What is Reddit.com and Why You Should be Using It to Help Your SEO
In the intricately weaved vastness that is the World Wide Web, it’s difficult to find a true sense of community. Reddit.com is just that–a community. Actually, Reddit.com is a mass of multiple communities, or subreddits, each with hundreds of users dedicated to a specific or particular subject. Although Reddit might not be able to compete with the numbers of sweeping social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, it’s the only place where you can dig deep into a target market. So, how do you use Reddit the right way?
How Reddit.com works
Reddit is like any content sharing website. Users post questions, interesting videos, pictures, articles, or ideas that might spark an interest with other Reddit users. These posts are up voted or down voted by users based on relevance or interest. If a user has a great question that requires great answers, the post is likely to get up voted to the front page. But generic marketing posts made to sell a product or get website traffic are easily spotted by the savvy Redditor.
If you’re an SEO marketer trying to advertise your company or website on Reddit, users will likely spot it, and your post will be down voted deep into the well of outcast posts. The best way to make the most out of Reddits potential is to blend in with the community. Before you post, take the time to study the website and it’s users. You’ll see that the community is tight-knit–especially within the subreddits.
Take Advantage of Subreddit Markets
What makes Reddit so unique are the subreddits that divide the billions of users into managable groups of people. The subreddits are specific pages within Reddit dedicated to one subject. If you’re a company that specializes in making surfboards, there’s a subreddit for surfing (reddit.com/r/surfing). Unlike Facebook or Twitter, you’re not posting a boilerplate ad in hopes of reaching a certain number of people. Instead, you are making specific posts that Reddit users are genuinely interested in. But, you have to do it the right way. And the right way is to be honest. Redditors aren’t too fond of tricky marketing schemes.
Quality over Quantity
Rather than spending your resources and time making multiple, generic posts, take the time to make valuable content. A large number of the Reddit users are well educated and will know when something feels spammy. If you have a website that sells art supplies, consider writing interesting SEO content on, let’s say, insider painting tricks and techniques. Posting a link to an interesting article in a relevant subreddit is an easy way to let the Reddit community know you’re there to share valuable information.
Advertisements are supposed to make people want what you’re selling, but Reddit posts adhere to the people who want value. If you have a valuable product or service, trickle in website traffic with engaging content. It’s a surefire way of building a fan base. If Redditors like a post, they’ll share the content on their own blog or social media outlets.
Get Involved
If you’re a Reddit member whose only posts consist of self-promotion, Redditors will catch on. Don’t make the mistake of making posts and leaving the site to do the rest. The Reddit users are very involved, and will take notice if you are too. Plus, getting involved with Reddit allows you to study your market for free. There’s always a buzzing conversation on the website, and depending on which subreddits you’re watching, there are questions that need answering. Who knows, you might just have a blog post with the right answer.
Get Ideas for Content on Your Website
So, maybe you’re fumbling around with cliché content ideas and you’ve hit a wall. What content is thought-provoking enough to generate traffic and still be relevant to the business or product? Reddit has another benefit over other social media platforms—it’s the breeding ground for viral content.
If you want to be in the now before everyone else, you can peruse popular subreddits related to your business and find some interesting questions or posts that could make for a traffic-heavy blog post on your website. Some Reddit users skip Google all together and seek answers from like-minded Redditors. If these people have unanswered questions relating to your business, make a blog post that answers these questions. You want to know what the people want? Get on Reddit, and you’re sure to find out.
Find Keywords
Searching through subreddits is a good way to find interesting SEO keywords. With hundreds of posts being submitted daily, it’s easy to see what keywords pop up on a frequent basis. Maybe you’re using keywords that are extremely competitive and you’re having a difficult time climbing the ranks of SERPS?
Reddit posts utilize keywords that may give you an advantage over the competition. Study specific posts, especially ones with a lot of back and forth conversation. You’d be surprised how much keyword gold you can find.
Honesty Is the Best Policy
Reddit is all about honesty. If you’re posting something that is dishonest or irrelevant, you’ll be down voted quicker than you can say subreddit. If you’re trying to figure out how to get clients, you must become the client. Comment, vote up or down, and make yourself out to be a member of the Reddit community. Pick the proper subreddit to promote your website and be in tune with the current topics of conversation. You do not want to stick out like a sore thumb. Blend in with the Redditors, post honest, relevant content, and you’ll reap the rewards.
Matthew is the President of Infront Webworks and is a New England native now calling Colorado Springs home. Matt attended The University of NH where he pursued a BS in Natural Resource Economics & Business Administration. Aside from Infront; Matthew has owned and managed two other online agencies based on the seacoast of New Hampshire and been a key player in multiple technology mergers & acquisitions. When he’s not bathing in technology, online marketing & business; he’s probably spending time with his wife and daughter, boating, skiing the trees, hiking or cooking..he is a foodie for sure!
