Reddit’s stock just ate dirt after missing Q4 user growth targets. Their excuse? Google’s algorithm changes killed their traffic. CEO Steve Huffman’s response was peak corporate poetry:
“Google algorithm changes — they happen.”

Yeah Steve, they do. But here’s what else happened: Reddit built a walled garden, banned half the internet over emojis, and somehow expected traffic to keep flowing. Now they’re learning a $38 billion lesson about digital ecosystem dependency.

But forget Reddit’s drama for a second. Their pain is your gain – if you’re smart enough to learn from it.

While Reddit Begs for Clicks, Smart Players Are Getting Rich

Everyone’s freaking out about Google’s AI summaries stealing their traffic. Meanwhile, Reddit’s revenue beat expectations. How? They stopped begging Google for scraps and started selling their data to AI companies. Your move, algorithm chasers.

Lesson for the rest of us: Stop building your house on Google’s land. They’ll change the property laws whenever they feel like it.

The Real Reason Reddit’s Bleeding Users (It’s Not Just Google)

Let’s get real: Reddit’s traffic was already on thin ice. When you turn your platform into an echo chamber and start playing digital hall monitor, users don’t just vanish – they run to competitors. Google just accelerated the inevitable.

Think MySpace circa 2008: Perfect SEO, dead community. Rankings mean nothing if nobody sticks around.

Here’s How Not to Be Reddit

  1. Stop Obsessing Over Algorithm Tea Leaves
    Build something people actually want to find. Reddit got lazy, thinking their size made them immune to Google’s mood swings. Spoiler: Nobody’s immune. Not them, not you.
  2. Diversify or Die
    • Build an email list like your business depends on it (because it does)
    • Create content worth stealing (Reddit’s making bank licensing theirs)
    • Get cozy with platforms that aren’t Google (shock, they exist)
  3. Community Beats Keywords Every Time
    Reddit forgot this. Don’t be Reddit.

    • Enable comments (actual ones, not just spam folders)
    • Link to useful stuff (even competitors – be bold)
    • Start conversations instead of chasing keywords

The Nuclear Option: Build Something Worth Finding

Here’s what Google actually wants: Proof you’re not just another content mill pumping out AI-generated fluff. Show some personality. Take a stand. Be the site that makes people say “thank god I found this” instead of “meh, next result.”

Your Survival Checklist

  • ✅ Double down on expertise (real expertise, not just “trust me bro” content)
  • ✅ When pages tank, make them better (don’t just SEO them harder)
  • ✅ Play the long game (Reddit’s still up 600% since IPO, despite the face plant)

Bottom Line
Google’s going to keep changing things. That’s their job. Your job? Build something so good that when Google’s algorithm sneezes, your audience doesn’t even notice.

Remember: Reddit turned a vibrant community into a sterile SEO farm and got punched in the mouth for it. Don’t be Reddit.

Your move.