Reddit is positioning itself to become your go-to search engine
If you’re like me, you've likely added "Reddit" to your Google searches, a common trick for finding real opinions and experiences from actual people. Well, the company seems to have caught wind of this, as it now wants you to come directly to its platform for those answers and is making a focused push to become a primary search destination by leveraging its vast collection of human conversations.
The company's leadership is clear about this new direction, with CEO Steve Huffman stating, "We're concentrating our resources on the areas that will drive results for our most pressing needs: improving the core product, making Reddit a go-to search engine, and expanding internationally," in his latest letter to shareholders.
This move directly responds to how people already use the platform, as millions land on Reddit daily looking for advice and information they can't find elsewhere. Reddit’s approach to search is differentiated by its human element; in a web filled with AI-generated content, the platform offers authentic conversations and firsthand accounts.
A recent survey found that about 80% of users in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada believe some questions can only be answered by humans, not by AI summaries. Huffman emphasized this, saying, "In a world increasingly dominated by algorithms and automation, the need for human voices has never been greater". While highlighting the human touch, Reddit is not completely shunning AI. The company is testing a feature called "Reddit Answers," an AI-powered tool that curates summaries from threads and has already grown from one million to six million weekly users in a single quarter. The plan is to unify traditional search with these AI-powered answers to create a single, powerful search experience.
The platform's core search product already attracts over 70 million weekly users, showing the potential of this initiative. Investors couldn’t be happier either, with Reddit's stock rising over 20 percent to $194 per share after the company's second-quarter earnings surpassed expectations, hitting $500 million in revenue.
Reddit is entering a crowded field where it will compete with Google, OpenAI, and Meta, all of whom are developing their own search tools. The relationship with Google is particularly complex, as Google pays Reddit $60 million annually to license its content for AI training, even as Reddit positions itself as a direct competitor. Huffman has described the relationship as "symbiotic" but seems intent on increasing Reddit's independence and competitive threat.
If you want to get straight to human experiences instead of sifting through SEO-optimized articles, Reddit's search focus could be a welcome change. The company is working to bring the search bar front and center in the app, making it easier to tap into the platform's vast knowledge base.
