We looked into ChatGPT citation data for alternative queries like “HubSpot alternative.” In this article, we discuss our findings and the best way to make use of Reddit and Wikipedia for your SEO.
Forget G2. Forget promotional blogs.
Reddit and Wikipedia are arguably the most important B2B marketing channels you should focus on in 2025.
We’ll explain why.
We analyzed over 1,000 B2B SaaS alternative query searches on ChatGPT (ex, “HubSpot Alternatives”, “Zoho CRM Alternative”). These types of queries are one of the most common searches for anyone looking to buy a product, and they give a great sense of where search platforms are headed.
And guess what we found?
Reddit and Wikipedia together contributed to 22% of the citations. G2 and SaaS blogs together contributed to only 4%.
You read that right. User-generated content could just be 5x more influential than dedicated B2B review sites when it comes to software recommendations.
So while we marketers still invest time and resources into traditional review platforms and blogs, a lot of us are ignoring the goldmines that are Reddit and Wikipedia.
And it’s high time that we change it.
We Looked Into LLM Alternative Query Data Using Slate
Slate is our in-house AI workflow automation tool. You can think of it as your Swiss Army knife for marketing automation—it handles everything from keyword research to content creation, workflow automation, and competitive analysis
Using Slate, we scraped and analyzed more than a thousand "competitor + alternative" queries directly from ChatGPT responses.
Here’s how we configured Slate for this:
- Extract citation sources from alternative software queries
- Categorize domains by platform type
- Track citation frequency across 783 unique domains
- Analyze 2,254+ total citations
Here’s an overview of our dataset:
- Total Citations Analyzed: 2,254
- Unique Domains: 783
- Source: 750+ "competitor + alternative" queries scraped from ChatGPT
- Average Citations per Domain: 2.9
And here’s what we found.
These Were the Top 15 Most Cited Domains by ChatGPT
Reddit leads the pack with 291 citations (12.9%)—more than any traditional B2B platform. Wikipedia follows with 205 citations (9.1%). No surprises there.
But here's where it gets interesting: G2.com, despite being the go-to B2B review platform, captured only 68 citations (3.0%).
That's less than a quarter of Reddit's influence!
The Platform Category Breakdown
When we grouped domains by category, the community-driven revolution becomes even clearer:
The takeaway is this: User-generated content, or community discussions, now carry more weight than polished corporate content when it comes to software recommendations.
Why ChatGPT Quotes Reddit
Google Loves Reddit
Ever since Google’s partnership with Reddit was announced, the search giant has bought the forum at the front-end of its SERPs. This is part of Google’s push to prioritise authentic and human content.
And since ChatGPT does use Google to search, it is natural that a lot of the answers are from Reddit.
Authenticity Beats Polish
Reddit thrives on genuine, unfiltered conversations. When someone asks "What's a good alternative to Zoho?" in r/entrepreneur, they get real, unblemished experiences.
For users who are particularly saturated with promotional content day in and day out (read: SaaS professionals), the dash of authenticity is refreshing and trustworthy. Not only do AI models understand this psychology, but they are also aligned with the same approach: give a human answer for a question by a human.
So much for “But AI can’t feel!”
The Trust Factor
Traditional review sites are facing a credibility problem. We are past the days when there was a sense of complete holisticness surrounding them.
Everyone knows reviews can be gamed, incentivized, or cherry-picked.
Somehow, a heated Reddit thread about software frustrations feels much more genuine.
We all trust peer recommendations over vendor-sponsored content, and that trust translates directly into citation authority.
Where G2 Takes a Hit
Despite massive investment in content and SEO, G2's relatively low citation rate (3.0%) might just reveal a fundamental disconnect. The platform optimizes for vendor needs (lead generation, comparison charts) rather than genuine user discovery.
With time, this has made users less likely to think "Let me check G2" when exploring alternatives. They think, "Let me see what people are saying about this."
B2B SEO Reddit Marketing Strategy: 100-Day Action Plan
Tapping into Reddit can be tricky. It’s not as simple as “go and post something every day.”
Overposting can really lead to saturation, and you will slowly lose value and raise skepticism. You need to strike a balance between being helpful and making noise about your product.
Here is a blueprint for how you can do it, and how you can automate parts of it:
Day 0-10: Strategy
Goal: To identify the most valuable opportunities in Reddit.
Step 1: Semrush Keyword Discovery
- Search for "[your product category] alternative" keywords
- Identify related questions and discussion topics
- Explore high-volume, low-competition opportunities
Step 2: Slate Analysis and Content Creation
- Input your keyword list into Slate
- Generate test content variations for each opportunity
- Create subreddit-specific adaptations
- Set up monitoring for new discussions
Step 3: Strategic Deployment
- Create a priority list of high-engagement subreddits
- Focus on questions with multiple responses
- Ensure your plan is to engage consistently over time, not in bursts
How to Identify the Right Subreddits
Use tools like Semrush to research where your target keywords generate discussions. Look for active communities with:
- Regular posting activity (daily/weekly)
- Engaged comment threads
- Relevant industry discussions
- Moderate moderation (not overly promotional restrictions)
Months 1-2: Build Trust and Authority
Goal: Achieve a 250-300 karma score before any direct plug-ins of your brand activity
Weekly Actions:
- Comment on relevant threads - pick a number that’s balanced between too frequent and inactive. We usually suggest 5-10 threads a week.
- Focus on providing genuine value and not promotion. The user must get something out of your answer outside of just your brand name.
- Target key subreddits for your niche. You are likely to have deeper interactions here.
Content Strategy:
- Share expert insights and practical advice. It’s even better if you deploy a diverse team to step in here!
- Answer questions thoroughly and helpfully. The goal is to provide genuine value and not flab.
- Build a reputation as a knowledgeable community member.
Sounds like the plot of an espionage movie, doesn’t it?
Month 3: Strategic Engagement and Content Creation
Goal: Begin subtle product mentions within valuable content.
Even here, the plan is never to outright advertise, even though as tempting as it is for a marketer.
Some ways you can engage the audience:
- Create in-depth comparison posts
- Share relevant case studies and experiences
- Use polls to generate engagement
- Participate in "What tools do you use?" threads
Here’s one strategy that works pretty well:
The 70% Accuracy Strategy: This involves having a secondary account provide slightly incomplete answers, which your main account then "corrects" with more comprehensive information. This generates natural engagement and positions your main account as the expert!
Automating Your Reddit Marketing Workflow
It feels like an altogether new, important channel has sprung up out of nowhere. We get it.
Managing a presence on Reddit can be taxing. And that’s why it’s very useful to automate it.
Here's where workflows become your secret weapon.
You can streamline your entire Reddit strategy using Slate:
1. Question Discovery Workflow:
- Monitor relevant subreddits for alternative-related questions
- Extract trending discussions about your competitors
- Identify high-engagement threads worth joining
2. Content Creation Pipeline:
- Generate multiple answer variations for common questions
- Create different angles for the same core message
- Develop subreddit-specific content adaptations
3. Engagement Optimization:
- Track mention opportunities across multiple subreddits
- Schedule optimal posting times based on community activity
- Monitor sentiment and engagement metrics
Quick Slate Setup for Reddit Marketing:
- Keyword Monitoring: Set up automated searches for "[competitor] alternative" across target subreddits
- Content Variations: Create workflows that generate 3-5 different answers to common questions
- Engagement Tracking: Monitor your comment performance and optimize based on upvotes/engagement
How Reddit Fits into Your Overall Content Distribution
While Reddit does eat up the biggest share of citations, one must also notice that even Reddit contributes to just 13% of the total.
This means that diversification is the need of the hour. Content is everywhere—which means your audience is everywhere.
Here are some ways you can improve your presence through the other channels:
1. Wikipedia Optimization
Wikipedia contributed to the second biggest chunk of citations. What’s with the platform that makes it an ideal candidate?
AI Models are trained using Wikipedia Data
Most AI models like ChatGPT use Wikipedia data in their training data. Quoting Wikipedia is like homecoming to them.
Not to mention, Wikipedia itself acts as a central point where multiple sources of information culminate—hence, LLMs perceive it as a great place to look into.
Wikipedia's Neutrality
Despite its democratic nature, Wikipedia’s content is largely still neutral. This matters tremendously.
The platform's strict editorial standards and collaborative fact-checking create content that AI systems heavily rely on.
Given these factors, here are some things you can do to ensure you make the best out of The World’s Largest Encyclopedia:
Ensure comprehensive coverage for your product: Wherever your product or brand can be mentioned (sometimes it may be your own page), include history, features, reception, and notable developments to establish authority and provide AI systems with rich context about your offering
Contribute to competitor comparison pages: Add factual, well-sourced information to industry overview and comparison articles where your product naturally fits, following Wikipedia's guidelines.
Keep entries updated with latest features: Regularly review and update any information about the product with new developments, partnerships, and milestones using reliable secondary sources for verification.
Create redirect pages for common searches: Set up redirects from alternative names, acronyms, or common misspellings of your product to ensure users and AI systems can easily find your main Wikipedia entry
In one of our recent workshops, we covered how AI engines prioritize Reddit and Wikipedia, and how you can optimize both:
2. Tech Media Relationships
Here are some ways you can optimize for the media channels, which contribute to around 3% of the citations:
Pitch comparison articles to established sources like TechCrunch, Wired: Develop data-driven comparison pieces that showcase your product's unique strengths while providing genuine value to readers, ensuring the content feels editorial rather than promotional.
Develop relationships with journalists in your space: Build authentic connections through thoughtful commentary on their articles, sharing relevant industry insights, and being a reliable source for expert quotes when they need them.
Create newsworthy competitive analysis content: Produce original research, surveys, or market studies that reveal interesting industry trends, giving journalists compelling data and angles for their stories.
Position executives as thought leaders: Help your leadership team develop unique perspectives on industry developments and make them available for expert commentary, podcasts, and speaking opportunities at relevant conferences.
3. Long-Tail Distribution (63.3% opportunity)
The data shows massive fragmentation across 783 domains, together contributing to 63.3% of the citations. This presents huge opportunities for:
Guest posting on niche SaaS blogs: Target specialized industry publications and smaller SaaS communities where your expertise can provide genuine value while reaching highly engaged, relevant audiences that competitors often overlook.
Community participation across diverse platforms: Actively contribute to discussions on platforms like Product Hunt and industry-specific forums by sharing insights rather than promoting products directly.
Partnership content with complementary tools: Collaborate with non-competing SaaS companies that serve similar audiences to create co-authored guides, integration tutorials, or joint research that benefits both companies' visibility.
Industry-specific publication contributions: Write for vertical trade publications and specialized media outlets in your target industries, positioning your company as an expert voice within specific market segments.
4. Review Platform Revival
And of course, don't abandon G2 entirely—it is still a platform that contributes to 3% of the citations:
Create detailed competitor comparison charts: Provide fair, factual comparisons that help buyers make informed decisions and improve your search visibility.
Encourage specific competitor mentions in reviews: Guide satisfied customers to naturally mention alternatives they considered in their reviews, creating valuable competitive context that helps your listing appear in competitor-related searches.
Develop comprehensive alternative lists: Contribute to and optimize "alternatives to [competitor]" pages by ensuring your product is well-represented with accurate descriptions and compelling value propositions.
Cross-promote from higher-performing channels: Use your stronger marketing channels like email, social media, and content marketing to drive qualified prospects to your G2 profile
Conclusion
Reddit has emerged as the golden goose of organic marketing in 2025. It might just be one of the trickiest channels yet, which is why it is crucial to have a well-drawn strategy.
Not all companies have realised this, which is why this platform is ripe for the taking. As authentic content gains prominence, both traditional and AI search engines will continue to prioritise platforms like Reddit.
If you want to chart and automate your Reddit marketing strategy, book a meeting with our team and see how Slate can streamline your entire content distribution process.
