Objective
The way brands are discovered online is undergoing a structural adjustment. Until last week, Reddit accounted for more than 40% of citations in Large Language Model (LLM) outputs. OpenAI’s latest update—mirrored by moves at Google and others—reduced Reddit’s weight in favor of licensed, “grounded” sources. This wasn’t a routine tweak; it was a response to large-scale manipulation and Reddit’s outsized influence on generative systems.
This wasn’t a routine tweak; it was the industry’s “Authenticity Shockwave”—a corrective response to large-scale manipulation and Reddit’s outsized influence on generative systems. The update stripped away Reddit’s SEO-driven reach while preserving its deeper value as licensed cultural training data.
Legacy discovery systems are catching up to the post-LLM internet. Search, citation, and navigation layers are being re-engineered to balance community input with corporate authority, reshaping how visibility is earned.
In this environment, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) has rapidly evolved alongside the rapid evolution of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Our advisory board and industry reporting converge on a dual strategy:
Community engagement (Reddit, X, YouTube, forums) to supply sentiment, context, and training signals.
Corporate publishing (blogs, product sites) to establish credibility, grounding, and citation in LLM and search outputs.
Subjective
Neglecting either layer risks invisibility in the other.
Here’s the practical takeaway: the baseline is moving now. The brands that prepare early—by pairing scalable community presence with authoritative, tiered publishing—will set the benchmarks others must chase. Waiting until standards harden means competing from behind against rivals who already engineered their discoverability for both humans and machines.
I’ve spent the past decade helping startups and enterprises win on Reddit and adjacent communities. I can help you evaluate where you stand, identify the quickest wins across both layers, and outline a plan that compounds—fast.
Contexts
#content-optimization (See: Content Optimization)
#generative-engine-optimization (See: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO))
#search-engine-optimization (See: Search Engine Optimization (SEO))