Reddit is a unique search ecosystem made up of more than 100,000 active communities, called subreddits, and hundreds of millions of diverse users worldwide. The platform has always been the place to engage in authentic conversations about particular — and sometimes peculiar — interests, and it does it better than nearly anything else available online.
It’s so unique in today’s pool of popular social media platforms that it offers uncommon opportunities for creating search-optimized content.
In this guide, we will explore how to harness Reddit’s potential for content discovery by understanding its search algorithm and how to optimize content both within the platform and for Google SERP (Search Engine Results Page) visibility.
Reddit From the SERPs Perspective
Reddit has nearly 380 million weekly active users. That might not hold a candle to Facebook’s more than 2 billion daily active users in terms of raw activity, but it does compete when it comes to discoverability on SERPs.
Adobe asked small business owners about their Google presence, and one in 10 respondents said that a Reddit page ranked above their business page on SERPs. Another share of those people (6%) said that content marketing efforts via Reddit generated more revenue than on Google. And, nearly half of the small business owners who haven’t used Reddit before as part of their marketing strategy were compelled to give it a shot.
Although Reddit pages overall have seen a slight decline in SERP appearances for the first time in awhile (Google Core Algorithm Updates typically favored Reddit), it’s still a powerhouse — especially when it comes to SERP features like People Also Ask (PAA) and AI Overviews (AIO).
So, there’s value to uncover here — and not just for small businesses, although they may fit more naturally into the often niche communities of Reddit.
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How Reddit Works and Ranks Content
Reddit throws things into the social media ring that other platforms don’t. If you want to start contributing to communities, you have to know how the website works at its core.
Subreddits and Rules
Subreddits are specialized communities within Reddit that focus on specific topics or interests. To succeed on Reddit, you must find the right subreddits related to your content and be active in them via posting and commenting. Choosing the right community is the most important first step, since it directly determines your audience and the rules you must follow.
Each subreddit is independently moderated and has a unique set of customs that users must abide by — “Reddiquette,” as they’ve dubbed it.
Bots or real moderators may prohibit posts or comments from going live at all if they break rules, or take them down quickly after posting. Permanent bans from specific communities are common for repeat rulebreakers. If you’re trying to find SEO success on Reddit, follow the rules or you may be barred from posting altogether.
Karma and Your Account Standing
Any effort to perform well on Reddit must consider Karma and its pivotal role in performance. Karma is Reddit’s internal scoring system. Each user has a Karma score, which increases with upvotes (likes) on posts and comments and decreases with downvotes (dislikes). Accumulating positive karma can help build your reputation on the platform. Some Subbredits may even require an account to achieve a certain Karma threshold before its permitted to post in the community, as a way to mitigate spam content and bot posts from freshly-created profiles.
Posts and comments with more upvotes are generally shown to more users than those with fewer, since Reddit’s typical filters push popular content to the tops of comment threads and subreddit feeds, although you can adjust these to show most recent posts or comment activity.
Reddit Search and the Search Algorithm
You can boil a majority of Reddit searches down to several search types:
- Subreddit searches: Users seek communities related to their interests.
- Question and answer search: Users look for a direct answer or general consensus from the community on a specific question or topic.
- Discussion searches: Users look for ongoing discussions on specific topics.
- Trending searches: Users search for the latest trends, news and viral content.
Understanding the specifics of Reddit’s algorithm can be challenging due to limited public information; however, it’s obvious that it prioritizes relevance and recency. It considers keywords, upvotes and engagement to rank search results, which determines the visibility of your content on users’ feeds.
But how do you actually rank on Reddit? Or make Reddit content rank on Google? Make a post and hope that it goes viral? Not quite, although going viral on Reddit seems easier than other platforms since high-quality, high-relevency or highly-interesting posts that strike a chord with a community can catch fire quickly — and that’s where some of the keys lie.
On-Platform Optimization and Content Development
A couple of these Reddit best practices are akin to what many marketers have come to know as requirements to rank on Google — but there are some Reddit-specific caveats.
Write Clear and Compelling Post Titles and Use Post Flair
Reddit users often decide whether to click on a post based on its title. Craft concise, informative and attention-grabbing titles that tell users what to expect when they click. Avoid anything clickbait-y or misleading, as they can lead to downvotes, bad Karma and negative feedback that push your content into Reddit obscurity.
A couple of things to remember: Some subreddit rules insist that posters craft titles in a very specific way or include particular bits of information about the post itself. ‘Post flair,’ on the other hand, is a custom tagging system that some subreddits will have activated for users to tag their post as a specific type of content. For example, if you’re in r/SkincareAddiction — Reddit’s most popular skincare community — there are post flairs for routine help, before and after selfies, product questions and more. Post flair may be required or completely optional depending on the community.
If you fail to follow rules — even just using incorrect title phrasing in some communities — your post will likely be taken down. Repeat rule-breaks could lead to negative interactions with moderators and users.
Quality Content: Text, Images, Videos
Most subreddits forbid meme-type content, save for the subreddits that are dedicated to memes. Far more often than not, users and moderators prefer high-quality content that adds value to the community.
Depending on the community and types of posts it permits, aim for sharing things like a well-researched article, an engaging image or an informative video. Keep in mind that some subreddits forbid certain types of links, external content or websites.
Engaging with Comments
Starting and/or becoming an active part of conversations is Reddit’s bread and butter. Users love when OPs (original posters) follow up on a post with updates and engage with commenters. I’d go so far as to say replying to comments is a requirement on Reddit if you want to unlock its full potential. Answer questions, provide additional information and acknowledge feedback. Positive interactions can boost your post’s visibility.
Avoiding Spammy Behavior
Reddit is sensitive to spam or “low effort posts”. But what constitutes low-effort? Commonly, it’s:
- Over-promotion — or outright advertising at all in some communities.
- Copypastas i.e., copy and pasting viral or meme content in subreddits.
- Overposting links to your own website.
- Posts that have a title, but no content or added context in the body.
Every subreddit is different and could vary in terms of how it defines spam, but these examples are safe bets to steer clear of to avoid downvotes and bans.
Final Thoughts
Reddit is a world all its own, where community rules, independent moderators and user preferences reign supreme. High-quality posts that follow rules and are in the appropriate subreddit are poised to drum up fruitful discussions that you, the OP, should also engage in. These are the main ingredients for creating content that not only performs well on Reddit but also has the potential to rank impressively on Google SERPs.