Short answer: you will rarely push a Reddit thread off page one, so stop treating it as a competitor and treat it as a shelf your product sits on. Find the threads that rank for your buying keywords, make sure your brand is represented in them accurately and openly, and fix the pages on your own site that lose to them because they do not answer the question the thread answers. In our measurement, Reddit held a first-page spot for 48% of 1,360 buyer searches and for 73% of "X vs Y" searches (Google US, 13 November 2026), so this is normal, not a penalty on your site.
You are not alone: how often it happens
1,360 searches across 20 niches, Google US desktop, 13 Nov 2026. A search can fall in more than one row ("best crm vs hubspot"). AI Overview share counts only Overviews whose source list loaded.
Show as a table
| Search contains | Searches | Reddit on page one | 95% CI | Top 3 | AI Overview cites Reddit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "worth" (is X worth it) | 39 | 95% | 83–99% | 56% | 81% of 37 |
| "vs" | 198 | 73% | 66–78% | 57% | 59% of 197 |
| "alternative(s)" | 36 | 64% | 48–78% | 58% | 75% of 36 |
| "best" | 593 | 49% | 45–53% | 31% | 45% of 578 |
| "cost / price / pricing" | 109 | 39% | 31–49% | 28% | 22% of 109 |
| any buyer modifier | 1000 | 54% | 51–57% | 37% | 47% of 980 |
| plain category terms | 360 | 32% | 27–37% | 20% | 28% of 323 |
The pattern is clear: the closer a search is to a decision ("is it worth it", "X vs Y", "alternatives"), the more likely Google is to show people's experience from Reddit. Plain category searches ("crm software") pull Reddit in less often, at 32%. By niche the share runs from 16% (supplements and health) to 74% (cybersecurity):
64–70 buyer searches per niche (e.g. "best crm for small business", "asana vs monday", "roof replacement cost"), Google US, English, desktop, 13 Nov 2026. Whiskers: 95% confidence interval. Method: methodology.
Show as a table
| Niche | Searches | Reddit on page one | 95% CI | Top 3 | AI Overview cites Reddit | Top subreddits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity | 68 | 73.5% | 62–83% | 50.0% | 48.5% of 66 | r/antivirus, r/PasswordManagers, r/cybersecurity |
| Developer tools | 69 | 72.5% | 61–82% | 53.6% | 47.8% of 69 | r/learnpython, r/learnprogramming, r/cursor |
| Education & courses | 68 | 72.1% | 60–81% | 50.0% | 70.1% of 67 | r/languagelearning, r/MBA, r/learnprogramming |
| Project management software | 68 | 72.1% | 60–81% | 48.5% | 62.7% of 67 | r/projectmanagement, r/Asana, r/clickup |
| Investing | 67 | 59.7% | 48–71% | 37.3% | 40.3% of 67 | r/personalfinance, r/investing, r/Bogleheads |
| B2B SaaS | 68 | 58.8% | 47–70% | 32.4% | 39.4% of 66 | r/smallbusiness, r/SaaS, r/Bookkeeping |
| Travel | 68 | 57.4% | 46–68% | 30.9% | 50.0% of 66 | r/travel, r/AskTheCrowd, r/TravelHacks |
| Crypto | 70 | 57.1% | 45–68% | 45.7% | 35.8% of 67 | r/Bitcoin, r/Crypto_com, r/BitcoinBeginners |
| Credit cards & banking | 70 | 55.7% | 44–67% | 40.0% | 52.2% of 69 | r/CreditCards, r/personalfinance, r/Banking |
| Personal finance | 68 | 52.9% | 41–64% | 41.2% | 46.0% of 63 | r/personalfinance, r/HighYieldSavings, r/povertyfinance |
| HR & payroll software | 65 | 44.6% | 33–57% | 26.2% | 56.9% of 65 | r/resumes, r/smallbusiness, r/Payroll |
| Home services | 68 | 42.6% | 32–54% | 35.3% | 35.7% of 56 | r/hvacadvice, r/Roofing, r/HomeImprovement |
| Ecommerce & DTC | 65 | 41.5% | 30–54% | 27.7% | 30.0% of 60 | r/BuyItForLife, r/Mattress, r/runninglifestyle |
| Marketing software | 64 | 37.5% | 27–50% | 29.7% | 44.4% of 63 | r/DigitalMarketing, r/SEO, r/Emailmarketing |
| Skincare & beauty | 69 | 36.2% | 26–48% | 20.3% | 21.7% of 69 | r/SkincareAddiction, r/beauty, r/tressless |
| Legal services | 70 | 31.4% | 22–43% | 21.4% | 32.8% of 61 | r/EstatePlanning, r/Divorce, r/Felons |
| CRM & sales software | 67 | 29.9% | 20–42% | 23.9% | 62.7% of 67 | r/CRM, r/CRMSoftware, r/salesforce |
| Construction & remodeling | 69 | 29.0% | 20–41% | 17.4% | 20.3% of 59 | r/Homebuilding, r/massachusetts, r/AskLosAngeles |
| Insurance | 70 | 28.6% | 19–40% | 15.7% | 32.4% of 68 | r/LifeInsurance, r/personalfinance, r/Insurance |
| Supplements & health | 69 | 15.9% | 9–26% | 4.3% | 14.7% of 68 | r/workout, r/sleep, r/BabyBumps |
| All | 1360 | 48.5% | 46–51% | 32.6% | 42.4% of 1303 | r/personalfinance, r/CreditCards, r/smallbusiness |
Why the thread wins
- It answers the question in the searcher's words. "Asana vs Monday" is a request for other users' experience. A vendor's comparison page is a sales page about the same question. Google's guidance asks whether content shows "first-hand expertise … from having actually used a product or service" (Google Search Central).
- Google has direct access to Reddit. Since February 2024, through Reddit's Data API, Google has "efficient and structured access to fresher information" from Reddit (Google, 22 Feb 2024).
- It is not a penalty on your site. Reddit ranking above you does not mean your page was demoted. ChatGPT, asked this question, mostly points to Google's own helpful-content and spam documentation; there is no setting that turns Reddit off for your keywords.
- Google–Reddit partnership expanded
Google gets access to Reddit's Data API, "real-time, structured, unique content", to display, train on and use in its products. Source
- March core update and new spam policies
Google announces an update to show "less content that feels like it was made to attract clicks" and new policies, including site reputation abuse (in force from 5 May 2024). Source
- Site reputation abuse policy clarified
Third-party content published to exploit a host site's ranking signals breaks the policy "regardless of whether there is first-party involvement". Source
- Our measurement
A Reddit thread on Google's first page for 48% of 1,360 buyer searches in 20 niches; AI Overviews cite Reddit in 42%. Source
Five things that work
1. Map the threads that rank for your keywords
List your 20–50 most important buying searches. Search each one and record every Reddit thread on page one, its position, its date, and whether it mentions you and your competitors. That map is the whole job in one table: it shows where buyers read about you without you in the room.
2. Get into the threads that rank, openly
A comment in a thread that already ranks is read by everyone who clicks that result, and AI Overviews cite such threads (42% of the Overviews we could read cited Reddit). Answer from an account that says who you work for, with something a reader can use: a limit of your product, a setup tip, a price. Reddit's rules ask users not to engage in "content manipulation" (Reddit Rules), so no vote buying and no fake "happy customer" accounts. If you want help, this is what Reddit SEO agencies sell; check whose accounts they post from before you hire one (how to choose).
3. Fix the page that loses
Read the thread that outranks you and list what it answers that your page does not: real prices, downsides, setup time, who it is not for, how it compares on the one feature people argue about. Add that to your page, plainly. A comparison page that admits where the competitor is better is more useful than one that does not.
4. Win the searches Reddit does not hold
Reddit was absent from page one on 52% of the buyer searches we measured, and on 68% of plain category searches. Those are the keywords where your own pages compete with other companies' pages, not with discussions. Put new content effort there first.
5. Watch for negative threads
A thread calling your product a scam can rank for your brand name for years. Do not try to bury it with fake accounts; answer it once, factually, from a disclosed account, and fix the problem it describes if it is real. A buried thread tends to resurface; an answered one reads better to the next buyer.
What does not work
- Trying to outrank Reddit with more of the same. Another vendor comparison page does not answer a request for user experience.
- Paying for votes or aged accounts. It breaks Reddit's rules, and the risk is the brand's, not the agency's.
- Publishing on someone else's site to borrow its rankings. Google's site reputation abuse policy targets "publishing third-party pages on a site in an attempt to abuse search rankings by taking advantage of the host site's ranking signals" (Google, 19 Nov 2024).
- Asking for removal. Reddit removes content that breaks its rules, not content you dislike.
How to use Reddit threads for commercial searches
If Reddit threads outrank your blog on most of your commercial searches, that is an opportunity as much as a problem: the threads are where buyers already compare options. A practical split for a software company:
| Search type | Reddit share in our data | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "X vs Y", "is X worth it", "X alternatives" | 64–95% | Be represented in the threads; keep your comparison pages honest and specific |
| "best X for Y" | 49% | Both: thread presence and a strong category page |
| "X pricing / cost" | 39% | Publish your real prices; Reddit threads on cost often quote outdated ones |
| plain category terms | 32% | Your own pages compete here; content and links as usual |
When to get help
If more than a third of your buying keywords show Reddit on page one and nobody in the team uses Reddit, an agency can map the threads, post and report positions monthly. Published prices run from $650 to $15,000 a month (pricing). If you want to understand the mechanism first, start with what Reddit SEO is.
FAQ
Reddit posts are outranking our website for our own category keywords. What can we do?
Map the threads that rank for those keywords, get your brand into them openly with useful answers, improve your own page with what the thread covers and your page does not, and focus your own content on searches Reddit does not hold. In our data Reddit was absent from 52% of buyer searches.
Can we get a Reddit thread removed from Google?
Not because it outranks you. Google removes pages that break its policies or the law, and Reddit removes content that breaks its rules. A thread that is simply more useful than your page stays.
Why does Google rank Reddit above official websites?
Searches like "X vs Y" ask for other people's experience, and Google's guidance values first-hand experience. Google also has structured access to Reddit's content since its February 2024 deal. In our measurement Reddit held a top-3 spot on 57% of "vs" searches.
Reddit threads outrank our blog for most commercial queries. How do we use that?
Treat the threads as distribution: be present in the ones that rank, keep your answers specific and disclosed, and track which threads ranking for your keywords mention you each month. Keep your own blog for the searches Reddit does not hold.
Will this change soon?
We cannot say. We re-run our measurement every quarter and log the result on the changelog.