Reddit SEO Guide and Tactics

The website was founded in 2005 and was initially a simple social news aggregator, where users could post links and vote on them. Over the years, Reddit has grown into one of the most popular online communities, with 73 million active users every day. 

A spike in popularity and usage caused the platform to register a revenue of $804.03 million in 2023. 

Marketers are discussing how to incorporate Reddit into their search engine optimization (SEO) strategies as Reddit ads come into play. Reddit’s potential as a marketing tool has been debated recently. 

In this guide, we look at both Reddit’s potential from a marketing and SEO angle, including how to find SEO tips from users who know what they’re talking about.

Reddit SEO Guide and Tactics:

What Is Reddit?

Registered users can upload content to Reddit, a forum and social news website featuring more than 100,000 communities known as subreddits. 

The users of Reddit know as redditors can vote on posts and comments by upvoting or downvoting them. 

Some argue that Reddit should be placed under the category of social media, but others claim it is more of a discussion forum than a social media site. 

On Reddit many people seem to believe that Reddit, in fact, is a social media site. In a subreddit called “r/PetPeeves,” a Redditor explained that Reddit is social media based on this definition: 

Most respondents agreed with the opinion. 

“Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.” 

Some also believe that Reddit is a blend of social media and discussion forum. For example, a redditor said that the platform would.

“classify more as a social cesspool but yes it is social media, don’t understand why anyone would say differently.” 

Despite its similarities to social media sites, Reddit has its own unique qualities as well.

What Do People Use Reddit For?

Depending on who you are, Reddit can be used in a variety of ways. For some, it is used as a source of news and information. For others, it is used for entertainment. 

You can find niche communities and discussions there as well as rumors and breaking news on Reddit, one of the first places rumors and news surface. 

It’s not uncommon for people to share DogShowerThoughts memes on Reddit. There is also a subreddit called r/mugLife, where people post pictures of their mugs. 

The world of Reddit is limitless, and if you ever have a random, vague question, chances are someone on the site has asked it three years ago and received dozens of detailed answers. 

Using relevant subreddits that are specifically for self-promotion, some users also use Reddit to promote their art, writing, or YouTube channels. 

The Reddit AMAs (Ask Me Anything) threads provide expert answers to questions submitted by users. 

Is Reddit a Search Engine?

Despite Reddit’s search feature, it isn’t necessarily considered a search engine like Google or Bing. 

Google has been described as “dying” by many because of its algorithm and scaled content, with Gen Z finding it less reliable and turning to Reddit to find more accurate information. 

In a recent Washington Post article, Clint Choi, a London-based marketer explained that people are turning to Reddit and TikTok for information.

“When I was just starting to access the internet, Google was an authority, but … the parent company that owns Google has misplaced the consumer’s trust. We don’t see Google as the central authority on search anymore.”

As a source of information for younger web users, social media platforms play a critical role not only in external publications but also in Google itself.

Prabhakar Raghavan, Senior Vice President at Google, said,

“In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram.”

Reddit is now used to search for queries, according to the Washington Post article

“append the word Reddit to the end of their Google search, knowing that a post on one of the platforms’ many forums may have a more useful answer than what Google can dig up on its own.” 

The presence of ads in search results is also a potential cause for concern, as they may take up too much space, push down organic results, and possibly lead to inaccurate or biased information being displayed higher in the search results. 

Do Reddit Results Show in Search Engines?

Apparently, yes. 

A user on X recently reported how Reddit results appeared in Google search engine results pages (SERPs) for a weight loss search. 

The CDC and Mayo Clinic previously occupied the top spots for weight loss information because that topic falls under Your Money Your Life (YMYL). 

He explained that he has forwarded the feedback to the appropriate team, Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan. 

With this being said, he also mentioned,

“ I also know some of the SEO folks who tend to be vocal on this platform really dislike seeing more forum content in our search results. But actual searchers seem to like it. They proactively seek it out. It makes sense for us to be showing it to keep the search results relevant and satisfying for everyone.” 

According to Danny Sullivan, SEO experts dislike forums not for what they are but for what they contain, which is spammy or low-quality content.

He also said this about forum content,

“We know it can be useful, and that’s why we’ve been showing more of it. I expect the work will continue to be tuned on the how and when we do so, as well as trying to improve the quality of what we show.” 

Google is working on improving the quality of its search results to provide its users with more reliable information. At the same time, it is continuing to show forum results because those are what users are looking for.

How to Use Reddit for SEO?

There are a few things you need to know about how Reddit works for SEO. You aren’t the owner of the platform, and you can’t control the algorithms. 

If you want to increase your credibility on Reddit, you can do a few things and then transfer it to your channel or website. 

In essence, your posts on Reddit must add value to the community in order for you to be featured on the subreddit’s front page. 

Your post will be exposed to more people if it receives a lot of upvotes and comments. The more upvotes your post receives, the longer it will stay there.

In the ideal scenario, you would want to remain in the top posts for as long as possible for a variety of reasons. 

The posts you make on Reddit can drive traffic to your website as well as be indexed by Google, leading to greater exposure. 

There are, however, some tips you should know when it comes to using Reddit for SEO.

Post in Relevant Subreddits

Do not post in subreddits with no connection to your niche. This will lead to downvotes and will negatively impact your reputation. 

Think about running a travel blog, for example. You can find appropriate subreddits by searching for them on Reddit. 

Then you could join a subreddit such as r/travel or r/backpacking and answer questions people ask.

Let’s say you have a blog post about the top underrated destinations in Europe. Someone asks, “What are some underrated destinations in Europe?”. 

If you don’t have time to elaborate, you can say, “I highly recommend visiting Estonia, Albania, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. If you would like to find out more, I have written a blog post about what you can do here on my blog.” 

Your blog post should have a link. 

The answer to their question may lead them to visit your blog and possibly subscribe. 

This article from a Redditor explains SEO for beginners in detail, and includes a link to their Medium blog post in order to generate more traffic. 

Additionally, they mentioned that they wrote a book about SEO and included a link where readers could buy it. So this Redditor uses their post to send traffic to their Medium post and generate sales. 

If you have a product or service that you can market, you can do something similar. 

Use Reddit as a Research Tool

You can also find niche information on Reddit. It isn’t just for promoting your business or blog. 

In fact, Redditors are believed to have honest opinions and unbiased reviews, so users often include it in their search queries. Although, Google still holds the majority of desktop search engine market share. 

It is very likely that your content will rank well in Search Engine Results Pages if it is highly valuable to Google users as well as Reddit users. 

As Google updates its 2024 guidelines, it has placed a greater emphasis on people-first content, which can be met by developing expertise in the field. 

Adding real people’s experiences to your blog is one way to achieve this. 

A user on a thread about Reddit SEO commented, “Going forward, this will be the norm.”.

‘I think Quora is a bit more questionable (it’s too spam ridden to survive long in SERPs) but Reddit and other better policed forums certainly are great top of funnel opportunities for many businesses and are pretty critical in SEO.” 

Build Your Karma

You earn ”Karma” by contributing to the community on Reddit, which is similar to your online reputation. 

It is important to keep in mind that your Karma will grow the more people upvote your posts and comments. 

When you have a higher Karma on Reddit, users will usually trust your word more because it creates an impression of authority and credibility. 

In addition to making your posts more visible within subreddit communities, having a high Karma score can also boost the number of people who see your posts. 

Be careful not to overdo it, though. Stay away from posting too frequently and answering all of the questions. Instead, put up useful information that gets upvotes. 

Run an AMA Session

It is possible to take it a step further and host your own AMA (Ask Me Anything) thread later on if you have already proved yourself as a valuable contributor on Reddit. 

In a hypothetical scenario, you’ve created a new AI website builder. You’ve talked about it on Reddit and people seem to be interested in it. 

Get people’s questions answered or explain how your product can benefit them during an AMA session. 

The best way to boost SEO is by getting more traffic to your website or landing pages from the answers. 

To answer people’s questions about Songs of Silence, two team members conducted an AMA.

For maximum impact, you can even offer a limited-time discount or exclusive giveaway to the Reddit community as a token of thanks. 

In contrast to YouTube or Instagram, where advertising is the norm, Redditors don’t seem to be as open to advertisements. 

In order to promote your product effectively, you have to be creative and come up with ways to add value to it at the same time.

Run Reddit Ads

In addition to organic methods, you can use Reddit Ads to reach a wider audience. Reddit Ads are similar to other social media platforms. 

It is important to remember that Redditors easily identify ads. Therefore, ensure your ad is authentic and relevant to the subreddit community you intend to target. 

Reddit ads require an account to begin. Before embarking on your campaign, we recommend reviewing Reddit’s best practices for ads. 

Reddit advertising works differently than advertising on other social networks. On social networks, you have to follow each platform’s advertising conventions. 

In order to be successful on Reddit, your ads need to be tailored to the subreddit’s culture and community. For example, Reddit reports that using “Redditisms” in your ads will help you achieve a higher engagement rate. 

There’s nothing more powerful than using Redditisms to double your campaign’s medium MMP revenue. 

The copy of Universal UK’s Reddit ad worked in accordance with the subreddit naming convention.

In this subreddit you will find terms you can use in your ad to make it more relatable to your target audience. 

As an example, one of the most popular acronyms on Reddit is ”FTFY”. It stands for ”Fixed That For You”. You might use the phrase ”FTFY – No more pimples!” to promote a pimple patch or a skincare product.

If you use that phrase, you’re likely to get more attention than if you use something like “Say goodbye to acne!” on Instagram.

This is how The Game Awards sent Reddit notifications about upcoming releases and product launches.

Reddit SEO Guide: How to Learn SEO Tactics from Reddit?

In addition to its usefulness as a research tool, Reddit is now often used by those seeking information about search engine optimization, especially niche-specific subreddits. 

As well as learning more about SEO tactics from people who practice them every day, you can use Reddit as an information source for your website content.

The following steps will guide you.

Find SEO Tips and Tricks

Subreddits with discussions, insights, and tips from experienced professionals provide the best way to learn SEO tactics on Reddit. 

We found this post by searching for ‘best SEO tips for 2023 Reddit’ in Google. 

Several quick tips are included in this article that are relevant even today.

Discover SEO Resources

In addition to the basics, we have our own Influencer Marketing Hub, Moz, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google’s blog to take advantage of. 

In some cases, though, you need more specific information. Reddit is there to help. 

Hundreds of comments on Reddit offer links to useful SEO tools and guides. You can also draw attention to your limitations. 

It’s much quicker than scrolling through pages and pages of search results that you can ask Reddit for recommendations for free tools if you’re on a budget or looking for free tools. 

An example of a good SEO resource thread is found here.

Keep Up With SEO-Related News

As Google’s algorithms are updated, new tools are developed, and AI’s influence is growing, the SEO world is undergoing constant changes. 

It can be difficult to keep track of all this by yourself, especially if you’re working with clients and attending meetings on a regular basis. 

If you’re looking for the latest SEO news, Reddit can be the best source. You can join a relevant subreddit like this one for example.

You can ask questions if you’re confused about recent SEO news or developments. They hold weekly discussions on SEO news and updates. 

Understand SEO Concepts

It can be difficult to understand Google’s documentation, not to mention that it is extremely technical and lengthy. However, Reddit breaks complex concepts down into more understandable terms. 

There are plenty of posts on Reddit that explain SEO concepts like ELI5 (Explain Like I’m Five). 

The following question discusses SEO and what it is in relation to this acronym. 

Reddit lets you sort answers based on these factors. To display the best answers, the best option will be selected by default. However, if you’re looking for the latest answers, you can select New.

Conclusion

You can learn and improve your SEO skills by browsing Reddit, not just for memes and TV show discussion. 

Both SEO and businesses can benefit from the use of Reddit, making it a win-win situation in both cases. 

You want to approach Reddit in accordance with its community guidelines to avoid any bans and bad reputation. Check out Reddit’s guidelines before promoting your business or sharing links.