Reddit thrives on its millions of users logging in, sharing interesting content, and engaging in spirited discussions with their fellow Redditors. The most popular content on Reddit involves users posting external links. These backlinks can affect a site’s ranking and boost their SEO and search availability for your businesses.
So how do you get backlinks from Reddit? The most important element of getting backlinks on Reddit is to put out high-quality, shareable content that appeals to your target audience. Reddit links are nofollow links, but you can get dofollow links by getting your link in the subreddit sidebar.
The ins and outs of creating backlinks can be tricky if you are new to the Reddit community. Reddit is particularly sensitive to self-promotion so you’ll only be successful if you create great content on Reddit and on your website and engage with the Reddit community in a friendly manner on a regular basis.
Table of Contents
Is Reddit Good For SEO?
Lately, I’ve been trying to figure out the answer to this question. Is Reddit good for SEO?
Well, it really depends on your niche and blog content.
So far, I have tried a few of these strategies:
- Posting in subreddits that are relevant to my blog topic (e.g., fitness)
- Finding subreddits with high page ranks (subreddits with lots of karma)
- Participating in conversations or discussions about my blog post topic in popular subreddits
- Posting in subreddits that are relevant to my blog topic and then linking back
I have found success with the first two strategies. I would recommend trying these out before anything else.
When considering whether or not to use Reddit for SEO purposes, you should keep in mind that it’s a highly nuanced tool with many uses. That said, there are some things you can do on Reddit to help improve your search engine rankings and website traffic.
First off, the most basic way to leverage the platform is by participating in discussions on subreddits where your target audience hangs out (e.g., if you’re trying to reach teenagers interested in surfing, you might want to post about surf waxes).
If people take an interest in what you have to say and share it with their friends who also happen to be enthusiasts of surf waxes, then your site will start ranking higher for all sorts of related terms because Google sees so much activity around the topic.
Second, you can post links to your site on subreddits where it would be relevant and appropriate (eg., if there’s a discussion about surf waxes going then feel free). If people find value in what they’re reading or watching from that link-sharing source – whether because of its content quality/relevance or because of the quality/relevance to their interests – then they’ll likely click through and visit your site.
Third, you can post links on subreddits that are relevant but not appropriate (eg., if there’s a discussion about surf waxes going in r/”entrepreneurs” or “small business owners”, feel free). Again: if people find value in what they’re reading or watching from that link-sharing source – whether because of its content quality/relevance, the relevance to their interests (even if it’s not a perfect match), etc. then there is an opportunity for them click through and visit your site.”
Fourth: you can post links on subreddits where the topic of discussion IS related to your product, but it’s a subreddit with very few people who are interested in that subject matter or have an interest similar enough for them not be bothered by how off-topic (or “on” – if we’re talking about)it might be.
Fifth: you can post links on subreddits where the topic of discussion isn’t related at all, but it’s a subreddit with lots and LOTS (and I mean tons)of people who are interested in that subject matter or have an interest similar enough for them not be bothered by how off-topic it is.
Getting Backlinks on Reddit
I know you’ve been wondering this, so here’s the answer.
Is Reddit good for backlinks? Yes, Reddit is good for backlinks. It doesn’t matter if people are upvoting or downvoting your content. What matters is how many links you have from other subreddits and articles on the internet that link back to your post.
Luckily for us Redditors, we have a ton of active subreddits with different audiences which means there are many opportunities to get our posts in front of new eyes.
Here is how you can get backlink from Reddit:
1. Get backlinks through content
If you want to achieve any kind of success with Reddit, then the most important element is to create content that is valuable to your fellow Redditors. If you pick a subreddit and random and share a post containing your link with little to no other information, it is highly unlikely that your link will receive the right kind of attention. A link that comes across as spam or advertising will likely get heavily downvoted, which will affect your reputation within the community and may cause Redditors to remember your name in a negative context.
Your goal when creating your content is to garner positive attention from Redditors and get the maximum amount of upvotes on your posts. Your link will remain a nofollow link regardless of the number of upvotes that you receive. In order to get a dofollow link, you’ll want your link to appear in the sidebar of your chosen subreddit. Unless you start your own subreddit, this action will need to be completed by the subreddit moderator.
Take time to create content that is relevant to the subreddit you are using. It’s important to make sure you are posting engaging content to the right audience. Your products and services will not get the attention that they deserve if your links are being posted in the wrong place. Quality content is posted in the correct audience and contains something of value to your fellow Redditors. Carefully consider where your backlinks can do the most good and make your plan for when and where to post them for maximum effect.
Whether you are offering services applicable to problems of a certain subreddit, offering a product that appeals to the tech savvy, etc. make sure you are presenting your link as a helpful tool rather than a ploy to purchase. If your content does not add value to the members of that subreddit, you’ll likely receive a flood of downvotes which can affect your overall karma on the site and may prevent you from being successful in other areas of the platform. You can encourage upvotes and positive reactions by carrying on the conversation in the comments.
Another unfortunate side effect of creating content that comes across to your fellow redditors as spam or self-promotion is that your post and link may be removed altogether. Other Redditors have the ability to not only downvote your posts and comments, but to report them to the moderators as well. This can result in your post being removed entirely from the site. To protect against this, always make sure you read the subreddit guidelines before posting your backlink and ensure that you are following the rules of the subreddit you’ve chosen to post in.
In your quest to receive upvotes, get redditors to use your backlink, and promote traffic to your website, it’s important to make sure that the content of the webpage you are sending them to is the best that it can be.
To find out more about marketing on Reddit, don’t forget to check out our Reddit Resources.
2. Creating shareable content on your website
If you are seeking to create valuable backlinks through Reddit that will help increase your SEO rankings, you’ll need to ensure that your post content is engaging and that all of the content at your link’s destination is the best that it can be. Before you use a page from your website as a backlink, take time to make sure that your link will take the user to the correct place and that all information on that page is accurate and relevant to the topic that is being discussed. Proofread the site carefully for any typos or misleading phrasing. These can instantly put-off Redditors.
Boosting traffic, and your SEO ranking for your website will only be profitable if your site is in top condition. Take the time to double check that all of your information is accurate and well organized. Define what problem your product or service solves and make certain that your site reflects this information very clearly. If you post your link on Reddit as an answer to a user’s struggle, it’s incredibly important that your site clearly states and clearly answers that question right off the bat. If it does not, you may find your post will get downvoted, or removed.
Engaging copy is important for your website, especially if you are getting backlinks through Reddit. Remember that Reddit can have a short attention span, so you’ll need to provide them with content that is easily digestible and, most importantly, entertaining. Entertaining your audience does not necessarily mean filling your site with jokes, but you’ll need to keep their attention. If your site contains videos showing how your product or service works and concise and interesting descriptions it will likely go over well with the Reddit crowd and earn upvotes.
Creating shareable content on your website is essential for success on Reddit. Popular content will get upvoted, and positive interactions with your post can result in website traffic and could help get your link in the subreddit sidebar. Reddit links in posts and in comments are no follow links. In order to turn them into dofollow links, you can get your link featured in the sidebar of your chosen subreddit.
You can create dofollow links by getting your site added to the subreddit sidebar. If you’ve curated quality content and have a history of positive interactions in your subreddit, you can request that the moderators feature your site in the subreddit sidebar. To message moderators, simply scroll through the subreddit sidebar until you see the field “moderators” and select the message icon.
3. Strategize by finding the right subreddit for you
In order to get backlinks from Reddit, it’s important that you are sharing your content to the right subreddit for you. Reddit boasts over a million different subreddits to choose from. It’s a great idea to sit down and find at least ten subreddits that are very relevant to your content and joining those first. Once you’ve found your list of subreddits, you’ll want to take the following actions in order to ensure that your links have the best chance of creating quality back links, getting upvotes, and boosting SEO:
- Get to know the subreddit before posting. If you spend a few weeks watching and engaging with the content that appears in the subreddit you’ll start noticing trends. You may start to notice some community-specific lingo, which types of contents (photos, videos, etc.) gets the most attention, and the time of day when users are most active.
- Follow the subreddit guidelines. In addition to the unofficial rules, or “Reddiquette” that governs the site, you’ll also find guidelines for each subreddit. When you open up your chosen subreddit, you will see a list of community guidelines that all posters must follow. If you are interested in getting backlinks, make sure that your posts always follow these rules.
- Stay on topic. There is a subreddit for almost any topic out there. Redditors choose to join subreddits based on their interests. If you start posting links in unrelated subreddits you will alienate your fellow Redditors and it is unlikely you’ll get any benefits from this.
- Put in the effort. Quickly making an account, joining a few subreddits, and spamming the same link in every community will result in downvotes and even bans from the site. If you are interested in getting backlinks, make sure you engage with the community first.
4. Engaging with the Reddit community
You can increase your ability to get backlinks on Reddit by engaging with the Reddit community. Now that you’ve selected your best subreddits for posting links, you’ll want to make sure that you frequent these subreddits often. Make sure that you post some content and some comments that are not links. If you put out too many links, your account can easily get tagged as a spammer account, so use caution when you are posting links. Take breaks between posting links to engage insightful and helpful discussions in other Redditors comment sections.
Remember that other Redditors can see your comment and post history, so you want to make sure your content is consistent but not repetitive. If you join ten relevant subreddits and post the exact same links in each and every one of them, it will not go unnoticed. Make sure that your posts are all different from each other and specific to the subreddit you are posting them in to avoid getting downvotes and nofollow links. It is important to share your link only when it is applicable to the situation to avoid this fate. You should always think twice before posting a link.
When you post a link, make sure that you include helpful or insightful text along with it. The most upvoted content generally includes between one hundred and two hundred words of text. As long as you demonstrate credibility and intrigue your fellow Reddit users, this will result in plenty of upvotes to the post containing your link. You’ll also want to make sure to engage with any Redditors who comment on the post containing your linik. This shows the other Redditors that you are an active member of the group and not a spammer looking to profit off of them.
In addition, you should always only have one account on Reddit at a time. Reddit users are intelligent and if you are caught trying to scheme the system by creating fake profiles in order to upvote your post into a dofollow link, you will likely be caught in the act. This will result in your post being removed, and possibly being banned both in the subreddit and on the site as a whole. If this happens, you’ve wasted a ton of time trying to create a backlink on Reddit that will not benefit your SEO in the end. It is better to take your time and share your links correctly.
5. Research other backlink methods to get ideas for Reddit
When you are looking into getting backlinks from Reddit, it can be useful to look into other methods of gaining backlink for inspiration. It is possible that you may be able to tweak other ideas into something that you can use on Reddit. In addition to searching for alternate methods, you may also choose to search or ask Reddit directly. There is a lot of useful information about Reddit on the site. If you do choose to ask Reddit about backlinks, keep in mind that this information will stay on your profile and may alert other users that this is your goal.
Checking into other backlink methods can tip you off to the type of content you should be creating to get the most Reddit traffic. If you decide to research other ways of getting backlinks before delving into your Reddit work, here are a few popular methods:
- Provide visual data. Some of the most engaging content that drives backlinks are infographics. It may be worth your time and money to even hire a professional designer to handle the visuals for this. You can even use Reddit to help find a qualified designer.
- Guest blogging. When you publish guest blogs on other popular websites it creates valuable backlinks. Through engaging with the Reddit community, you may find collaborators to work with in this capacity.
- Find your competitors. Are your competitors on Reddit as well? What kind of methods are they using and how do they use the platform to connect?
- Be the subject of an interview. Your interview will be an easy way to establish backlinks and frame you as an expert in your topic. If you’re looking for a Reddit specific interview, you can present yourself as an authority in your industry and conduct an AMA (Ask me anything) post. Interested Redditors will be able to ask you anything they want about your industry, personal life, business, etc.
Importance of backlinks from Reddit
Reddit is an ideal spot to acquire backlinks because it is an authoritative site. In addition to giving your site an uptick in traffic, it can also be beneficial to your page ranking. Reddit has close to two billion unique visitors every month, making it nearly as busy as any other social media site. However, Reddit users are typically more engaged and active on Reddit than, say , the average Facebook user is on Facebook. The largely young male audience frequently engages in content that contains external links to helpful and interesting websites.
The loyalty of these highly active Redditors is incredibly valuable. Once you find your niche and begin commenting and posting high quality content you may get some of the internet’s most devoted followers. Reddit often refers to itself as the front page of the internet and is usually regarded as a hub of jokes, pop culture, and news and is often a reflection on what is happening in the world. Being seen as a valuable asset by these Redditors who seem to have their fingers on the pulse of the internet can result in valuable backlinks and valuable connections as well.
If your video, links, infographics, and interviews are valued by Reddit, then you also have the opportunity to gain additional backlinks. Because Redditors are sharers and very active internet users, you may find that they will share your content both in other Reddit communities and even on other social media platforms. Redditors may choose to repost your links on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or Pinterest. This gives you the chance to get even more quality backlinks as the content is shared across multiple platforms. This can have lasting effects.
Investing the time into getting backlinks from Reddit can continue to pay off for months and even years into the future as your posts are recycled and reshared by Redditors. An infographic, for example, can spend years making its way around the internet and help your SEO along the way. As long as you participate in the community, share valuable content, use the right subreddits for you, strategize thoughtfully, conduct some light research before you get started, and earn dofollow links from the subreddit sidebar, Reddit is a great source for quality backlinks.
Reddit Resources
The Complete List of Subreddits That You Can Advertise On
Reddit Polls
How to Get on The Front Page of Reddit
How to Block Subreddits?
What Is The Reddit Logo Called?
What Age Group Uses Reddit?
How Do I Promote My Product On Reddit?
Guide To Getting Backlinks From Reddit
Reddit Ads vs Facebook Ads
How To Advertise On Reddit For Free
Reddit Ad Examples
Reddit Ads API – Detailed Set Up & Usage Guide