What the data really says in 2025
It’s been almost a year since Google signed a $60 million-a-year deal with Reddit to train its AI models and power AI Overviews with Reddit’s deep pool of user-generated content (UGC).
Since then, things have gotten… interesting.
How Did We Get Here?
Even before the deal, users were tacking “Reddit” onto their queries. Google was testing a “Discussions and Forums” carousel and eventually added a dedicated “Forums” tab.
Then came the official partnership: Reddit got monetized exposure. Google got a goldmine of real, human chatter to train its models.
Reddit organic traffic and keywords growth:
Reddit began outranking niche blogs and independent content creators. To SEOs, it became an algorithmic juggernaut.
What Were the Results of this Partnership?
Review blogs, affiliate sites, and subject-matter experts watched Reddit threads eat their rankings—despite some being spammy, misleading, or filled with outdated advice. Even AI Overviews began surfacing questionable insights from Redditors.
Then came 2025. On January 7th, Reddit’s search visibility dropped hard. Rankings declined, and its presence in features like People Also Ask faded.
Google’s silence has left room for speculation. Quality concerns? Spam issues? A shift in how UGC platforms are ranked? Possibly. Reddit wasn’t alone: Quora and Stack Exchange also saw declines.
For Quora:
For StackExchange:
Is Reddit Still Relevant for SEO in 2025?
Despite recent drops in search rankings, Reddit is still experiencing major growth—especially in user engagement and global reach.
According to its Q1 2025, the numbers didn’t disappoint:
- Daily Active Users (DAUq): 108.1 million — +31% YoY
- International User Growth: +21% YoY (U.S.) — +41% YoY (International)
- Logged-In DAUq: +19% YoY (U.S) — +27% YoY (International)
- Logged-Out DAUq: +22% YoY (U.S) — +54% YoY (International)
Does Reddit Still Matter for SEOs?
Many people use Reddit just to drop backlinks… But that misses the real value.
Reddit’s better for building brand awareness. When users talk about your brand, upvote helpful replies, or engage with your insights, it gives Google context about what you do.
It’s not just about links anymore but showing up, being useful, and getting recognized. Use Reddit to explain, help, and connect. That’s what builds trust, and long-term search visibility.
