Google paid Reddit $60 million to stop them becoming a competitor. It didn't work.

At BoostSiteSEO, we've been running Reddit marketing strategies for clients for years and in the first half of 2025, the greatest fear has been confirmed: Reddit isn't just another social platform anymore. They're building the infrastructure to replace Google for entire categories of search. 

Put simply, Reddit plans to unify its search interface as it looks to become a search engine. 

But why? 

The search industry has changed. The user behaviour shift is permanent, thanks to AI search overviews. But more importantly, the numbers are showing it. 

Once you understand what's really happening here, you'll see opportunities your competitors are completely missing.

Let’s dive into it.

What we know

Reddit is the world's most popular discussion forum. But this is about to change.

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said they want to expand Reddit Answers to capitalize on increasing demand for Reddit results. Reddit plans to unify its search interface as it looks to become a search engine.

Reddit is positioning itself to become a major search destination, capitalizing on users' habit of adding "reddit" to Google searches to find authentic answers amid AI-generated content and SEO spam. 

CEO Steve Huffman announced plans to unify Reddit's core search function with its AI-powered Reddit Answers feature, which already serves 6 million users across a dozen countries, into a single streamlined experience that will be prominently displayed when users open the app.

The company's search ambitions are backed by strong user engagement, with over 70 million weekly users already using Reddit's search function and overall revenue jumping 78% to $500 million in the second quarter. 

Reddit plans to expand its AI search globally while redesigning its interface to make search more visible and accessible. It’s betting on its vast collection of genuine user conversations and knowledge, which gives it a unique advantage over traditional search engines that are increasingly cluttered with low-quality content.

The data that changes everything

Reddit's search grew 500% in three months. Let that sink in.

First, around 60 million users visit Reddit daily for answers, drawn in by real responses from humans, not AI. And over 70 million weekly users use Reddit's search function.

This has seen Reddit’s overall search visibility increase by 1,328% over 18 months. They've rocketed from the 78th most visible domain to 3rd-5th place in Google's US results, outranking YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

But here's the Holy Grail number: Reddit appears in 97.5% of product review queries on Google.

We tried to find out why and realized that: When people want real answers, they add "reddit" to their searches. Why? 

Because they're tired of AI-generated content and SEO optimized articles that don't actually help.

Reddit knows it. 

Their solution? Reddit is now looking at its next act: becoming a search engine.

Reddit's search engine strategy is genius

While other platforms fight for AI scraps, Reddit is positioning as essential infrastructure.

Google already paid $60 million for exclusive access to Reddit content. OpenAI is reportedly paying $70 million. Why’re they scrambling for Reddit as a platform? 

They’re creating strategic positioning for when AI search becomes the norm. And reddit will be the “go-to platform.” 

Let’s drive back a bit. Since July 2024, Reddit blocked all search engines except Google from crawling their content. Bing, DuckDuckGo, Onion, and everyone else can't access current Reddit discussions.

See, Reddit isn’t trying to compete with Google on Google's terms but are building something Google can't replicate: authentic human conversation at scale. That’s genius.

Reddit CEO, Steve Huffman said: "AI doesn't invent knowledge. It learns from us, from real people sharing real perspectives."

That's Reddit's competitive moat right there, and it's unbreachable. 

You can think it with me at this point: Reddit is planning to train AI and overtake everyone else. 

Why’s Reddit doing this?

The user behavior shift is permanent

Today’s users are not the same as 5 years ago when SEO was at its peak. 

46% of Gen Z use social media as their primary search engine. For overall consumers, 24% use social media to find answers.

People are choosing specialized platforms over universal search. They want context, multiple perspectives, and real experiences. Not the same 10 websites Google keeps serving up.

The search engine as we know it is dying a natural death. You can see even Google has launched an AI mode. 

This is where Reddit genius comes in. 

Reddit's 140,000+ active subreddits provide ready-made vertical search categories with built-in quality signals. And the interesting part is: Community moderation and voting systems filter quality better than any algorithm.

The shift from the normal  "googling" to platform-specific searching isn't a trend. It's the new reality.

Reddit has perfectly positioned its platform to capture this shift.

What does this mean for your business?

Get this and write it down:

SEO isn’t dead. SEO has now evolved. Traditional SEO is about algorithms. Reddit SEO is about community, specifically, earning trust.

You can no longer buy your way to the top search. You need to change with it.

On Reddit, you can’t buy your way on top of a subreddit. You can't manipulate upvotes without getting banned. You have to put in the work and provide real value to real people who will call you out if you're talking nonsense.

This shift changes everything:

1. Marketing funnels: All marketing funnels are changing from awareness-consideration-conversion to community-awareness-engagement-trust-conversion.

2. Content Strategy: Every content strategy shifts from keyword optimisation to community value creation.

3. Authenticity: Brand building occurs through conversations and authentic participation, not paid placement.

Let me tell you this:

Brands are already winning in this shift. The brands already winning on Reddit understand this shift and are already running successful branded subreddits that function as:

• Customer support, and,
• Product development resources

They're building direct relationships with their customers instead of competing for Google ad placements. Personalization maxim.

Meanwhile, Reddit's ad revenue grew 84% year-over-year to almost 500m ($465 million). They're building search advertising capabilities to capture high-intent traffic directly.

They understand the shift and have positioned themselves for it. 

And the early movers are positioning themselves before this becomes obvious to everyone.

Don’t be left behind.  

Use your competitive advantage window before the “Reddit Rush”

Here's what most people miss: Reddit's transformation creates a massive first-mover advantage.

But this is only for businesses that act now.

Once Reddit fully launches search advertising and every brand piles in, authentic community participation will become exponentially harder.

Like before, the communities that seem welcoming today will become defensive against obvious marketing attempts. And there may be increased penalties. 

Act now, build genuine relationships and establish expertise before the “Reddit Rush” begins.

Exactly what to do (step by step)

If you want to exploit Reddit now before the Reddit Rush, here's what to do:

Step 1: Identify your target communities. Find 3-5 most relevant subreddits for your industry. Overlook subscriber counts and find active communities where your customers actually participate. Use tools like Subreddit Stats or search your industry keywords + "reddit."

Step 2: Lurk and learn first. Spend a minimum of two weeks in the subreddit just observing. Understand the community culture, engagement style, common conversations, FAQs, pain points, and unwritten rules. Note what gets banned, what gets upvoted, and what gets ignored.

Step 3: Provide value without agenda. After learning, start answering questions in your expertise area with genuine helpful advice without links, promotion, agenda. Build a reputation as an expert - someone who knows what they're talking about.

Step 4: Share insights, not content. When you share your brand, do it as insights and not just content. Make it genuinely valuable to the community, and possibly the entire Reddit. A generic blog post won't work. Provide a detailed breakdown solution to a problem that the community faces.

Step 5: Build relationships with power users. Connect with power. These are active community members and moderators. Forge key relationships early and let them become invaluable as communities grow.

Step 6: Document what works. Track yourself and your engagement. See which subreddits drive the most engaged traffic to your site and note which types of posts perform best. Use this to build a playbook you can scale.

Hacking Reddit marketing isn’t easy if you’re trying to be everywhere. But it's simple when you focus on particular niches. 

The bigger picture and your next move

Note this: Reddit's rise isn't happening in isolation. It’s all in the larger AI Picture. 

ChatGPT handles 5+ billion queries annually, nearly 9% of Google's volume. You’ve not factored in Claude, Copilot, Grok, Perplexity, and other AI-powered search tools.

Overall, AI powered search tools processed 112 million American users in 2024. 2025 has already doubled. 

Users are 26% more likely to abandon browsing after getting AI summaries. This indicated a satisfaction with direct answers over traditional link-clicking.

The era of "one search engine to rule them all" is ending. Specialised platforms are winning specific verticals, and Reddit is well positioned to win several of the most valuable ones.

So, your next move?

Make hay now. While your competitors are still optimising for LLMs and Google's algorithm, move quickly and build authentic relationships with people and communities. They will determine tomorrow's search results.

Establish your presence before Reddit becomes obvious to everyone else.

Your future market position depends on the relationships you build today.

PS - Are you already active on any subreddits? Which ones are they? What's your biggest challenge with Reddit marketing right now?

We’d love to include you in a future publication