As AI increasingly takes over internet searches, Reddit has found itself in a prominent position—making it a new battleground for brands trying to game AI. In the Verge, Mia Sato cites Semrush data that shows Reddit was the most-cited domain by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini in May. Marketers have taken note, and a “whole host of startups, brands, and agencies are coming to Reddit to try to promote their companies in hopes that they will get picked up by AI,” writes Sato. That presents a challenge for a “platform that users have come to associate with authenticity and unfiltered, truthful opinions.”
As for how this takes shape, Sato shares the story of user Primary-Taro4254, who responded to a question asked in a skincare subreddit about a particular hypochlorous acid spray. “I haven’t personally tried [that brand] so I can’t fully compare, sorry,” Primary-Taro4254 wrote. “But I have been using a similar hypochlorous acid spray from Honeydew Labs and I’ve honestly really liked it.” A dive into Primary-Taro4254’s profile shows similar posts about the Honeydew Labs spray across a number of related subreddits; a moderator later said they took action on the user. Volunteer moderators are the main line of defense and are building keyword filters and “sh-t lists” of brands suspected of trying to secretly promote themselves. Reddit itself says it’s catching 25,000 spammy posts using its tools.