The 24-Hour Reddit Citation: Carl Peterson on Mention Tracking, Quora, and Facebook Groups

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Reddit is everywhere right now — but the rules of how to actually show up there without getting your account nuked? Nobody agrees. In this episode, Cassie sits down with Carl Peterson, co-founder of RankGood.ai, to talk about what's actually working for AI search visibility in community-led platforms — and what's getting brands banned.

Carl spent a decade building an audience of nearly 600,000 people and driving tens of millions in organic sales before partnering with Alex Fries to build RankGood, a mention tracker that shows brands exactly where their audience is, what they're talking about, and how to enter those conversations across Reddit, Quora, Facebook groups, and LLM citations.

In this conversation, Carl and Cassie unpack the right and very wrong ways to do Reddit marketing in 2026, why on-page SEO still matters (even if everyone is panicking about it), and the under-the-radar platform most marketers are sleeping on right now.

Let’s connect:

LinkedIn → Cassie Clark | Fractional Content Strategist
Website → https://cassieclarkmarketing.com

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Hey marketers, welcome back to Found in AI. I'm Cassie Clark, a fractional content strategist and an AI search optimization expert. This is a show where we break down AI search optimization, GEO and AES strategies, and what all this means so you don't get left behind. If you've been listening to the show for any length of time, you know we talk about Reddit a lot. It keeps coming up because the data keeps pointing back to it. But it's a bit interesting because nobody actually agrees on how the algorithm is weighing it. I have seen research saying Reddit comments from 900 days ago are feeding answers. I covered that on the podcast, I think in a news update. I saw a piece of research this morning at 4 a.m. when my cat decided, hey, now's the time to wake up. That research was claiming that commentary from six years ago was showing up in citations. I wish I had the source for that. I did read it on Reddit. And my eyeballs were so sleepy, I did not take a screenshot, so I don't know where it came from. But I'm sure if you go search those keywords, you'll find it. Anyway, my guest today is gonna tell you that he has seen Reddit comments surface inside those answers within 24 hours. So the question now is who is right? Honestly, probably a mix of all of them. And that tells you something about where we are in this shift in search behavior. Today I'm sharing an interview with Carl Peterson. Carl spent the last decade building a personal audience of nearly 600,000 people, driving hundreds of millions of organic views and tens of millions inorganic sales. For the last six months, he and his co-founder Alex have been building Rank Good AI. It's a mention tracker that tells you where your audience is, what they're talking about, and how to get into those conversations across Reddit, LLMs, Google, and well, traditional SEO. But I do want to share something before we get into it. Carl and I recorded this back in early April. So a few weeks have passed, like a good month or so. But the Reddit conversation has not gone anywhere. And his take on how to actually show up in these communities without getting your account noted, it is still completely relevant. Let's get into it.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

But for the last almost decade, I have uh grown a personal audience of almost 600,000 people. Um I'm responsible for hundreds of millions of organic views and tens of millions in organic sales. And for the last six months, I've been developing a with my co-founder, a company called rankgood.ai. And it's a mention finder and kind of tells you exactly where your audience is, what conversations they're having, where you're in on those conversations, and most importantly, how to get into them across things we're gonna probably dive into, but Reddit, LLMs, Google, all the good stuff. So um, and then also traditional SEO as well.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

So when did you decide that, hey, we need something to really track this? Because I mean you mentioned Reddit. We talk about Reddit in every episode. Like, when does it really start sticking with you?

SPEAKER_01 4:39

Yeah, you know, actually, this is not new to me at all. I've been doing Reddit marketing for for since my start of marketing career, so 10 years. Um, so I actually find it very unusual um that everyone is now suddenly talking about it because it's like, wait, what? You know, like wait, this is something. Um, but I it honestly was very natural feeling. Um, I've been sitting on this knowledge, not only just marketing knowledge as a whole, but also specifically Reddit marketing. And I saw an opportunity where it's like, well, hey, there's definitely a need here, but you scroll on any marketing channel ever with other marketers, and every single person is kind of freaking out right now because of this big transition that's happening. One of the biggest transitions, if not the biggest transition in SEO that we've ever seen. Um, and it happened very, very quickly, uh, which is the name of the game with AI, of course. Um, so I it just felt very natural. You know, my my co-founder and I, Alex Freeze, we got together and we were like, okay, there's a there's definitely a need here, and we have the knowledge, so let's let's do this. Um, but it's also something we personally use. So even if I wasn't the co-founder, it works out. I I'm really happy with what we've made.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Have you been getting this feeling that for some marketers it's been very, I don't want to say anti-Reddit, but wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole, and then there's something that like really, really love Reddit, and then now we're all just kind of figuring out together. Are you getting that vibe?

SPEAKER_01 6:13

For sure. Yeah, I've and I've actually been with companies that are like, no, no, no, Reddit doesn't matter, Reddit doesn't matter. And that was six years ago. Um, which, you know, six years ago, Reddit in hindsight, I guess, didn't matter, especially in comparison to what it is today. So I totally think that that's accurate. And I think that uh that also has uh, you know, kind of made this issue where everyone is suddenly backed in a corner and suddenly freaking out, not knowing exactly what to do, but knowing that they need to do it. Um, and it's all coming back to Reddit. You know, obviously there's a lot of platforms that it that, you know, but Reddit's let it Reddit's definitely leading that charge, uh, charge. And uh yeah, no, definitely. People are people, you know, even this time last year, Reddit marketing was not in a typical marketing strategy for most sized companies. Um, at least from what I've seen. So yeah, I definitely think that that's very accurate. Um, it's it's been dumped onto most of the world's lap overnight, and everyone's just trying to figure that out.

SPEAKER_00 7:20

So you've mentioned that Rank Good tracks those mentions on Reddit and those other platforms that are really community-based and are getting that correct.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Totally. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

So, what if I'm listening to this and I'm a brand, I'm like, okay, I've heard Reddit enough, but then we've also heard those horror stories of brands that will just go in and just spam their comments. What are you advising users to do here?

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Oh, sure. Well, I uh funny you say the word spam because that's definitely an issue. Um, there's so many posts that I will just stumble on, not even as a marketer, as a as a Redditor, I will just stumble on it without a new comment for years, and all of a sudden in the last month, there's 16 comments and they're all just links. So I definitely, I definitely believe that that's also an issue. And I think that that's a perfect example of of exactly what's happening right now with people backed in a corner, not knowing exactly what to do. And there's definitely a right way and and definitely a wrong way. So, you know, I I think that that's a really big question. Um, there's and there's a lot of little nuances that go into answering it, but I would say maybe the number one thing is to understand the platform that you're on. And the reason why I say that is because Reddit has a different language than LinkedIn, and LinkedIn has a different language than Quora. And if you're not a part of that language and speaking that language on those platforms, forget SEO, forget LLM, forget any of it. It's an immediate red flag from that platform's perspective. Um, which, you know, is another thing. There's there's research that we would do, and two hours later, this happens almost every day. Two hours later, we'll go back to a thread to reference it, and it's just poof, gone. Accounts deleted, post is deleted. So I think that, like I said, very fine line. There's a right way and there's a wrong way. But I think the number one is to just kind of respect respect where you're at and um have a have a little bit of a nuance. Um, and I think just flat out spamming is is is a no-go across the board.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

So let me let me ask you this because it was over the weekend. I was doing some browsing, I think it was R-A-E-O, it could have been R-S-E-O, but I think it was the AEO subreddit. And the comment or the post, either one, had at the very bottom, this was posted on behalf of so-and-so via, and it had whatever platform they were using. And so all of the comments were this is spam, this is spam, this is spam. But it was like a legitimate question that had actual value. So, would you recommend for someone to just be flat out honest of how they're finding these things, or what do you recommend there?

SPEAKER_01 10:19

Well, I also think that that's a fine line, and and it goes back to the the kind of spam, but it also just goes back to that community. So, you know, it's it's a weird time to be on some of these platforms. Not you know, if you if you're someone who just browses these platforms as somebody who enjoys going on them, I can see from their perspective that it is the worst thing that's ever happened. Uh, they don't care about your website, they don't care about your product, they're there for conversation, they're there for community. And some of them have been for 20 years before you ever decided to go on and start doing this. So I think that uh that's that's definitely something that you see more and more and more often as each week goes by. Um, and I think that it's abundantly obvious from everything that we're seeing, and just like you you just said, you're seeing it as well, where that community will immediately sniff that out. And that is an immediate going back to okay, well, the post is going to be removed, or there's not going to be any post traction, or the the the entire account will be deleted for spam. So again, very fine line. Um, I think it really comes down to the company's preference, which kind of seems like a shoe-in answer, but I I think it does. So some will be very transparent and honest. It seems like that company that you were just referencing was like, hey, this is who I am. It doesn't sound like the community loved that, but um, that's definitely an approach which is very, you know, admirable. But from everything that we're seeing at RankGood, just mentioning the name in a very nuanced way does the job. So answering the question, asking the question that makes sense to ask, but also kind of uh in the background doing this grassroots, you know, I uh planting of seeds and and getting you're out there. I think it's I think that's a part of that fine line. So if you were to post a comment or post a post with the idea of, okay, we're making this in order to plant one of these seeds, I think it's important to remember that whoever's reading it on the other side is somebody in this community already, is somebody legitimately there, more than likely, to respond or to ask questions, which is great, but you can also accomplish the things that you want to accomplish for your brand as well. So a little bit of a nuance in it, and and it really comes down to personal preference for that company, um, which again feels like a shoe-in answer, but that's that's that's what it is, I think.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

So there's there's a couple of questions. I want to go back to something that you said, but I'll get to there in a minute. But someone asked me just today on LinkedIn if I thought that Reddit was gonna be something that sticks around for a long-term visibility play. My take on this is yes, like we know that those Reddit comments do show up in answers. Search Injun Lynn says comment from 900 days ago is currently what's feeding that algorithm. Um, but to me, it seems like it's two birds, one stone here. Like you're getting that immediate, you know, attention in front of users now and picked up later. Like, what are you advising people when they ask you that question?

SPEAKER_01 13:42

Sure. So, you know, the 900 day, I I haven't seen that data. Um, honestly, at RankGood, um, and and this isn't just because of Rank Good, this is just part of the services we provide, but we're seeing some of these rank within 24 hours. Okay, wow.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

I mean, it's always nice to hear different opinions because someone says this, the other one says that, and it's they're somewhere in the middle, I think.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

That's marketing. Yeah, marketing 2026. Everybody has a different way of doing it, but but you know, uh, I think that I see way more often faster results than slower results. Um, so uh the 900 day, I'm not sure where that comes from, but we're we're just absolutely not seeing that at all. But to what the original question that you asked, I want to make sure that I answer it specifically. Do you mind uh yeah?

SPEAKER_00 14:31

Sure. So someone asked me if I thought that Reddit was a long-term OI kind of thing. I think it's both. Like that a media, you're in front of the you know, with a user. Sometimes they do get picked up pretty quickly, and then over time you're still you know seeding that consensus. What are what's your thoughts there?

SPEAKER_01 14:49

Thanks for the the thank you for for clarifying that question. So I think it I think it is both. Um, I think that going down one single avenue for anything marketing related is never a smart idea. Um, so if you're only doing Reddit marketing, uh you're only gonna get so far with that. Um, but I do believe that it will be an element that is constantly feeding LLMs, constantly feeding overviews, constantly feeding into the newer SEO wave that we're seeing. Yeah, for sure. And I think that it makes a lot of sense just because Reddit is has hundreds of millions of data points that has been building for over 20 years. Um, so it makes a lot of sense that it's being pulled from that. But I also think equally it makes a lot of sense to do long-term plays at the exact same kind of sphere of marketing uh across other platforms that we know get picked up by LLMs. So do I think it's a long-term play? Absolutely, but I think that making it your only play is is is kind of a dead-in, uh relatively speaking, a dead-in approach to modern-day marketing.

SPEAKER_00 16:52

Why do you say that?

SPEAKER_01 16:54

Well, just like how when you post social media posts, uh, uh a company never typically just posts on one platform, um because your audience is everywhere. And on top of that, we know for a fact that LLM is pulling from multiple, multiple, multiple sources. So I think everywhere, right? Um, so I think I think the wider your name could be spread across the internet, the better. And if we know that, okay, these 10, these 15, these 20 websites are the leading citations that are being pulled in from LLMs and overviews, I think that having all of them in your marketing card deck is an absolute must. And I think that that's going to continue. I think right now we're seeing a before and after for not only marketing as a whole, but also specifically SEO. And I think that the new SEO moving forward, this is this is the world moving forward.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

So you don't think that Reddit will be deprioritized in these AI engines anytime soon?

SPEAKER_01 18:02

It's obviously hard to tell. Um, so I think that what I what I personally believe is, you know, in six months to a year, I think that Reddit will still be an engine pumping plenty of those things. But I also think that, you know, just if you think back to Google updates and Google searches and just kind of the more traditional SEO route, in the last 10 years, we have seen so many different waves of like how to do things on-site SEO. Like there's so many back and forths and so many improvements. I think this is just another step in that evolution. So, do I think that Reddit is always going to be the platform? I have no idea. I think it's a I think it will always live in the top 10. I think it will realistically always probably live in the top three, but it's also hard to tell because as as that evolution evolves alongside of AI, anything's possible, obviously. And I and I don't know that future by any means. But from my standpoint right here, right now, makes a whole lot of sense why Reddit will remain a top dog for a while.

SPEAKER_00 19:09

I agree with you. I ask you that because someone left a comment last week there, oh, Reddit will be DI deprioritized in the next update. Yeah. I have no idea what crystal ball they were looking in. I just wanted to ask if you had heard that too, or maybe you thought that.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Sure. Yeah, no, I I I definitely think uh if there's any kind of dampering of the importance of Reddit, um, I definitely think in the next six months it will not be. Uh I think I'm I think maybe years down the line, Reddit will maybe slow down and fall into a more just what it what it used to be, sort of. Um just the same way that Reddit all of a sudden has been a website for decades, and now all of a sudden it is the hottest topic in marketing. Um, there's always going to be a new hottest topic in marketing, and right now it's Reddit. And again, in six months, that may not be the case, but I just gotta get that crystal ball that that person has, and maybe maybe I'll have a better understanding.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Maybe. So it seems like these AI engines are pulling like a consensus of okay, the Reddit community says this, this is why it's the best. If you are a brand and you're noticing that the commentary on Reddit is not so much brand friendly, what do you suggest on how to correct that course so that the AI engine pulls in, you know, something better?

SPEAKER_01 20:32

Totally. Yeah, that's a super great question. Um, because you have to play by the rules of SEO to make sure that all of that work is actually contributing towards what you need it to go to, uh, while also playing the game of, well, I don't want to get banned. I don't want people to downvote me. I don't want people to, you know, like again, fine line. It's all a very fine line. And that fine line is very hard to walk if you've never done it before. So I think just honestly, the best way to do it is just kind of sprinkling in the brand in the most organic way you possibly can. So, what I mean by that is um, you know, it, for example, if I was to leave a comment today about rank good and a way as a way to plant one of these seeds, I would approach it in the sense of like, I've heard really great things about rank, and obviously it has to be very relevant. It can't just be a random post you pick. But you know, if somebody was to specifically ask, like, what is everybody using for AI visibility? And I needed to get AI visibility keyword, checkbox for the day kind of thing. My approach specifically would be going in and saying, I've heard really great things about Rank Good. They have a really great user interface, and it's kind of an all-in-one platform, check it out, or something like that. And then it's really a good rule of thumb to come back in with another account a couple weeks later and say, Hey, I use RankGood too, just kind of like that social proof, and just leave it at that. Now, obviously, there's some marketers that will immediately catch on to what you're doing, especially if they're also doing the same thing, which in modern-day Reddit, most of them are in those Reddit comments. Um, but that doesn't even matter because that one line saying for my RankGood example, like rankgood.ai did it for blah blah blah, you know, AI, that is enough for AI to go, oh okay, rankgood has a good user interface, has an all-in-one platform, and now all of a sudden you're starting to build that reputation. And now you just need to do that 200 more times or a lot more, but 200 more times this week, knock it out. So, and then you start to build this this this trail, this breadcrumb trail where AI will pick it up while also kind of flying under the radar naturally with these communities like Reddit while respecting those communities as what they are originally, too.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

So we don't talk about Quora much, but is it the same kind of concept over there, or are there any differences when it comes to that platform versus Reddit?

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Sure. Well, you know, I think there's nuances on every platform, a little bit different than the other. Uh, but no, I think overall it's the same, it's the same mission. And from what we're seeing at RankGood, across the board, that strategy, kind of like what I mentioned, obviously it's a lot bigger picture than that, but for time constraints, um, just kind of throwing in those brands, doing that at a scale and making it to where it flies under the radar, that that applies regardless of what community you're in or where you're posting. You just want those breadchromes to be picked up by AI, and it doesn't really necessarily matter that it is one way on Reddit or one way on Quora. As long as you're doing those kind of check boxes when leaving these these comments and these posts, then that's the best you can do. And like I said, we're doing that constantly, and we are consistently seeing results within 24 hours.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

Okay. Public Facebook groups. What's your take there?

SPEAKER_01 24:06

I think that's huge. Um, you know, uh, and another thing with Rank Good is we we don't just focus on Reddit because again, we know for a fact that not only does LLMs and all these other they pull from you know everywhere, like you said, but we also have the opp you you need to be planting these seeds as soon as possible, as fast as possible. And you mentioned Facebook groups, it's something that I believe will be brought up more and more and more. And it's gonna be one of those things where Reddit is going to continue to be Reddit, but I also think that there's gonna be new things that join these discussions, and then we're gonna see these giant waves of people coming in. Have you seen Facebook groups? Have you seen Facebook groups? It happens like clockwork with marketing things sometimes, but especially with something at this scale. So Facebook groups are absolutely a legitimate way to leave those breadcrumbs that Google for a fact picks up, that LLMs for a fact pick up. So Facebook groups, I think, are really underrated, and uh you need to get in while it's hot because I think there's gonna reach a point where you're not gonna necessarily be able to post so freely and get those breadcrumbs in where AI gets it, Google gets it without the moderator getting it too, you know.

SPEAKER_00 25:28

Yeah, I've not heard a lot of marketers like we barely talk Facebook groups on. I think maybe this is the first time we've talked about it. But we're wow. I'm honored within the last week or two. I've seen all over LinkedIn. Hey, these Facebook groups, hey, check out the Facebook groups. So I just wondered if you had seen that or had any tips.

SPEAKER_01 25:50

Totally. Yeah, same exact tips apply. So again, it doesn't for from my perspective, what we're doing, uh there's a there's a long list of check boxes, and if those check boxes are met, it it does the job. Um, now in six months to a year, it might get significantly harder. Now, I know some people who may be on the outside of SEO are hearing that and they're like, harder?

SPEAKER_00 26:19

How can it get harder?

SPEAKER_01 26:21

No, harder. I thought this was as worse as it's gonna get. Um, and you know, it may not, which is gonna be fantastic for those people. But realistically, just as the way that the industry works, things might get harder, especially as platforms start to crack down more and more and more with spam and more and more and more with these kind of grassroots marketing plays. So I think that Facebook groups is something that if if anyone is listening right now, it is a legitimate avenue. Again, the more the more avenues, the more breadcrumbs, the more breadcrumbs, the more chances of keyword. It's a big, it's a big revolving ecosystem. So I think you're doing a massive disservice if you're not taking as many avenues as possible. And I think Facebook groups is absolutely one of those.

SPEAKER_00 27:07

So, last question here, because you mentioned like on-page SEO, and now we're talking about off-page things with both Reddit, Quora, Facebook groups, wherever. Do you think traditional on-page SEO will even matter if you haven't established a footprint in these community-led groups?

SPEAKER_01 27:28

That's also an excellent question. I think that there's not an existence of one without the other. So I believe that if you want the absolute true maximum success that you can possibly have with this new generation of SEO that we are facing head on, I think both is the correct answer. And the reason why is because both feed differently, but also feed similarly. Meaning, um, you know, with with Reddit focus, these kind of grassroots marketing attempts, that is a play for LLMs to be picked up. That is a play for Google overviews. You know, that's something I've said a lot, obviously, and and and many people know uh that are listening. But with your on-page SEO, I feel like that is just the the entire infrastructure of your brand, of your SEO. And think of it this way if somebody was to Google, if somebody was to see one of your Reddit comments or Google comments or uh excuse me, Facebook group comments, and they go, Oh, that's interesting. Let me Google who they are, you gotta still appear in SEO, you know? So Reddit no longer Reddit's no longer a relevant there. So I believe that both will absolutely, and of course, on-page SEO is pulled from from all of these things as well. So it's just all fueling the same thing, and I think you can't have one without the other, long-term success-wise.

SPEAKER_00 28:56

Okay, so here's what I want you to walk away from this conversation with. First, the conflicting research thing. Carl has seen Reddit comments surface in 24 hours. Other research is saying older content is still feeding the system. Both of those statements, both of those pieces of research can be true at the same time. It just means that these LLMs are pulling from both recent activity and deep archives, which is exactly why a one-and-done Reddit comment is not a strategy. You need consistent, ongoing presence in the conversations that matter to your audience. Second, the spam thing. If you're showing up in a Reddit thread or a core answer or a Facebook group with a link drop and a sales pitch, you are not doing GEO. You are getting your account banned. Carl said it best: you need to respect the community first. Plant the seed in the way that sounds like a person who actually uses the tool, not a brand trying to game the algorithm. So here's your thing to do today. Pick one platform that could be Reddit, could be Quora or a Facebook group in your niche or industry, and just read. Don't comment yet. Just spend 20 minutes understanding the language of that community. Look for the questions people are asking. How do they talk to each other? What gets upvoted or liked, and then what gets torched. It'll be pretty obvious when you start reading. That's your baseline before you ever plant a single breadcrumb. If you want help mapping where your brand should be showing up and where you're currently invisible, it's exactly what an ASRT visibility audit covers. You can find more at CassieClarkmarketing.com. Link is in the show notes. And if you're getting value from the show, hit subscribe wherever you're listening. Leave a rating if you've got 10 seconds, and share this episode with the SEO and your team who is panicking a little right now. They probably need to hear this. I'm Cassie Clark. Until next time, stay visible.