If you have been paying attention to your Google results recently, you may have noticed something new. Reddit threads are appearing more frequently, sometimes ranking above company websites, blog posts and even long-established industry publications.
You may also have heard that Reddit content is being used by AI tools when generating answers. That naturally raises questions. Should you be using Reddit as part of your marketing? Is it now essential for SEO or AI visibility? Or is it another distraction that takes time without delivering results?
This article answers the questions business owners are asking us at JDR Group, and explains where Reddit fits, and where it does not, within a structured, results-focused marketing strategy.
Reddit is a large online discussion platform made up of thousands of topic-based communities, known as subreddits. People use it to ask questions, share experiences, debate opinions, and solve problems.
Google increasingly surfaces Reddit content because it reflects how people actually talk. Threads often contain:
From Google’s point of view, this can be useful when someone is searching for an opinion, comparison or explanation rather than a sales page.
This does not mean Google prefers Reddit over expert businesses. It means Google is trying to satisfy search intent, and sometimes Reddit happens to align with that intent.
AI tools are trained to look for language that sounds human, balanced viewpoints and explanations that reflect real experience. Reddit often provides exactly that.
A single thread may include:
From an AI perspective, that looks like a useful source for understanding how people think about a topic.
However, this does not mean Reddit is a shortcut to visibility. AI systems pull from many sources, and they still rely heavily on authoritative websites, trusted brands and well structured content.
Reddit is one signal among many, not the foundation.
Not in the way many people assume.
Posting on Reddit does not directly improve your website rankings. You do not control the page, the links are often no follow, and you cannot shape the message in the same way you can on your own site.
Where Reddit can help indirectly is by:
Used properly, Reddit can inform your SEO and content strategy. It should not replace it.
For most businesses, the answer is not immediately.
Reddit is not a broadcast platform. It is highly sensitive to promotion and very quick to reject content that feels self-serving. If you treat it like LinkedIn, Facebook or Google Ads, you will fail.
Consider Reddit only if:
For many SMEs, especially in B2B, Reddit works better as a research and insight tool than as an active marketing channel.
If you choose to engage, follow these principles:
Treat Reddit as reputation building and market intelligence, not demand generation.
If you decide to test Reddit, approach it as a structured experiment, not an open-ended commitment. The goal is insight, credibility and learning, not immediate leads.
Start by identifying 2 or 3 relevant subreddits only. These should be:
Avoid large, generic subreddits at the start. Smaller, focused communities are more valuable and more forgiving.
Spend the first 2 to 3 weeks doing nothing but reading.
Use this time to:
This phase often delivers more value than posting.
Reddit works best when you participate as a knowledgeable individual, not as a brand.
Set up a profile that:
Trust on Reddit is earned slowly and lost quickly.
When you start posting, focus only on questions where you can add genuine value.
Good contributions:
Do not link to your site, even if it feels relevant. The moment you promote, credibility drops.
Reddit can become a time sink if you let it.
A sensible structure is:
If it does not fit comfortably around your wider marketing activity, pause it.
The real value comes from what you do with what you learn.
Use Reddit insights to:
Your website is where that insight turns into measurable results.
At JDR Group, we recommend looking at Reddit as a listening channel first.
You can use it to:
Those insights then feed into content creation, SEO planning, sales messaging and campaign strategy.
Reddit informs strategy. It does not replace it.
If Reddit is appearing in your conversations, search results or AI summaries, that is a signal. It tells you your buyers are actively researching, asking questions and forming opinions long before they ever speak to a supplier.
The right response is not to chase another platform. It is to make sure your business is visible, credible and persuasive wherever your buyers are doing that research, and that you have a clear system in place to turn that attention into enquiries and sales.
At JDR Group, we help you do exactly that. We work with you to build a joined up marketing system that attracts the right prospects, converts them into leads and supports your sales team to close more business, without relying on any single channel or trend.
If you want to take the next step, you have two sensible options.
You can book a meeting with us to talk through your current marketing, understand where platforms like Reddit genuinely fit, and get a clear view of what will make the biggest difference to your sales and growth.
Or, you can download our How to Use Social Media For Business guide, full of expert insights on the matter.