Reddit became one of the most visible sites in Google between 2023 and 2024, and it’s still near the top in 2026. Google now quotes Reddit and other forums inside its AI answers, too. On top of that, many searches end without a click to any website at all.
You can’t out-Reddit Reddit, and promotional posts there tend to get removed. What you can influence is how Google ranks local businesses: relevance, distance, and prominence. In practice that means a complete Business Profile, a steady stream of real reviews, and a website that answers questions only someone who does the work can answer.
What happened to Reddit in Google search
Reddit’s rise was fast. Research from Amsive using Sistrix data measured a 1,328% jump in Reddit’s Google visibility between July 2023 and April 2024. By July 2024, Reddit was the fifth most visible domain in US Google results, up from 68th a year earlier. Amsive
- In February 2024, Google also announced an expanded partnership with Reddit. Reuters reported the deal, which lets Google use Reddit content to train its AI models, at roughly $60 million a year. Yahoo
- Two years later, Reddit hasn’t faded. SE Ranking’s tracking shows Reddit’s share of Google’s top three positions slipped after the March 2026 core update, then climbed to 10.24% after the May 2026 core update, higher than it was in December. SE Ranking
- In May 2026, Google also began adding excerpts from web forums to its AI search results. TechCrunch
The practical takeaway: plan around Reddit being a permanent part of search results, not a phase.
Why fewer searches turn into website visits
Reddit is only part of the traffic story. SparkToro’s 2024 zero-click study found that 58.5% of US Google searches ended without a click, and only 360 of every 1,000 searches sent a click to the open web. (SparkToro) Much of that data predates AI Overviews, which Google started showing regularly in May 2024.
AI Overviews pushed clicks down further. In Pew Research Center’s March 2025 study, people clicked a regular search result on 8% of searches that showed an AI summary, versus 15% on searches without one. They clicked links inside the summary on just 1% of visits. (Pew Research Center)
For a service business, this mostly affects quick research questions, like rough cost ranges or how long a job usually takes. Those answers now often stay on the results page.
Searches from people ready to hire work differently. For local searches, Google shows map results built from Business Profiles, and Google says those local results are ranked mainly on relevance, distance, and prominence. (Google Business Profile Help)
Why posting on Reddit isn’t the fix
It’s tempting to fight Reddit on Reddit. Reddit’s spam policy tells people whose posts are mostly links to a business they own to watch how often they post or use Reddit’s self-serve ads instead. It also leaves it to each community’s moderators to decide what counts as spam. (Reddit Help)
Rules vary by community, so read them before posting anywhere. Skip any service that sells Reddit upvotes or comments. Reddit’s content policy prohibits vote manipulation and other attempts to game the site.
If you enjoy answering questions in a trade or local community, you can take part as yourself, be upfront about what you do, and follow that community’s rules. Just don’t count on it as a lead source. It’s slow, and a helpful comment in a thread doesn’t get your business into the map results.
What still works for local service businesses
Your Google Business Profile
Your Business Profile is what shows up in the map results. Google says complete, detailed business information helps it match your profile to relevant searches, and that review count and rating factor into local rankings.
In practice:
- Choose an accurate primary category and list your services.
- Keep your hours and service area correct.
- Add real photos of your work.
- Reply to reviews.
- Ask every satisfied customer for a review.
Don’t stuff keywords into your business name or list locations you don’t operate from. Those shortcuts can get a profile suspended.
A website that answers what Reddit can’t
A Reddit thread is usually one person’s experience, often from another state or climate. You know what your city requires for permits, how long jobs typically take in your area, and what actually drives the price. Put that on your site.
For example, a plumber could write a page on what a water heater replacement involves in their city, permits included. A roofer could explain how hail damage claims usually work with insurers in their area.
Answer the question in the first sentence or two, then add detail. Show real project photos and put a real name on the content.
Google says there’s nothing special you need to do to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and that standard SEO fundamentals still apply. (Google Search Central)
The technical basics
Make sure Google can crawl and index your pages. Link related pages to each other, and keep the site fast and usable on a phone. Google lists allowing crawling and making content easy to find through internal links among the fundamentals that still matter. Search Console will show you which pages are indexed and which have Core Web Vitals problems.
Schema markup, with realistic expectations
Structured data helps Google read your business details, and it can make pages eligible for rich results. It isn’t a key to AI Overviews. Google says structured data isn’t required for its AI search features, and it warns against focusing on it too heavily. (Google Search Central) Mark up what’s actually on the page, and make sure it’s accurate.
Channels no algorithm controls
Email lists, repeat customers, referral partners, and follow-up after every job don’t depend on where you rank. A search update can’t take those away.
Know what’s being said about you
Every so often, search Reddit for your business name and for your trade plus your city. If a thread mentions you, and the community allows it, respond openly as the owner.
If you’d like a second set of eyes on your Business Profile or website, call (720) 780-9998 or get in touch here.
