Reddit says it is testing ads on its own search results pages. The company announced the test on November 3 and said it involves a select group of advertisers. It did not say which countries or devices are included, how many users will see the ads, or how long the test will last.
The placement matters because a person looking up a product on Reddit may see a paid placement on the same page as results from community discussions. Reddit’s announcement says the placement uses its existing ad targeting and that relevance to the search query is one possible factor. Reddit did not say how prominently ads will appear or whether they will look the same on the app and website.
How this differs from Reddit’s shopping test
In February, Reddit began testing shopping carousels in search. Those panels showed products, prices and links to buy, beginning with consumer electronics for a limited group of US users, PPC Land reported. The November announcement describes paid placements and leaves their format open. Reddit has not said whether the test includes promoted posts, shopping units or both.
The distinction matters for advertisers too. A company may be able to reach people while they are actively researching a purchase. The announcement leaves open whether advertisers can buy the search placement separately, what it costs and what performance data they will receive. Reddit says it will study how users respond before refining the test.
