On February 22, 2024, Google and Reddit announced an expanded partnership that gave Google access to Reddit's Data API, including for use in Google's AI work, and committed to helping people find Reddit content across Google products. Reuters reported the deal was worth about $60 million a year. For dermatology practices, forum discussions about skin conditions and treatments became more visible in search, so practices needed clear, expert content that answers real patient questions and should never fake community participation.
Dermatology patients do a lot of research. Before booking an appointment, someone with acne, rosacea, eczema or a new mole may read articles, watch videos and browse forums where people share their experiences. Skin care communities online are large, active and influential.
In 2024, those communities became even more visible in Google search. Searches for skin conditions and treatments increasingly returned forum discussions near the top of results. Part of that shift was a new partnership between Google and Reddit, announced in February 2024.
This retrospective covers what the partnership involved, why it mattered for dermatology practices and how to respond with expertise rather than shortcuts. For our specialty approach, see dermatology practice marketing.
What actually happened in 2024
The announcement. On February 22, 2024, Google announced an expanded partnership with Reddit. Reddit published its own announcement the same day.
Data access. The partnership gave Google access to Reddit’s Data API, which provides structured, real-time access to Reddit content, and the companies said it would support uses including Google’s AI work.
Discovery. The companies said the partnership would help people find and participate in Reddit communities through Google products.
The value. Reuters reported, citing sources, that the deal was worth about $60 million a year. The companies did not state the value in their announcements.
The IPO. Reddit went public in March 2024, adding attention to its data licensing business.
Why it mattered for dermatology
Skin care is one of the most discussed health topics in online communities. People share routines, product reviews, treatment experiences and before-and-after stories. Some of that information is helpful. Some is inaccurate or risky. As forum content became more prominent in search, patients saw more peer advice and sometimes less expert guidance.
For dermatology practices, that changed the competition. A practice’s page on acne treatment now competed not only with other practices and health publishers but with forum threads full of personal experiences. Patients who found those threads might arrive at appointments with strong opinions, or might delay care because a forum suggested home remedies.
The partnership also had implications for AI. Google’s access to Reddit data for AI work meant forum discussions could shape AI-generated answers about skin conditions. That made it more important for practices to provide clear, trustworthy content as well.
What typical agencies did
Some agencies saw forum visibility as a loophole and encouraged practices to post promotional content disguised as patient experiences. That kind of astroturfing violates community rules, can violate consumer protection rules on fake reviews and endorsements, and can severely damage trust if discovered.
Other agencies ignored forums entirely and kept publishing thin service pages that offered little beyond what patients could find in a forum thread.
The better path was to learn from the questions patients asked in public discussions and answer them with real expertise on the practice website.
What it means for a dermatology practice today
Forum visibility is a signal about what patients want. Here is how we respond.
1. Listen to patient questions
Read public discussions about common conditions and treatments to understand what patients worry about and misunderstand.
2. Answer with expertise
Create content that addresses those questions directly, written or reviewed by dermatologists, with clear credentials.
3. Be honest about expectations
Explain realistic timelines, side effects and when to see a professional, rather than overselling results.
4. Never fake participation
Do not pose as patients, post fake reviews or seed promotional threads.
5. Participate transparently if you choose
If a provider shares expertise in communities, they should identify themselves and follow community rules.
6. Encourage genuine reviews
Ask satisfied patients for honest reviews on legitimate platforms, within platform and legal rules.
What forums reveal about patient needs
Forum discussions about skin are revealing. People ask whether a product is worth the price, why a treatment is not working, how long results take, whether a side effect is normal and whether they need to see a dermatologist. They share frustration about wait times, costs and feeling dismissed.
Those are exactly the questions a dermatology practice can answer. A page explaining how long acne treatments typically take to show results, which side effects are common and when to call the office is more helpful than a generic service description. A page on what happens during a skin check reduces anxiety for first-time patients. Our dermatology marketing work builds content around those questions.
Expertise as a differentiator
Forums offer experience, but they often lack expertise. A dermatologist can explain why a treatment works, who is a good candidate and what risks exist. That expertise is what patients ultimately need for serious concerns.
Practices can make expertise visible. Provider bios should show training, board certification and clinical interests. Articles should identify who wrote or reviewed them. Content should cite evidence where appropriate and acknowledge uncertainty where it exists. Search engines and AI assistants increasingly look for these signals when deciding what to show. Our guide to getting your practice recommended by AI explains how.
Medical and cosmetic dermatology
Forums treat medical and cosmetic topics differently. Medical concerns such as skin cancer, eczema or psoriasis often involve serious questions, and forum advice can be risky. Cosmetic topics such as injectables, lasers and skin care products attract more reviews and comparisons.
Practices should tailor content accordingly. For medical topics, emphasize when to seek care and what evaluation involves. For cosmetic topics, provide clear information about treatments, costs, recovery and realistic results. In both cases, avoid exaggerated claims and use before-and-after images only within platform rules and with patient consent.
Reviews and reputation
Patients who read forums also read reviews. Many will check Google reviews and other platforms before booking. Genuine reviews that describe the patient experience, the provider’s explanations and the results add credibility that forum posts cannot provide on the practice’s behalf.
Practices should ask for reviews consistently and ethically, respond professionally to all feedback and never offer incentives for positive reviews. Our post on the 2024 fake review rule covers the legal side, and our pillar on reputation and premium pricing explains why reviews matter for value.
When patients bring forum advice to the appointment
Patients increasingly arrive with information from forums, sometimes helpful and sometimes not. Providers can respond with respect: acknowledge the research, explain what is accurate, correct what is not and help the patient make an informed decision. Patients who feel heard are more likely to follow treatment plans and recommend the practice.
Practices can also turn those conversations into content. If many patients ask about a trend they saw online, an article explaining it can help future patients and improve search visibility.
Search and AI visibility
As forum content became more visible, practices needed to strengthen their own visibility. That means a complete Google Business Profile, fast and clear service pages, helpful educational content and consistent information across the web. It also means content structured so search engines and AI assistants can understand it: clear headings, direct answers and frequently asked questions.
Our retrospective on the 2024 AI Overviews launch covers how AI-generated answers changed search for practices during the same year.
Social media and community
Forums are one part of a broader online conversation about skin. Short videos, social posts and influencer content also shape what patients believe. Dermatology practices can participate in that conversation by sharing accurate, accessible information: explaining common conditions, demonstrating gentle routines, debunking popular myths and introducing providers.
That content should follow the same principles as website content. Identify who is speaking, stay within the evidence, avoid promising results and follow platform rules for health content and before-and-after images. Consistency across the website, social channels and the Business Profile builds a recognizable, trustworthy presence.
A content checklist for dermatology practices
Practices can review their content against a short checklist. Does each common condition and treatment have a clear page? Do pages answer the questions patients ask most often, including cost, timing, side effects and when to seek care? Is the author or reviewer identified with credentials? Are claims realistic and supported? Are there clear next steps to book or call? Is content reviewed and updated on a regular schedule? A practice that meets those standards gives patients a trustworthy alternative to scattered forum advice.
Questions worth answering on your website
Practices looking for content ideas can start with the questions that appear again and again in public skin care discussions. Is a prescription retinoid worth it compared with an over-the-counter product? How long should I try an acne treatment before switching? Is this rash eczema or something else? When should a mole be checked? How many laser sessions will I need? What does recovery from a chemical peel really look like? Is a cosmetic treatment safe for my skin type?
Each of those questions can become a short, expert answer on the practice website, written or reviewed by a dermatologist. The answer should be direct, explain the factors that matter, note when an in-person evaluation is needed and offer a clear next step. Over time, a library of these answers becomes a resource patients trust and return to, and it gives search engines and AI tools reliable material to reference.
Practices should resist the urge to answer every question with a sales pitch. Patients can tell the difference between helpful guidance and a thinly disguised ad. Content that helps people even if they never book builds the reputation that eventually brings them through the door.
Measuring the effect
Practices can track whether expert content is working by watching which pages attract visitors from search, how many readers continue to booking or contact pages and which questions patients mention at appointments. If a page on a common concern draws steady traffic and leads to consultations, it is doing its job. If it draws traffic but no next steps, a clearer call to action or a more specific answer may help.
What 2024 does not tell us
The companies did not publish detailed terms of the partnership, and Google does not disclose exactly how it ranks forum content. We do not have reliable data on how much forum visibility changed for dermatology searches specifically, or how the partnership affected AI answers about skin conditions. Search results continue to change, so practices should watch how their key topics appear and adjust content accordingly.
The premium practice advantage
A premium dermatology practice is the expert voice in a noisy conversation. It answers real patient questions clearly, shows its credentials and earns genuine reviews, without ever faking community participation.
That is how we market dermatology practices: expert content, strong local profiles and visibility through Google Maps and AI search. See our services and who we help. Our team works from Austin with practices nationwide.
The bottom line
In February 2024, Google and Reddit expanded their partnership, and forum content became more visible in search and AI. For dermatology practices, the lesson was to learn from patient discussions, answer those questions with real expertise and build trust through genuine reviews rather than shortcuts.
Check if your market is open. We take one practice per specialty per market. Request a market check or call (716) 400-0084.
Frequently asked questions
What did Google and Reddit announce in 2024?
On February 22, 2024, the companies announced an expanded partnership that gave Google access to Reddit's Data API and aimed to make Reddit content easier to find and use across Google products.
How much was the deal worth?
Neither company announced the value publicly in their posts. Reuters reported, citing sources, that it was worth about $60 million a year.
Why does this matter for dermatology practices?
Patients often research skin concerns and treatments in online forums. As forum content became more visible in search, practices competed with community discussions for patient attention.
Should practices post on Reddit?
Practices can participate transparently where community rules allow, but should never pose as patients, post fake reviews or promote services in ways communities forbid.
How can practices compete with forum content?
Publish clear, expert content that answers the questions patients actually ask, with provider credentials, realistic expectations and practical guidance.
Does Reddit content affect AI answers?
The partnership gave Google access to Reddit data for uses including AI, and forum content can inform AI-generated answers. Practices benefit from being a clear, trustworthy source as well.