visibility Growth
• Can Reddit Impact My SEO?
• Benefits Of Using Reddit
• Drawbacks Of Using Reddit
• Practical Reddit SEO Strategies
• Parasite SEO on Reddit
• Final Thoughts

Reddit's Visibility Growth

Since the core algorithm updates in October and November, Reddit has seen a significant hike in its online visibility (and likely traffic).

Well good morning to you too, Reddit pic.twitter.com/xABJO0BmJ7

— Lily Ray 😏 is on vacation 🌴🧘 (@lilyraynyc) January 22, 2024

This visibility growth had potentially been driven by a number of factors, including:

• Google’s lean towards user-generated content and social proof to better answer queries
• The site’s authority and linkability is significantly higher than many other websites online
• User demand growth for more ‘real’ answers to questions 

With their IPO happening in March 2024 on the New York Stock Exchange, the timing could not be any better for Reddit's visibility growth.

Alongside their keyword visibility and traffic growth, Reddit is also being seen in Google's autocomplete search function for many brand names, particularly eCommerce.

Alongside this, as of November 2023, Google has supported a new SERP feature for ‘Discussions & Forums) to allow ‘first-person perspectives’ to be shown directly in SERPs. Reddit and Quora seem to dominate this alongside other social media platforms. 

All of these additional features that Reddit is appearing in points to a significant hike in organic visibility, leading to more traffic on the site and more engagement.

Can Reddit Impact My SEO?

The answer to this question covers two topics:

1. Does Reddit's increased visibility impact my SEO?
2. Can I use Reddit to impact my SEO?

Firstly, any site that is seeing a significant increase in visibility in your industry has the potential to take traffic away from your site. Reddit is a public forum, however, and there is a significant intent mismatch between what Reddit can offer vs. the information that can be found on someone’s site.

The biggest areas that your site can overpower Reddit on are industry expertise, authority, and trust. While Reddit covers the ‘Experience’ factor and the answers provided on the forum are typically more balanced and less biased towards one particular brand as it’s an accumulation of different people’s opinions, your E-E-A-T should help to ensure your site remains relevant and authoritative in your industry.

When it comes to using Reddit as an SEO tactic, generally speaking, Reddit’s impact on SEO is limited. There is potential for increased brand visibility and user engagement, but this is more of an overarching marketing or social media exercise than a direct SEO benefit.

Even the links that Reddit posts can point back to you are mainly ‘nofollow’, limiting their impact.

That doesn’t mean that Reddit cannot however be leveraged as part of your SEO strategy – although it shouldn’t be the main focus of a campaign. 

Benefits Of Using Reddit

There are a number of benefits that come with using Reddit as part of your marketing strategy, including to help inform your SEO campaign. These include:

Access to a diverse user base - giving you opportunities to tap into specific markets.

High-quality content - Reddit users value authenticity and substance, making it an ideal platform to showcase valuable content with the potential to gain significant traction.

Natural link building - providing valuable insights and contributions to discussions can organically lead to backlinks from other users

Insightful market research - Reddit offers invaluable insights into consumer preferences, trends, and sentiments within various communities. Leveraging this data can inform your SEO strategy, ensuring it resonates with your target audience.

Drawbacks Of Using Reddit

While there are some positives when using Reddit to inform your digital marketing efforts, there are a number of drawbacks on the platform to keep in mind. These include:

• Strict community guidelines around self-promotion and spam. This could lead to account bans and posts being removed.
• Building a reputable presence requires active participation and engagement which can be time-consuming and not yield immediate results.
• Reddit users are known for their candidness and will call out inconsistencies or perceived marketing tactics. Mishandling this can significant damage your brand’s reputation.
• The algorithm can be unpredictable due to it being voting-based. Older content can also be buried very quickly under newer posts. 

Practical Reddit SEO Strategies

Some of the more practical ways that you can consider using Reddit for SEO include:

Community involvement - It's crucial to actively engage with the Reddit community. Providing valuable content, joining pertinent discussions, and adhering to community guidelines are key steps in establishing a positive reputation on the platform.

Emphasis on relevance and value - Prioritising relevance is essential. By participating in discussions and contributing to relevant subreddits, while also adding value to the community, a site can boost visibility and credibility.

Reddit can be a way to build up your brand's authority and credibility in an industry, while potentially attracting the attention of an already engaged audience within the sphere you're operating in. However, when compared to content , technical SEO and link acquisition techniques like Digital PR , the impact of leveraging Reddit for your SEO is minimal.

Parasite SEO on Reddit

One of the major growths the SEO industry has seen since Reddit’s rise in visibility is the amount of parasite SEO happening on the platform.

The addition of ‘Reddit’ on SEO pages on websites in an attempt to rank and even creating Reddit posts for SEO is likely to only lead to penalisation in the future.

Manipulative tactics like these are not grounds for long-term success and should be avoided by reputable businesses looking for long-term and sustainable growth. 

Final Thoughts

Google’s algorithms prioritise high-quality, user-centric content, and Reddit’s community-driven nature aligns with these principles. Furthermore, Reddit hosts an abundance of discussions covering a wide array of topics, resulting in a wealth of valuable content for search engine users.

In addition, Reddit’s authoritative domain, coupled with its high engagement levels, likely contributes to its increased visibility in Google’s search results. Well-structured posts with relevant keywords often rank well, especially within niche communities where competition may be lower.

While Reddit presents unique opportunities for SEO, its effective utilisation requires a strategic approach, adherence to community guidelines, and a genuine commitment to providing value to users.

When leveraged correctly, Reddit can serve as a valuable asset in your SEO arsenal, driving organic traffic and enhancing your brand’s online presence. However, it is essential to tread cautiously and respect the platform’s community-centric ethos to reap the benefits and it’s important to go back to SEO basics when it comes to really moving the needle for your SEO campaign.