How To Use Reddit to Your Advantage for SEO: Tips and Best Practices

The relationship between Google and Reddit hasn’t always been rosy, with Reddit’s blackout in 2023 causing search frustration and Reddit threatening to block Google from crawling its site. However, Google’s November 2023 algorithm update increased Reddit’s visibility and rankings in search results, and the two platforms signed an AI content deal in 2024.

With Google focusing on providing helpful content to readers, user-generated content on Reddit and forums has come to dominate the SERPs (search engine results pages). And, unfortunately, this means other websites and publishers miss out on traffic.

But, times could be changing. On January 13, 2025, SEO professional Lily Ray shared a plunge in Reddit’s search visibility on LinkedIn:

“Almost hard to believe what I’m seeing here: After 1.5 years of exponential SEO visibility growth, Reddit is dropping fast in Google’s organic search results. A drop of 350 SISTRIX visibility points. For context, that’s about the size of the entire Home Depot website.

Reddit also moved down from the #3 to #4 greatest visibility site in Google US (Sistrix data).

I’ve heard many theories (and conspiracies) about the timing of why this might be happening… but one thing is for sure: this is potentially good news for pretty much every other site on the internet who cares about SEO traffic. Because in the last 1.5 years, Reddit became a competitor in nearly every category.”

After years of ruling the SERPs, it’s possible Reddit’s reign at the top of the search landscape could be coming to an end. For now, Reddit still occupies the top rankings when I search on Google, so we’ll have to see what happens.

➡️ Want to learn more about SEO? Start with our SEO glossary to bring you up to speed with all the terminology.

Yes and no. Reddit can be a reliable source if you’re looking for trending topics and want to hear how people actually feel about something. Personally, I regularly use Reddit or tag “Reddit” at the end of my Google search to read a real person’s opinion on a subject or get relatable advice, as opposed to reading a professional review.

That said, using Reddit for SEO comes with its own potential problems:

• Reddit users are a select group of people on the internet, so their opinions won’t represent everyone – Redditors tend to skew young and male
• Members create the content and often moderate the discussions themselves, so there’s a risk of false information appearing in the SERPs – a post could receive a lot of engagement within the community, but that doesn’t make it automatically factual or relevant to the search query

As users look for authentic and relatable content, Reddit continues to dominate the SERPs, which means it’s a good time to tap into its engaged audience. But there are some important best practices to incorporate into your SEO strategy if you’re looking to boost traffic, increase sales, and build brand awareness.

Below, I’ll share some strategies that can help you use Reddit to your advantage:

#1. Carry Out Keyword Research

Keyword research is a common first step in building an SEO-friendly content strategy. With Reddit, you can gain insights into your audience and discover trending topics directly from the platform’s discussions.

So, how can you conduct keyword research on Reddit?

• Use the search bar to find relevant communities (known as subreddits) – consumers post in these niche channels to share opinions, ask advice, and more
• Filter content by time – this helps you see what people are currently talking about so you can stay on top of user needs and pain points
• Browse within the subreddit – I recommend searching in the community directly for words like “why,” “how,” or “advice,” and other similar terms, to help pinpoint the topics users are seeking answers for
• Identify high-performing posts to see what’s trending or up-and-coming – check the number of comments and upvotes/downvotes a post has to see what users are engaging with and find interesting
• Use free SEO tools or keyword analyzers to determine whether a topic is worth pursuing in your content strategy – a high-difficulty keyword could be hard to compete for in the SERPs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t interact with the post in Reddit and build engagement through the forum

Content on Reddit is user-generated, meaning it’s a free resource to see what terms and phrases people use when talking about a topic or product. By carrying out keyword research, you can easily find ideas for content to share on your site that reflects what real users are discussing and searching for.

#2. Create a Subreddit

Creating a subreddit – and maintaining it – takes work, but the rewards can be worth the effort. Lots of large companies, such as Duolingo and Apple, have a dedicated community on Reddit (often run unofficially by consumers) where customers can ask questions, share reviews, and seek advice. And vice versa! You can reach out via posts and gather valuable feedback from your loyal customers.

And that’s what it’s all about – building a community space online that you can engage with, nurture, and mine for content opportunities. It’s a great way to improve customer relationships and encourage traffic back to your website.

However, I’d only suggest creating a business subreddit if you have an established customer following already. There’s no need to add extra work to your plate if your business is just starting out – instead, focus on participating in existing subreddits.

#3. Use Reddit To Understand Your Audience

Given Reddit’s people-led approach, it’s a valuable tool to help you understand your target audience. There are over 500 million Reddit accounts to engage with, so you’re bound to find communities and users that match your ideal consumer.

When browsing subreddits and posts, consider these questions:

• What is your target audience talking about?
• What do they care about?
• What issues or pain points pop up regularly?
• Are there common themes or discussion topics?

It can be helpful to have initial terms to search for, such as “best sunscreen,” so you can see the advice and recommendations already being shared. Then, all you need to do is reply to relevant posts and questions to showcase your expertise in the subject.

#4. Respond to User Queries

The key to mastering social media SEO when responding to posts on Reddit is to be authentic and provide value to readers. Reddit isn’t like other social media platforms – the sense of community and online culture are important to acknowledge, especially as a business owner.

Focus on showing your expertise and provide genuinely helpful content when responding to user queries. Redditors won’t appreciate you spamming them with links to your site or products because it comes across as self-promotional. Instead, work on building trust, be personable and relatable in your responses, and help to solve customer problems.

By responding to user queries, you’ll reap a multitude of benefits:

• Build a community
• Identify content ideas
• Increase brand awareness
• Showcase expertise
• Generate backlinks

➡️ I’ll share some key do’s and don’t’s when using Reddit in a later section.

How To Engage With Reddit Communities

You can browse subreddits using Reddit’s search bar, but remember to check that they’re currently active and receive a good volume of engagement.

One way to do this is to look at the stats in the subreddit’s sidebar profile – this will show you the number of members, how many are actively online, and its community rank. For example, the subreddit r/gaming has, at the time of writing, 45M members with 1.5k actively online.

Once you’ve found an appropriate subreddit to engage with, start commenting on discussions to showcase your expertise and share tips. You can even create your own posts to initiate conversation around a topic you’re passionate about.

#5. Run Reddit Ads

While you can generate traffic and awareness organically on Reddit, it’s worth mentioning that you can also pay to run ads across the forum. Redditors are already browsing on the platform, so you’ll be delivering ads to an existing and engaged audience.

According to Reddit, 90% of users trust Reddit to learn more about products and brands – the forum caters to the entire sales funnel. In fact, a recent survey by Reddit detailed how 42% of Reddit members reach out to their trusted subreddits before making a purchase decision.

With this in mind, I recommend seeing what ads already exist in your target subreddits to take inspiration from them. This way you can strategically deliver ads to fill a gap in the market and encourage more customers to shop with you.

I’ve walked you through some of the best Reddit and SEO tips in the section above, but you can get a quick summary of best practices below:

Using Reddit isn’t an essential step if you’re looking to boost your site’s SEO, but it’s a channel I recommend exploring given how much Reddit has shaped the current search landscape. Plus, Reddit is one of the best platforms to use to tap into your audience’s cares and concerns because of its user-generated content.

To use Reddit to your advantage for SEO, you have to focus on providing valuable and relatable content, strategically place backlinks to your site, understand your chosen subreddits’ culture, and build a trusted profile. By doing this, you’ll not only gain insights into your audience and improve your brand’s awareness and reputation online, but you’ll also increase your site’s visibility and position in the SERPs.