Reddit Wants to Be a Search Engine
Here's exactly what to do next.
Google paid Reddit $60 million to stop them becoming a competitor. It didn't work.
I've been running Reddit marketing strategies for clients for years, and last week's Q2 earnings call confirmed what I've been telling them: Reddit isn't just another social platform anymore. They're building the infrastructure to replace Google for entire categories of search.
The numbers are staggering, but more importantly, the user behaviour shift is permanent. Once you understand what's really happening here, you'll see opportunities your competitors are completely missing.
Here's the full breakdown and exactly what you need to do about it.
The data that changes everything
Reddit's search grew 500% in three months. Let that sink in.
Their overall search visibility increased by 1,328% over 18 months. They've rocketed from the 78th most visible domain to 3rd-5th place in Google's US results, outranking YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
But here's the number that should wake you up: Reddit appears in 97.5% of product review queries on Google.
When people want real answers, they add "reddit" to their searches because they're tired of AI-generated content and SEO articles that don't actually help.
Think about your own behaviour. When researching a product, don't you scroll past the brand websites and affiliate review sites to find the Reddit thread where people are actually discussing it?
Everyone does this now. And Reddit knows it.
Why Reddit's strategy is genius
While other platforms fight for AI scraps, Reddit positioned themselves as essential infrastructure.
Google paid $60 million for exclusive access to Reddit content. OpenAI is reportedly paying $70 million. These aren't just licensing deals - they're strategic positioning for when AI search becomes the norm.
Here's what's brilliant: Since July 2024, Reddit blocked all search engines except Google from crawling their content. Bing, DuckDuckGo, and everyone else can't access current Reddit discussions.
They're not trying to compete with Google on Google's terms. They're building something Google can't replicate: authentic human conversation at scale.
Steve Huffman (CEO of Reddit) nailed it: "AI doesn't invent knowledge. It learns from us, from real people sharing real perspectives."
That's Reddit's competitive moat, and it's unbreachable.
The user behavior shift is permanent
46% of Gen Z use social media as their primary search engine. For overall consumers, 24% use social media to find answers.
People are choosing specialised platforms over universal search. They want context, multiple perspectives, and real experiences. Not the same 10 websites Google keeps serving up.
Reddit's 140,000+ active subreddits provide ready-made vertical search categories with built-in quality signals. Community moderation and voting systems filter quality better than any algorithm.
The shift from "googling" to platform-specific searching isn't a trend. It's the new reality.
And Reddit is perfectly positioned to capture it.
What this means for your business right now
Traditional SEO is about gaming algorithms. Reddit SEO is about earning community trust.
You can't buy your way to the top of a subreddit. You can't manipulate upvotes long-term without getting banned. You have to actually provide value to real people who will call you out if you're talking nonsense.
This changes everything:
Marketing funnels are changing from awareness-consideration-conversion to community-engagement-trust-conversion.
Content strategy shifts from keyword optimisation to community value creation.
Brand building happens through authentic participation, not paid placement.
The brands already winning on Reddit understand this. A lot of companies already run successful branded subreddits (except EA 👀) that function as customer support and product development resources. They're building direct relationships instead of competing for Google ad placements.
Meanwhile, Reddit's ad revenue grew 84% year-over-year to $465 million. They're building search advertising capabilities to capture high-intent traffic directly.
The early movers are positioning themselves before this becomes obvious to everyone.
Your competitive advantage window is closing
Here's what most people miss: Reddit's transformation creates a massive first-mover advantage for businesses that act now.
Once Reddit fully launches search advertising and every brand piles in, authentic community participation becomes exponentially harder. The communities that seem welcoming today will become defensive against obvious marketing attempts.
But right now? You can still build genuine relationships and establish expertise before the gold rush begins.
Exactly what to do (step by step)
Step 1: Identify your target communities Find the 3-5 most relevant subreddits for your industry. Don't just look at subscriber counts - find active communities where your ideal customers actually participate. Use tools like Subreddit Stats or search your industry keywords + "reddit."
Step 2: Lurk and learn first Spend two weeks minimum just observing. Understand the community culture, common questions, pain points, and unwritten rules. Note what gets upvoted, what gets ignored, and what gets banned.
Step 3: Provide value without agenda Start answering questions in your expertise area. Give genuinely helpful advice with no links, no promotion, no agenda. Build a reputation as someone who knows what they're talking about.
Step 4: Share insights, not content When you do share your own content, make it genuinely valuable to that specific community. A generic blog post won't work. A detailed breakdown of a problem that community faces will.
Step 5: Build relationships with power users Connect with active community members and moderators. These relationships become invaluable as communities grow and formalise their expert contributor programs.
Step 6: Document what works Track which subreddits drive the most engaged traffic to your site. Note which types of posts perform best. Build a playbook you can scale.
The bigger picture: Search is fracturing
Reddit's rise isn't happening in isolation. ChatGPT handles 5+ billion queries annually, nearly 9% of Google's volume. AI-powered search tools processed 112 million American users in 2024.
Users are 26% more likely to abandon browsing after getting AI summaries, indicating satisfaction with direct answers over traditional link-clicking.
The era of "one search engine to rule them all" is ending. Specialised platforms are winning specific verticals, and Reddit is positioning to win several of the most valuable ones.
Their international expansion plans include machine translation in 23 languages. Q3 2025 revenue guidance is 17% above consensus. They have the resources to execute globally.
Your next move
While your competitors are still optimising for Google's algorithm and LLMs, you could be building authentic relationships with the communities that will determine tomorrow's search results.
The question isn't whether Reddit will succeed as a search platform. The user behaviour and financial data make that clear.
The question is whether you'll establish your presence before or after it becomes obvious to everyone else.
Start this week. Find your first subreddit. Begin lurking. The communities that seem welcoming today won't stay that way once the marketing flood begins.
Your future market position depends on the relationships you build today.
PS - Which subreddits are you already active in, and what's your biggest challenge with Reddit marketing right now? I’d love to include you in a future edition.
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