Keyword Research for UGC Sites like Quora and Reddit

Content creators and marketers constantly seek unique keyword opportunities. One effective strategy leverages user-generated content (UGC) sites—such as Quora, Medium, LinkedIn Pulse, and Reddit—to discover untapped keywords with ranking potential.

As of January 2025, Reddit is the 6th most trafficked website worldwide according to Ahrefs.

Reddit attracts 764 million organic monthly visitors. It is interesting that both Google and OpenAI have deals to use Reddit's data for their chatbots (Gemini and ChatGPT). Therefore, if one wants to appear in those AI chats, Reddit is the place to be.

Additionally, Google favors Reddit these days; it ranks well for many searches, which is remarkable considering that it was barely in the top 100 just a few years ago.

Most marketers still have not figured this out. However, those who have are quietly building empires.

The UGC Keyword Research Method

This simple trick allows users to find keywords with Quora, Reddit, or other UGC sites ranking on the first page.

Step 1: Search User-Generated Sites Using Site Operator

This method uses the Google search operator and the Keywords Everywhere browser extension.

Use the site: search operator to explore potential keywords. For example, search site:quora.com angelfish. The same approach works for any site, such as: site:reddit.com [your keyword].

This command displays results from Quora that mention angelfish. Scroll through the results and check the traffic data provided by Keywords Everywhere. If a result receives traffic, it likely ranks on the first page for its main keyword.

Step 2: Identify the Main Keyword

After finding a result with traffic, the next step is to determine its main keyword. Hover over the traffic number and click on the first column.

It opens a list of keywords that the result ranks for along with their positions.

For instance, one keyword receives 15 visits per month.

The list shows several keywords; however, "angelfish won't eat" appears with a lower search engine result page (SERP) position than the others. It ranks #3 on Google, which suggests that it is the main keyword for that result.

Step 3: Verify the Keyword

Next, verify the keyword by performing a Google search for "angelfish won't eat". When the result appears on the first page, it confirms that the keyword is valid and that Quora ranks well for it.

This indicates both a decent search volume and low competition from other sites.

Repeat the process on multiple UGC platforms—such as Reddit, Medium, and LinkedIn Pulse—and explore variations of the initial keyword to expand the strategy.

Effective keyword research goes beyond traditional tools. By exploring user-generated content, marketers can uncover unique, low-competition keywords that drive targeted traffic.

Credits to Keyword Ian for the strategy.

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