ChatGPT dropped 90% of Reddit citations overnight in Sept 2025- and now it's back!
In mid-2025, Reddit was the:
- #1 source for Perplexity (45% frequency of answers)
- #1 source for Google AI Overviews (21% of citations)
- #2 source for ChatGPT (12% share of top citations).
Wikipedia held the #1 spot for ChatGPT with 40% share of top citations.
Other share of citations: Perplexity #2 YouTube (20%). Google AIO #2 YouTube (19%), #3 Quora (13%).
However, a technical disruption in September 2025- linked to Google's removal of the num=100 search parameter- caused Reddit citations in ChatGPT to crash from 12% to nearly 2%.
Crucially, this drop was temporary. By January 2026, Reddit citations in ChatGPT recovered to 12%!
This "V-shaped" recovery trajectory proves that LLMs require trusted user-generated content (UGC).
For brands, this means that "Reddit SEO/ AEO"- the practice of monitoring and engaging in community discussions is a primary data feed for LLMs (for now).
EZY.ai Dashboard contains the Reddit Presence widget (pictured below) which:
- Monitors: Your brand & competitor mentions
- Detects: High-intent threads worth joining (Opportunity Finder)
- Suggests: AI-drafted, rule-compliant posts for you to review & publish
- Analyzes: Sentiment, upvotes, and community engagement
So, a note to EZY.ai clients- what's changed in 2026?
- #1 Wikipedia: back down to 20%
- #2 LinkedIn: 15% (Steady rise)
- #3 Reddit: 12% (back up)
- #4 "Authorized" Media: Rising Share (Forbes, Business Insider, PRNewswire)
- #5 Medium: Rising! (Significant growth as a source for niche expertise).
