Google is an excellent platform if you want to search for stuff on the web. But Reddit is pretty good too, especially if you’re looking for opinions and feedback from actual users. Now, it seems that Reddit wants to leverage its search by putting in ads.
Reddit testing placing ads in search
According to an announcement on its website, Reddit revealed that it is testing ad placement in search. “As we continue improving the user search experience on Reddit, we’re also beginning to test ad placements in search. These placements leverage existing ad targeting in search results pages on Reddit, which have high purchase and search intent.”
So, what will these ads look like? More or less similar to what you might expect from Google. Depending on what you search for, you will get ads that are relevant. Reddit gives examples of users searching for an “espresso station,” in which they might get ads for espresso machines, coffee beans, and mugs. Or if you’re searching for “home office setup,” you might get ads for monitors, desk, or office chairs. The placements will also look like the screenshot below.
That being said, this is currently a test. The company says only a limited number of advertisers will have access to this new format. “During this test, we will evaluate and understand how users respond to these ads so we can refine the experience for users and advertisers over time.”
Why is Reddit doing this?
Obviously being able to generate more money from ads is a good reason. But another reason is because Reddit is seeing a decrease in traffic to its website. This is apparently because of Google’s AI mode, which resulted in users getting the answers they need without having to visit the page itself.
Reddit has since announced plans to combat that by locking its content behind a login. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Reddit grapple with other companies trying to use its content for their own advantage. Last month, the company ended support for RSS feeds. Last year, they sued Anthropic for alleged unauthorized data scraping.
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