What Does the Google-Reddit Partnership Mean for SEO and Brand Management?

Learn how the Google-Reddit partnership might impact your business with leading insights and advice across SEO strategy and overall brand management.  

Have you noticed Reddit results appearing much higher and more often in your Google searches?

Well, you’re not the only one, and it’s no coincidence considering Google and Reddit’s announcement to join forces in February 2024. 

So, with the largest search engine partnering with the largest online forum, what does this mean for your SEO, and should it affect your brand management? 

In this piece, we discuss the Google and Reddit partnership and how we predict it might influence your SEO and overall content marketing strategy. 

Let’s dive in. 

Lifting the Lid on the Google-Reddit Partnership

On the 22nd of February 2024, Google announced an expanded partnership with Reddit in an AI-driven content licensing deal worth $60 million per year. 

The incentive for Google is to utilise Reddit for AI training purposes. In taking Reddit’s abundant human element from its conversational discussions, writing styles and authentic tones, Google can help enhance search results and user experience (UX).

At least, that’s the theory.

On the one hand of this deal, Reddit receives Google’s Vertex AI to improve its own search capabilities while Google gets access to Reddit’s Data API. 

So, what once was a Reddit search result for niche queries that even Google couldn’t answer has now become a top search result, regardless of the topic or volume.

Why has Google Partnered with Reddit? 

As all content marketers know, in the world of marketing, the more human our content, the better we tend to engage with our audience. While transactional dynamics remain at the heart of business, the same cannot be said for content marketing.

Connecting with the person behind the consumer is the hallmark of great content. No organisation knows this better than Google. To rank high on SERPs, we’re incentivised to make our content as user-friendly as possible.

The more concise, readable, and conversational content that uses keyword-rich words and phrases the better. 

So, it’s hardly surprising when looking at the Google-Reddit partnership that the largest search engine in the world wants access to Reddit’s Data API. 

With its omniscient capacity for intelligence, insights and research, Google has noticed the user behaviour of people referring to Reddit forums when seeking information. Therefore, Google sees the potential and deems the power of Reddit worth collaborating with to improve its UX.

After all, if you want the most user-friendly content, it makes sense to go where the humans go. With over 500 million Reddit accounts in 2024, increasing by 150 million since 2019, and expected to hit 556 million in 2028, more and more people are using the forum to find the information they need.

Clearly, Google has cottoned onto this phenomenon while enriching its AI tools to think and communicate like the people they’re interacting with. 

What Does the Google-Reddit Partnership Mean for SEO?

While the Google-Reddit partnership is still in its infancy, it has no doubt caused a stir with SEO professionals worldwide. In some cases, many traditional content forms like blogs and website pages offering high-quality content are being replaced by less formal forums.

But with 1.212 billion active monthly users, the digits don’t lie. And in standing with Google’s values of “helpful content” and showcasing authentic human conversation with the most current language choices, it makes sense for the world’s biggest search engine to value its users with Reddit content. 

However, this doesn’t mean every brand must now pursue a Reddit-like approach with its content. Forums are not for every brand or every user.  

Albeit the Google-Reddit partnership does represent an opportunity for brands through keyword research and consumer/competitor insights. Using Reddit as a research tool should become part of your content marketing strategy. 

Whether for thought leadership pieces, consumer/competitor insights, or keyword research, Reddit can provide content marketers with more opportunities to stay ahead of the curve. For example, putting the Reddit URL in an SEO software tool and extracting keyword opportunities can provide potential topics in your industry. 

The Google Reddit Partnership and its Role in Brand Management 

User-generated content continues to reign supreme in marketing as this Google and Reddit partnership develops. With Google emphasising Reddit, more authority is given to how your consumers credit your business and content. 

It works like Google reviews but on a broader content scale, meaning there is more room for your business to be awarded and credited but potentially less room for error.

Negative reviews about your business can quickly spiral out of control and taint your reputation on the forum. Therefore, more emphasis must be placed on your service standards across the board. From customer service, product/service quality and communication, any element of your business up for review will be potentially at risk of exposure to the Reddit masses critique.

How Your Business Should Leverage the Google Reddit Partnership

So, what’s the magic source to making sure you’re in the trusted circle within this new dynamic duo? Here are a few actionable tips to get you started:

1. Get Active on Reddit 
   If you haven’t already, create a Reddit account for your business and get into the habit of engaging daily by joining in discussions, commenting and answering questions.

2. Create a Community
   Creating a community on Reddit will allow your business to become more accessible. You can start building a community by creating a subreddit, allowing people to comment, ask questions and share opinions.

3. Share your Content 
   As a giant forum, Reddit gives your brand a platform to share engaging content on specific topics relevant to your industry. Each Reddit user you help, the more they’ll look to your business in the future for solutions, generating your authority and expertise. 

Partner with CMA for More Content Marketing Insights  

Remember, this new Google-Reddit partnership is still evolving, so stay tuned for updates. At the CMA, we keep our ears firmly to the ground when it comes to the latest trends and insights in the content marketing sector. 

Whether the developments of this Google Reddit partnership, the role of generative AI or the power of influencer marketing, we make use of our vast network of resources and expertise to deliver relevant and valuable content to our community.  

By joining our CMA Membership, your business will receive these insights alongside contributing to our agenda while gaining access to regular events and awards as part of our worldwide group.

For more details, visit our memberships page or get in touch.