Platform tries to convert interest into direct visits and protect itself against click-through declines caused by Google’s AI.
Reddit will focus its efforts on becoming a search engine and attracting people looking for information, according to Steve Huffman, the company’s CEO. In a letter to investors, he outlined the platform’s strategy for continued growth.
“Every week, hundreds of millions of people come to Reddit looking for advice, and we’re increasingly turning that intent into users of Reddit’s native search,” Huffman said.
Reddit has 416.4 million unique weekly active users, while native search has 70 million. Reddit Answers, a tool that uses artificial intelligence to generate answers based on forum comments, has reached 6 million users, compared to just 1 million in the first quarter.
Part of the company’s strategy is to expand Reddit Answers globally and integrate it more deeply into search. Currently, the tool is only available in English.
It’s worth noting that the network already offers an automatic translation tool. Since much of the forum content is in English, this can help those who don’t speak the language read information, reports, and opinions.
Reddit tries to protect itself against Google’s AI
As The Verge notes, the plan to attract users to its own search engine also serves as a hedge against the changes Google has been making to search.
The Mountain View giant is betting big on artificial intelligence. First, it implemented AI Overviews, technology-generated responses based on search results, and it should soon release AI Mode, which essentially transforms the search engine into a chatbot.
One consequence of these tools is that fewer people are clicking on links to find information. Websites are the most affected, but Reddit could also suffer.
Over the past few years, the forum platform has gained traction as people began to Google searches by adding “reddit” after their terms to find more authentic, human-written answers based on real-life experiences.
“Reddit is one of the few platforms positioned to become a search destination. We offer something special: a variety of conversations and knowledge found nowhere else,” Huffman wrote in the document.
If AI Overviews and AI Mode begin to provide answers that satisfy users’ needs, Reddit may become less appealing to them.
