Reddit is frequently the top domain cited by LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity across five major industries: finance, digital technology, business services, consumer electronics, and fashion. If you’ve used one of these tools, you’ve probably noticed Reddit links popping up in the citations. Out of all the websites and information available, why does Reddit appear so often?
The answer lies in how large language models (LLMs) work, what makes Reddit unique, and why people trust it more than other social platforms.
As a generative engine optimization agency, we've been keeping close tabs on Reddit and other domains that are commonly cited in LLMs. This article takes a deep dive into Reddit’s role in AI answers and how to leverage Reddit for more visibility in LLMs.
Before we dive in, let's briefly discuss how LLMs source their answers.
Large language models don’t “think” like humans. Instead, they’re trained on massive amounts of text and data to learn the patterns of language. During training, an LLM reads billions of words from books, websites, and forums. It doesn’t memorize them word-for-word; instead, it learns how people ask questions, explain answers, debate, and share experiences, forming conclusions based on data points, content, context, and patterns (in behavior, word choices, logic, and more).
When a user asks a question, the model generates a draft answer based on the information it learned during training. If the LLM has browsing or citation features, it will also scan the live web for current, traceable sources, where it may also use a Reddit thread as a source.
You might read jargon about “fan out queries” or “parsing” or “regenerative augmented generation” as explanations for LLM’s processes, but it all relies on the same workflow, as a given.
Here’s the basic gist of how LLMs understand your question and provide an answer:
Back in 2024, Reddit signed a $60 million deal with Google that allowed the search engine to use Reddit as a training source for its LLMs. Reddit also blocked other LLMs from crawling and using its content in training data unless the LLMs paid for access to Reddit's Data API. Currently, OpenAI pays to access Reddit’s Data API.
Since Reddit was used to train Google's LLMs and ChatGPT, it makes sense that Reddit links and citations often appear in final answers.
Ultimately, though, Reddit consistently shows up in AI answers because of three main factors: open access, visibility, and authenticity. Reddit isn’t just another online forum—it’s filled with communities. Those communities have become cornerstones of how AI systems learn, think, and cite information. Its scale, authenticity, and constant stream of real human conversations make it a natural fit for large language models looking for answers that feel both useful and trustworthy.
Many publishers lock content behind paywalls. Reddit, by contrast, has historically been open and free, making it one of the largest archives of human conversations available.
Reddit often ranks near the top of Google results for shopping and SERPs. A Search Engine Land article from 2024 stated that Reddit shows up 97.5% of the time in Google Search product review queries. It also accounts for nearly two-thirds of the slots reserved for Google’s Discussions and forums SERP feature, a new analysis finds. Sometimes more than one thread will surface, adding to Reddit’s authority when it comes to that particular topic. When LLMs browse the web to supplement their draft answers, they naturally pull from Reddit threads.
People post about everything on Reddit, and we do mean everything! From troubleshooting squeaky chairs to comparing the latest budget laptops. Instead of polished marketing language, you’ll find first-hand advice, quick fixes, and stories from people who’ve actually been in your shoes.
For practical, real-world questions, Reddit is often the most relevant, current, and human-centered source available.
Reddit isn’t just about sharing facts. It’s about people reasoning through problems, persuading each other, and telling stories. That’s invaluable for LLMs, which need to share knowledge, but also mimic human tone, empathy, and logic. One of Reddit’s greatest strengths is the way it supports storytelling and knowledge sharing across a spectrum of complexity:
Reddit also benefits from a built-in quality filter: upvotes, downvotes, and threaded replies. These signals help surface clearer, more reliable answers while pushing weaker ones down. While not perfect, this process creates a real-time, dynamic fact-checking system that improves overall content quality.
Unlike static articles or Wikipedia entries, Reddit threads are in-progress conversations. Someone might start a post with a question, others will chime in with advice, and then additional users will challenge or refine those ideas, as well as upvote or downvote them. Over time, the conversation often evolves into something much richer than the original post.
It’s not just AI that finds Reddit valuable. People do too.
Research from the Pew Research Center (2024) shows Reddit was consulted more than any single social media source (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, or X) when consuming news and information.
Why?
That’s why people often search “Reddit + [topic]” on Google. They know they’ll find more authentic, experience-based answers rather than a marketing page or a Tweet storm. And while data shows that traditional news outlets (CNN, The New York Times) still lead in trust, Reddit has carved out a unique role as a reliable peer-to-peer knowledge hub.
This is where things get personal for marketers and business leaders. Whether an AI tool cites your website directly or pulls from a Reddit thread where people are talking about you, those references shape how users perceive your brand.
Here’s why it matters:
Reddit’s influence in AI-generated answers is already huge and shows no signs of slowing down. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to just sit back and hope your brand gets cited. There are clear, practical steps you can take to improve your chances of showing up in AI answers and shaping how your business is perceived.
Is your website AI-ready? LLMs love structure. Use clear headers, Q&A sections, bulleted lists, tables, and schema markup (like FAQ or how-to) so your content is easy to parse. Think less “wall of text,” more “clean cheat sheet.”
Reddit is a goldmine of real user questions. Take note of the ones that pop up most often in your industry, then create resources on your own site that address them head-on. FAQs, how-tos, and comparison guides work especially well.
If you’re going to engage on Reddit, don’t just drop links and vanish. Join the conversations in subreddits that matter to your audience. Share advice, answer questions, and add value without being overly promotional. Over time, this builds trust — and gives LLMs more opportunities to pick up your brand in a positive light.
Your brand’s reputation doesn’t live only on your website. Monitor Reddit threads, reviews, and industry-specific sites (like TripAdvisor, Houzz, or Angi’s List, depending on your space). Respond constructively to both praise and criticism. Every reply is a chance to reinforce trust.
Don’t just cross your fingers and hope you’re being cited. Test prompts in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to see when your brand shows up. Better yet, start using emerging tools that log citations, track sentiment, and compare competitor performance. Treat “AI visibility” as a new KPI.
Quora, Stack Exchange, and other forums also feed into LLMs. Encourage satisfied customers and partners to share their stories in these spaces. Their experiences can influence how AI represents your brand, in how it perceives sentiment (positive/negative/neutral) about your business.
Niche forums, Discord groups, and Slack channels may not be as big as Reddit, but they’re still shaping online knowledge because they offer community and authentic conversations. Being present in those spaces keeps you a step ahead.
If multiple people from your company are engaging on Reddit, set some guardrails. Decide on tone of voice, disclosure rules, and when to step in versus when to let the community conversation stand. This keeps your engagement authentic and consistent.
Some of the most valuable Reddit posts come from professionals who know their stuff. If your engineers, consultants, or specialists feel comfortable joining conversations in expert subs like r/AskEngineers or r/AskScience, encourage them to do so. Their insights can boost both credibility and citations.
Before you start doubling down on Reddit, make sure you have the right measurement strategy in place to track the results of your efforts. We've broken the process down in this blog post—use it to ensure you're getting the best possible insights to evaluate what's working and what's not.
If you take away one thing from this article, we hope it’s this: If Google is about keywords, AI is about conversations. And Reddit is where those conversations are happening right now.
For most businesses, this pivot toward Reddit as a major source of visibility will be a wake-up call. The conversations happening on Reddit today can directly shape how your business shows up in tomorrow’s AI-generated answers. That means every mention, every review, and every piece of content you publish plays a role in building (or eroding) trust at scale.
The takeaways? Start making your content AI-ready, engage authentically in the communities where your audience is active, and treat AI visibility like the new frontier of search. The companies that adapt early won’t just show up more often—they’ll own the conversation when it matters most, where it matters most right now.
Ready to start showing up in LLM results? Our generative engine optimization team can help evaluate where you're currently showing up, how your brand is perceived online, and find opportunities to make sure you're showing up whenever your audience is looking for you.
Schedule a demo with our team today for a complimentary AI visibility analysis.
