With traditional search results increasingly cluttered by AI-generated content and SEO-optimized spam, many users have taken to appending “Reddit” to their queries to find more authentic, human answers. Google has noticed and even integrated Reddit posts into its results but Reddit itself has bigger plans: it wants to be the search engine people turn to first.
During its Q2 earnings call on Thursday, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman made the company’s ambitions clear. “Reddit is one of the few platforms positioned to become a true search destination,” he said. “We offer something special, a breadth of conversations and knowledge you can’t find anywhere else.”
Reddit’s search currently serves over 70 million users each week, and its AI-powered Q&A tool, Reddit Answers, has already attracted 6 million users across a dozen countries. The company now plans to unify its core search function with Reddit Answers and give the search bar a central, permanent spot in the app interface aiming to make search the starting point for every user.
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“We’re bringing Reddit search and Reddit Answers into one unified experience,” Huffman explained. “Whether it’s your first time using Reddit or your hundredth, the search box will be front and center.”
As users grow accustomed to chat-based search from platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI mode, Reddit believes its archive of real user discussions and insights offers a unique advantage in helping people find meaningful answers.
Reddit also reported a strong second quarter, with revenue up 78% year-over-year to $500 million. The company introduced two new advertising tools that allow brands to tap into Reddit data to identify emerging trends and leverage user conversations in marketing campaigns.
Reddit’s pivot toward search could redefine its role on the internet not just as a social platform, but as a knowledge engine fueled by human experience.
