Reddit CEO warns Google: 'Just about anybody using Google will end up on Reddit'

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has taken a veiled swipe at Google, suggesting that the social platform is already functioning as a search engine for millions of users worldwide. The comments were made during Reddit’s recent earnings call, which followed a sharp 25% surge in its stock price after a strong quarterly report.

In the call, Huffman remarked, “Those who are using Google will end up on Reddit at some point.” He further explained that this pattern is now the norm for most Reddit users, whether they initiate searches directly on the platform or land on Reddit through third-party search engines like Google.

“Just about anybody using Google at this point will end up on Reddit at some point,” Huffman reiterated. “Those users can be core Reddit users as well, so it’s not a stretch to say our core users are already scrollers and seekers.”

‘Reddit’ is among Google’s top search terms

Huffman also highlighted that “Reddit” has become one of the most-searched terms on Google. According to him, more users are now appending the word "Reddit" to their search queries in order to find real, human-generated answers instead of AI-written responses or content farms.

When asked about the impact of Google’s new AI-generated Search experience, Huffman said the tech giant’s product is evolving rapidly and that such changes affect everyone across the digital ecosystem.

“Google is testing a lot on their side,” he said. “We’ve seen some positives and negatives, but there are a couple of foundational truths. One of them is why the word ‘Reddit’ is one of the most searched-for terms on Google. Users go to Google with the intention of ending up on Reddit.”

Clearly, Reddit sees itself not just as a social network, but as a powerful search destination in its own right.