Are Reddit and Quora users the new influencers?

I’ve been digging into a question that’s becoming impossible to ignore: as AI search grows smarter, are Reddit and Quora users emerging as the new influencers? Let’s unpack the data – and what it all means for SEO, content strategy, and digital PR.

1. AI search IS disrupting traditional SEO

According to Semrush’s recent AI Search Traffic Study, “AI search visitors to surpass traditional search visitors in 2028” is no longer a bold prediction – it’s likely conservative. For SEO’s, that’s huge. These users aren’t just browsing – they’re high‑intent: “The average LLM visitor is worth 4.4x the average traditional organic search visitor.”

What this means is clear: the future of SEO isn’t just about rankings – it’s about being cited by AI. If AI gives an answer straight from your content, you’re influencing without the click. That’s where Reddit and Quora come into play.

2. Why Reddit and Quora matter now

One of the standout insights from Semrush’s study is that Quora was the most‑cited site in Google’s AI Overviews (AIO), with Reddit a close second. Both platforms are full of niche, authentic Q&A that AI loves to integrate.

These platforms beat out so many mainstream publishers – not because they’re higher authority in Google’s eyes, but because they hold answers to very specific questions. Google’s AI Overviews team leveraged Reddit and Quora for that reason: they’re treasure troves of high‑quality, user‑generated insights.

Here’s the juicy part: Reddit’s even been integrated into Google’s AI models via a reported $60 million per year licensing partnership in 2024. It’s no accident that Reddit responses now pop up frequently in AI Overviews – and sometimes without links.

3. Are they the “new influencers”?

Short answer: yes – but not in the traditional sense. While Instagram and YouTube influencers built their empires on follower counts and curated content, Reddit and Quora users are gaining traction through authenticity, expertise, and relevance.

These platforms thrive on lived experience, long-form responses, and community moderation. Upvotes and responses act as social proof, turning ordinary users into trusted authorities in niche topics.

Reddit threads and Quora answers are often detailed, balanced, and written by people who genuinely care about a subject – or who have real-world knowledge to share. And in the ecosystem of AI-driven search, where Google wants to provide immediate, nuanced, accurate responses, these detailed contributions are gold dust.

It’s not about influencer selfies or sponsored posts anymore. It’s about real people answering real questions – and AI seeing them as the most credible source.

4. What this should mean for your search strategy

This shift to AI-powered results doesn’t mean abandoning traditional SEO. Instead, it means evolving how and where your brand shows up.

To make the most of Reddit and Quora’s influence, here are four things to focus on:

• Actively engage on Reddit and Quora
  Start participating in conversations in relevant subreddits or topic spaces. Offer valuable advice, not sales pitches. Use a genuine voice, answer questions thoroughly, and where appropriate, link back to high-quality content on your site (that helps answer the question further).
• Deliver AI-friendly content on your website
  Create concise, question-led content that mimics the style of Reddit and Quora answers. Use subheadings, structured data, and a conversational tone. Think FAQs, how-tos, and expert explainers that AI can easily lift from. Good old fashioned SEO best practice!
• Leverage Digital PR to drive brand mentions
  Earned media and thought leadership still matter. When your brand is mentioned in trusted media or forums, it boosts your perceived authority and brand credibility – not just to people, but to AI too.
• Track mentions and visibility in AI Overviews
  Tools like Semrush or Ahrefs now show which URLs or brands appear in AI-generated results. Use this to monitor where your content is being picked up, and adapt your strategy based on what’s working.

Cut through the noise of AI-generated answers

One challenge, particularly on Quora, is the rising volume of AI-generated responses. The platform has always welcomed a broad range of contributions, but there’s now a noticeable uptick in formulaic, shallow, or generic answers – many clearly written by AI tools.

For brands or individuals wanting to genuinely build trust and visibility here, the key is standing out for the right reasons. AI-generated content often lacks the nuance, context, or lived experience that makes an answer resonate.

Here’s how to cut through the noise:

• Be specific
  Use real-world examples, industry knowledge, or data to anchor your response. AI tends to generalise – humans bring detail and tell stories.
• Show personality
  A conversational tone, a sprinkle of wit, or even a story helps signal authenticity. If it reads too clean, it’s probably forgettable.
• Go deeper
  Avoid surface-level explanations. Break down your answer into logical, clear points with helpful formatting (bullets, bolding).
• Engage in comments
  Follow up with users, clarify points, and engage in the discussion. It’s something AI can’t do – and shows you’re present (and real!).

This doesn’t just help with visibility on the platform – it increases the likelihood that AI tools like Google’s AI Overviews will see your response as worth citing over others. AI rewards clarity, structure, and the trust signals we’ve already explored – and those are easier to deliver when you’re genuinely contributing, not just publishing for the sake of it.

5. Comparing brand-sourced vs user-sourced content

You don’t need to choose between your brand’s content and community-driven platforms – you need both. Brand content establishes authority, consistency, and trust. It gives you a home base to link back to and ensures key messages are well articulated.

But community content – whether that’s reviews, forum answers, or Reddit/Quora contributions. It adds a layer of social validation and discoverability that traditional brand content often lacks.

Let’s break it down:

Think of it like this:

• Brand content = your polished shop window
• Reddit/Quora content = customers chatting about your product in the street outside

The magic happens when those conversations lead more people to step inside. A smart SEO strategy will leverage both.

6. A tactical roadmap

Here’s a practical five-step roadmap to build visibility across both AI Overviews and trusted community platforms:

1. Audit
   Identify the questions your audience is already asking and tie them to your content pillars. Use tools like AlsoAsked, AnswerThePublic, and your own site search data to surface FAQs and long-tail queries.
2. Community engagement
   Dedicate time each week to contribute to Reddit and Quora. Share genuinely helpful insights. Don’t sell – serve.
3. On-site Q&A content
   Build or expand your FAQ hubs, blog posts, and pillar pages using the same language and tone as the best answers you see on community platforms.
4. Monitor
   Track brand mentions and content snippets being pulled into AI Overviews. If your content is being cited, understand why. If not, reverse-engineer what is.
5. Amplify
   Use Digital PR to pitch thought leadership, expert opinions, or community-driven stories to top-tier media, boosting both your brand’s visibility, credibility and authority.

Final thoughts

Yes, Reddit and Quora users are becoming a new class of influencer – not because they have massive followings, but because they’re useful. They offer answers, insights, and perspectives that help people make decisions, they also help AI decide which content to serve up first.

This shift is rooted in relevance, trust, and authenticity – principles that have always underpinned effective SEO and content marketing. But as AI search evolves, we need to ensure our strategies are too. It’s no longer just about ranking – it’s about being the kind of brand that AI chooses to reference, and being present in the conversations your audience is already having.

I was chatting about this with our Senior Technical SEO Manager, Jake, and he asked a great question:

“How long before this space becomes saturated or starts to lose its authenticity and relevancy?”

It’s easy to imagine a future where brands start reaching out to influential Redditors or Quora users, encouraging them to seed discussions or share sentiment in favour of a client or product. Just like we’ve seen with Instagram or TikTok influencers, this could blur the line between genuine recommendation and paid promotion.

If that happens, there’s a real risk that the credibility and influence these platforms hold could be diluted, and relatively quickly. The power of Reddit and Quora lies in their honesty and community-driven dialogue. Once that feels commercialised, users and AI models may begin to look elsewhere for trusted input.

So yes, Reddit and Quora users are quietly shaping how people and machines find information. But if we want to engage meaningfully, it can’t be forced. The opportunity lies in contributing value, not just visibility – with integrity, not manipulation. That’s how you’ll win.