Reddit SEO Benefits
Reddit posts now show up high in Google search results, giving you a new way to get your content seen. Let's look at how this actually works.
How Reddit Posts Rank in Google
In 2024, Reddit became the third most visible site in Google searches, right behind Wikipedia and Amazon. This means when people search for topics you care about, they're more likely to see Reddit posts in their results.
Reddit's visibility in Google search results has increased dramatically in 2024
What makes Reddit special is how it organizes content into topic-focused communities (subreddits). When users upvote posts in these communities, they can rank in Google within minutes of being posted - much faster than regular websites that take weeks or months to rank well.
What This Means For You
If you write helpful posts on Reddit about topics your audience cares about, there's a good chance people will find them through Google. This is especially true for product discussions and how-to questions, ranking in 97% of searches.
Keep in mind that this only works if you focus on being genuinely helpful. Google prefers discussions over promotional content. The way to do this is to share your knowledge and experience in a natural way.
Backlink Potential from Reddit
The Reality of Reddit LinksMost links you share on Reddit won't directly help your Google rankings. Reddit marks most links as "nofollow," which means Google doesn't count them as votes for your site. But there's more to it than that.
Hidden OpportunitiesPopular Reddit posts often get picked up by other websites. Tech blogs, news sites, and content curators watch Reddit for interesting stories. When they write about your Reddit post, they usually link back to your website. These are the valuable backlinks that can help your Google rankings.
Places Your Posts Can Get Noticed
- News websites that cover trending Reddit topics
- Industry blogs looking for fresh content
- Content creators making videos about Reddit posts
- Reddit mirror sites that archive popular posts
- Community websites that collect the best Reddit content
Content creators love talking about interesting Reddit posts. When they make videos or write articles about Reddit content, they often link back to the original sources. This gives you even more chances to get noticed and earn backlinks.
Smart Ways to ShareFind subreddits that you would find your target audience in. Share something you built or learned about. Write the full story in your post, then add your link at the bottom for people who want to learn more. Weekly promotion threads in some subreddits are also great spots to share your work safely.
Example of a weekly promotion thread where you can safely share your content
Long-Term BenefitsThe real benefits come from consistently sharing helpful content. When your posts get popular, they often end up in Google search results for related topics. People finding these posts might mention your content on their own blogs or websites. These natural backlinks are the ones that truly help your site grow over time.
Using Reddit for Keyword Research
Finding What People Actually Search ForReddit can show you the exact words and phrases people use when talking about topics in your niche. These are different from what companies think people search for. This helps you write content that matches how real people talk about their problems.
Using Keyword Research ToolsWhen you see Reddit threads ranking on Google, that's actually good news. These threads are usually just conversations, not optimized content. With a well-structured blog post, you can easily outrank them, even as a newer site.
- Find a subreddit about your topic and copy its web address
In this example, we're using r/savingmoney to research how people discuss budgeting apps
- Put the URL into Ahrefs Site Explorer
Paste the URL of the subreddit into Ahrefs in Site Explorer
- Go to the "Organic Keywords" report
Find and click on the Organic Keywords section
- Focus on keywords ranking on Google's first page
Filter the keywords by position 1-10 and intents to "Non Branded"
Free Ways to Research KeywordsLook for patterns in what people ask about on Reddit. Try searching common phrases like "how to" or "what is" or any basic question words. When you see the same questions coming up again and again, you know lots of people want answers about those topics.
Quick Research Tips
- Go to a subreddit and type "how" or "what" in the search bar. Filter by "New" to see recent questions.
- Check the subreddit's wiki page (if they have one). Look at their FAQ section, these questions are asked so often they had to make a permanent page about them
- Use Wordstream's free keyword tool if you don't have Ahrefs. Put in the url of the subreddit and find related keywords.
- Sort the subreddit by "Top" posts from the last month. Look at question-based posts with lots of upvotes.
Wordstream gives you free keyword research (not organic search volume)
Real Example
Let's use r/Cooking as an example. If we enter the words "how do" into the search bar, we can see people asking the question "how do I learn to cook?" more than once.
People asking how to learn cooking
If you had a cooking website, this would be a great topic to write about. Lots of people want to know this, and they're asking about it in a natural way.
Finding Topics That WorkWhen you see the same questions coming up again and again in a subreddit, that's usually a sign it's a good topic to write about. These repeated questions make great topics for your website's content.