Have you ever noticed that when you look something up on Google, Reddit results often appear prominently? Do you know that most people would append “reddit” at the end of their query to get a human response to their issue ?
And to the point that before you even finish typing out your query, Google is already suggesting search lines with the word ‘reddit’ prefilled at the end?
Even if you don’t select the query that specifies Reddit, you’ll notice that Reddit searches still rank highly on google. This is due to several reasons:
High Domain Authority
Over the years, Reddit has achieved high domain authority due to several key factors.
First, its platform prioritizes user-generated content and community engagement. The site is designed in a way that encourages users to share links, discuss a range of topics in subreddits, and vote on content.
This encourages users to be highly active and engaged on the platform, finding a wide variety of topics to offer their expert advice or opinion on.
Second, Reddit houses a vast amount of content. You could look up just about anything and chances are, you’ll find a Reddit post about it.
Can’t find a response to your query? Post one yourself and you’ll likely receive a response within minutes of doing so.
According to Reddit’s highlights from the first quarter of 2024, up to 82 million users out of its 500 million user base are reported to visit the site daily.
Over one billion posts are shared daily, with up to 16 billion comments across over 100,000 active communities. These statistics easily make reddit one of the most visited sites globally.
Backlinko reported that in 2023, approximately 469 million posts were published on Reddit. This is an 11.14% year-over-year increase, making Reddit a highly interactive platform with never-ending user interaction.
According to Reddit, new Reddit users spend an average of 20 minutes per day on the platform while seasoned Reddit users spend up to 45 minutes on the page.
Reddit’s community driven model fosters never-ending interaction and engagement. Users can participate in discussions, ask questions, share experiences and provide answers to a range of queries.
The upvote/downvote system ensures that the most valued content rises to the top, which enhances the quality of interactions.
Third, Reddit’s brand recognition has made it a household name and it is widely recognized as one of the most popular social media apps.
The platform has been around since 2005, and its consistent growth and evolution over the years has contributed to its rising domain authority.
Seasons have changed and trends have come and gone. Yet, Reddit has been able to weather through these conditions, establishing itself as a reliable platform for discussions and community interaction.
Keyword Rich Content
Reddit threads often contain keyword rich content.
When users ask questions, share experiences, and actively engage in a wide-variety of discussions, they often search for or utilize relevant keywords and phrases.
Google’s algorithms recognize this content as highly valuable for users searching similar topics. When a Reddit thread exactly meets the needs of a user, the engagement rate with the post is bound to increase.
Google considers engagement metrics such as click-through rates, time spent on the page and bounce rates when ranking search results.
Because Reddit users spend a significant amount of time interacting with the content posted, it acts as a reliable indicator of high-quality content. Older content decays and dies in archives.
Moreover, the real-time discussions held on Reddit means that content is constantly up to date. As discussions evolve over time, users will naturally utilize a wide variety of relevant keywords and phrases.
Reddit users will use language and terms relevant to the topic at hand which can match broad search queries both within and outside the platform. This directly helps Reddit pages rank for numerous search terms.
External backlinks
Search engines like Google consider backlinks as one of the most important ranking factors.
This is because backlinks from popular and high-traffic websites can drive referral traffic to Reddit. When users click on these backlinks, they are directed to Reddit, increasing the platform’s overall traffic.
This influx of new users can lead to more engagement, further boosting Reddit’s SEO.
Backlinks also helps users discover new Reddit content. When articles, blog posts and a range of other online content links to Reddit threads, it exposes Reddit to a broader audience.
This has a cumulative effect on domain authority. Higher page authority, improved search rankings, and more traffic makes Reddit one of the most successful organic growth platforms.
Additionally, when specific threads or posts gain backlinks, the related subreddits also benefit. Increased visibility and authority for individual threads can lead to more subscribers and participants to specific subreddits, fostering a continuously engaged and vibrant community.
As more people discover and engage with content on Reddit, the platform continues to grow and expand its reach.
Reddit Post Ranks on Google Within Minutes
A curious Redditor was keen to test out how long it would take for a Reddit post to rank in the top ten on Google.
Guess what? It took minutes.
The rapid ranking is attributed to the immense popularity of user-generated content and the high engagement rates on Reddit.
Hence, Google’s algorithm prioritizes such content due to positive user interaction signals.
Google’s Danny Sullivan disputes the notion that Reddit is always prioritized, emphasizing that ranking depends on user preferences and the relevance of content.
This phenomenon is clearly a self-reinforcing feedback loop of user engagement and algorithm response.
With this in mind, here’s why marketers should prioritize leveraging Reddit:
Rapid Indexing
Reddit posts rank within minutes, providing immediate visibility and potential traffic.
High Engagement
The platform’s active user base constantly generates community-driven content, which can enhance brand awareness and credibility.
Diverse Audience
Reddit hosts an array of niche communities, assisting marketers to effectively target specific demographics including age, locations, type, interests and so on…
SEO Benefits
Reddit experiences constant updates prompting a high engagement rate. This directly improves search rankings.
What’s more is that Open AI has just announced a partnership with Reddit. This partnership will further boost Reddit’s visibility on Google.
Through simple searches on Open AI, users can now easily engage with Reddit communities.
This has sparked an increased interest amongst marketers who now wish to utilize the often overlooked platform.
Successful Reddit Marketing Campaigns
Spotify
In 2014, Spotify was named Reddit’s ‘Community Brand of the Year’.
The company participated in Reddit’s ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMA) interactive format and this enabled high-ranking Spotify executives to interact with users in an authentic manner.
Spotify asked users more than 30 different questions regarding songs that elicited various emotions within people.
A couple of weeks in, the community created playlists led to over 10,000 submissions, more than 2300 comments, and 450+ brand interactions.
This enabled Spotify to generate multiple Reddit-inspired lists.
IKEA
In 2013, IKEA Australia garnered significant attention on Reddit during Valentine’s Day.
The furniture company ran a promotion offering a free crib to babies that were born nine months after the ad’s publication.
This clever and humorous ad, though not initially targeted at Reddit, quickly went viral on the platform, accumulating thousands of comments and upvotes.
The ad’s success on Reddit highlighted the community’s appreciation for witty and relatable content.
Glamour Magazine
In 2015, Glamour Magazine featured actress Anna Kendrick in a video where she recited ‘Shower Thoughts’ from Reddit.
This segment involved Kendrick hilariously pondering various whimsical and philosophical ideas often shared on Reddit’s popular Shower Thoughts subreddit.
The video gained popularity not only due to Kendrick’s celebrity status but also her engaging and humorous delivery.
The blend of celebrity charm and relatable internet culture created highly shareable content.
As a marketer, it is key to go around different communities to see what opportunities there might be.
The best way to be successful on Reddit is to become a Redditor yourself. Over time, you’ll understand your ideal audience better and you will find ways to authentically engage with them.