Gone are the days of consumers purchasing from brands based on firsthand experience, with online reviews influencing the buying decisions of as many as 90% of consumers, according to Erase.com findings.
And more often than not, those conversations are happening on conversational bulletin boards such as Reddit.
For brands, this makes safeguarding their online reputations even more difficult.
This is especially true after Reddit's share of Google's Top 3 rankings increased from 8.56% in March to 10.24% following Google's May 2026 Core Update, per Search Engine Journal.
Conversations that once lived inside niche communities are now some of the internet's most visible opinions and perceptions.
It's a scenario that Erase.com, a leading online reputation management company, has been watching closely.
In this DesignRush interview, Erase.com CEO, Cenk Uzunkaya, discusses why Reddit now deserves a place in reputation strategy discussions and what leaders should look out for as AI changes the way people research companies online.
Why Reddit Is Reshaping Online Reputation
A few years ago, the Reddit platform sat outside of the reputation strategies of most companies. But today, ignoring it means overlooking one of the internet's most visible sources of customer opinion.
“Much of that comes down to two developments which have expanded the platform's reach well beyond its own communities,” Uzunkaya explains.
“Reddit's licensing agreement with Google expanded access to its content, while large language models increasingly rely on Reddit discussions as training material.”
Its influence has become difficult to ignore, particularly as Reddit now attracts roughly five billion organic visits and ranks sixth globally for organic search traffic.
The platform also ranks among the five most-cited domains across AI search platforms such as ChatGPT, Google's AI experiences, and Perplexity.
Search almost any transactional query such as "best CRM" to "Is [brand] legit?" or "[product] reviews," and there's a good chance a Reddit thread will appear on the first page.
Those conversations are also finding their way into AI-generated answers, giving them even greater influence over purchasing decisions.
“For businesses, reputation management can no longer be confined to owned channels,” Uzunkaya says.
“It's being shaped by public conversations where authenticity carries more weight than polished messaging. Unfortunately, it's also where brands have little control over what gets said.”
Why Consumers Trust Reddit More Than Reviews
Research indicates that around 32% of Gen Z users in the U.S. deliberately add "Reddit" to Google searches at least once a week.
Meanwhile, Reddit's own search now attracts 28 million queries daily.
Even without adding the platform to a search, threads from the platform appear when people compare products, read reviews, or research companies.
That trend is noticeable when people are researching eCommerce and retail products.
Reddit's share of Google's Top 3 rankings for eCommerce and retail searches increased from 11.50% to 14.11% after Google’s May Core Update, according to a Search Engine Journal report.
It’s not hard to understand why, with most people wanting to hear about first-hand and real experiences from a consumer rather than scrolling through polished marketing copy.
Unfortunately, those online conversations can stick around, with a Reddit thread written years ago still possibly ranking in search results and potentially shaping a reader’s opinion.
That's why companies can't focus only on what's being said today, with yesterday's conversations often becoming tomorrow's first impression.
"Consumers want to hear from someone with no stake in the sale,” Uzunkaya adds.
“A three-year-old thread where a stranger complains about your support team can carry more weight than a hundred five-star reviews on your own site."
How to Monitor Reddit Without Losing Credibility
The biggest mistake companies make is to assume that every Reddit post needs a response because it doesn't.
One negative comment doesn’t always tell the full story. Repeated complaints, the same questions appearing across multiple threads, misinformation, or confusion around a product are far more revealing.
“Fortunately, keeping track of those conversations can be managed,” Uzunkaya explains.
“Some companies utilize monitoring platforms such as Brand24, while others connect directly to Reddit's API to follow the communities they consider most important.“
The API remains free for personal and non-commercial use, although commercial pricing can become expensive, which makes dedicated monitoring tools a better fit.
But equally as important of tracking these conversations is knowing when to just stay out of the discussion.
While some Reddit users may welcome honest participation, they have little patience for brands that appear to only defend themselves or push a message.
For brands wanting to hop onto Reddit, honest participation comes from answering questions when they have something useful to add, acknowledging mistakes when they're justified, and leaving everything else well alone.
"The goal here is to show awareness and not control over the discussion,” Uzunkaya adds. “The moment a community senses that you're trying to steer the conversation, you've lost it."
Where Reddit Fits in Reputation Management
Reddit isn't the place for polished marketing as these communities don't have much patience for promotional posts, and they're usually quick to spot brands trying to pass advertising off as genuine conversation.
However, that doesn't mean that companies should stay clear altogether.
“People ask questions, compare products, and share customer experiences every day,” Uzunkaya explains.
“When there's something useful to contribute, joining the conversation makes sense. However, turning every discussion into a sales pitch doesn't.”
The conversations that matter most usually happen without the brand.
A customer that recommends a product, compares it with a competitor, or shares a positive experience can often carry more weight than an expensive advertising campaign because nobody asked them to say it.
And that's why trust can't be manufactured. It comes from giving people a first-hand account of their experience.
“You can't astroturf Reddit, and you shouldn't try, but one authentic recommendation that ranks well can do more for perception than most paid campaigns," Uzunkaya says.
Spot Reputation Risks Before They Reach AI
By the time AI starts recommending a brand, or warning people away from one, the conversation has usually been going on for a while.
“That's why it's no longer enough to only watch Google,” Uzunkaya explains.
“Keep an eye on what appears when people search for terms such as "best [category]," "is [brand] worth it," or "[brand] alternatives." Those are often the same questions people ask just before deciding whether to buy.”
Following those conversations doesn't require expensive software.
Some companies use dedicated monitoring platforms, while others combine AI APIs with search data from services such as DataForSEO to see how their brands appear across search engines and AI-generated answers.
It's an approach that Erase.com increasingly uses to help clients understand how they're being represented across search and AI.
Not every complaint deserves equal attention. Every brand attracts occasional complaints. What matters is whether the conversation starts spreading.
A thread collecting upvotes, appearing across multiple communities, or climbing branded search results has a much better chance of shaping what future customers see.
Catch those conversations early, and there's still time to respond before they become the version of your brand that everyone else sees.
"A single negative comment is noise,” Uzunkaya says.
“A thread gaining upvotes, getting cross-posted, or starting to rank for your brand terms is a leading indicator that it's about to show up in an AI summary."
What's Next for Reddit, AI, and Brand Trust?
Reddit isn't dominating search by accident. AI still depends on something Reddit has more of than almost anywhere else. Real conversations between real people.
“That's what makes Reddit valuable to someone researching a brand, and just as valuable to the systems answering those questions,” Uzunkaya adds.
“But that also creates a challenge. As Reddit becomes more influential, more people will try to manipulate the conversation, and some already are.”
But over time, search engines and AI models will become better at separating genuine recommendations from coordinated promotion, making authentic customer experiences even more valuable.
Reddit won't be the only platform shaping reputations forever. As AI gets better at understanding video and images, platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are likely to play a much bigger role in how brands are discovered and discussed.
And while the platforms may change, the expectations won't. People will keep looking for honest opinions before making decisions, wherever those conversations happen.
"For years, companies shaped their reputations through the content they published. Today, they're increasingly shaped by what other people say about them," Uzunkaya says.
