Brands should not treat Quora only as a traditional ad platform: Vinay Pandey, Quora

The way consumers consume information online has undergone a fundamental shift. Users today are increasingly moving away from passive scrolling towards active discovery. Whether it is choosing a financial product, evaluating a brand, or researching a life decision, consumers are seeking clarity, credibility, and context, not just content. 

As a result, platforms built around knowledge, intent, and community validation have gained renewed relevance. Unlike social networks optimised for entertainment or virality, knowledge-led platforms such as Quora, Reddit, and specialised forums attract users who arrive with specific questions and a problem-solving mindset.

Among these platforms, Quora has carved out a distinct position. Over the past decade, it has quietly evolved from a simple question-and-answer website into one of the internet’s most influential knowledge platforms. Built around long-form, intent-driven conversations, Quora occupies a space distinct from traditional social networks and even search engines.

As AI reshapes how people discover information online, this shift has further altered Quora’s relevance within the advertising and marketing ecosystem. No longer just a high-intent media channel, Quora today influences how categories, brands, and solutions are represented across AI-driven search experiences.

In an interaction with exchange4media, Vinay Pandey, Chief Revenue Officer Quora, shared how the rise of AI is transforming search behaviour, what marketers need to rethink to win on Quora in 2026, and why depth, consistency, and intent now matter more than keywords or campaigns.

Edited excerpts:

With the advent of AI, search engines have turned into answering engines. What impact does this change have on Quora?

AI has accelerated a shift that has been underway for years: people aren’t searching for links, they are searching for answers. Quora is uniquely positioned in this new environment. Our content has always been well suited for SEO, but today our influence extends directly into AI systems themselves. AI search algorithms rely on high-quality, structured, and trustworthy content, and Quora has become a primary feed for that ecosystem. 

For marketers, this means your presence on Quora shapes how answers, and ultimately consumer perception, are formed across both the platform and AI-driven search.

What’s the biggest strategic mistake advertisers make when approaching Quora’s audience?

The most common mistake is treating Quora like a traditional ad channel. People don’t come to Quora to scroll; they come to learn and look for answers with a problem-solving mindset. When a brand drops overly promotional messaging into those moments, it breaks that contract.

Instead, the brands that win on Quora take a different approach. They show their expertise, share real stories, and answer users’ questions with substance. They also make full use of all four formats, including, text ads, image ads, video, and promoted answers. When your organic and paid presence reinforce each other, performance improves significantly.

Which advertiser categories are seeing the strongest traction and ROAS on Quora India right now?

On the B2C side, we are seeing strong momentum from BFSI, e-commerce, education, jewellery, auto, consumer durables, OEMs, FMCG, and even construction and interior—categories where people spend time evaluating their options before buying.

On the B2B side, tech companies are leaning into Quora to reach startup founders, SMBs, CIOs, and business decision‑makers. Our recent partnership with Bombora has further strengthened our B2B and ABM targeting and measurement capabilities. What’s exciting is that our advertisers range from global sellers to local businesses using Quora to reach niche, high‑intent segments.

How do you see Quora evolving as an advertising medium competing with platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn?

Quora occupies a unique space because people come here mid‑decision. Users are actively researching and evaluating solutions, rather than scrolling content for entertainment. This creates an environment of decidedly higher intent than what you see on general social platforms. Brands can use Quora to test messaging, grow their thought leadership, and even source new content ideas. When they’re ready to amplify that influence, our Quora Ads give them a powerful lever to extend their reach without losing context.

What are the three things marketers must change in their strategy to win on Quora in 2026?

1. Treat Quora as an “always-on” channel, not an individual campaign channel

With Quora emerging as a top source for AI Overviews, brands need a consistent organic presence. Your content compounds in visibility and influences how AI interprets your category.

2. Prioritise depth over quick answers

Winning on Quora is about answering real user questions with depth and clarity. What performs best is substantive, expert-driven content that genuinely solves users’ problems. These long-form, expert responses build credibility, perform over time, and can be amplified quickly using Promoted Answers to reach more of the right audience.

3. Optimize for user intent, not keywords

AI search values topical authority over keywords. You can search Quora to identify topics and questions that align with your marketing objectives and have strong viewership. Prioritise those questions when planning your Q&A strategy so effort maps directly to impact.

With the boom in media measurement tools, do platforms like Quora need a new engagement index beyond impressions and clicks to gain industry credibility?

Marketers are rethinking what counts as meaningful engagement. On Quora, that often looks like upvotes, replies, shares, and even how often a brand’s voice surfaces in AI Overviews or AI Mode. These are the signals that show genuine participation and help shape visibility across search and AI contexts.

That makes Quora an ideal platform for brands to take the higher ground through thought leadership. The value is in showing up consistently with credible, useful answers that build awareness and influence consideration over time. We are already seeing advertisers adopt more holistic measurement frameworks tied to awareness, consideration, and category education rather than just clicks or impressions.

How can startups leverage Quora?

Startups play a vital role in introducing new ideas and accelerating innovation, and we are uniquely positioned to help them grow their influence because credibility on Quora is earned through expertise. I usually tell founders to start small and steady: answer a few meaningful questions every week, especially those tied to their category pain points. Do this through both your company profile and your founders’ individual profiles. When you see what resonates, use Promoted Answers to extend that visibility. It’s a smart shortcut for newer brands to start building credibility fast.

If you were advising brands entering Quoraverse, what should be their first three priorities?

1. Listen first

Learn from the speakers, sessions, and industry peers. Quoraverse surfaces real, tangible learnings and emerging patterns from across the industry.

2. Refresh your understanding of Quora’s capabilities

We are always shipping new products, features, and insights. This allows marketers to stay up to date about our capabilities, especially relating to AI search visibility.

3. Network and exchange knowledge

Quora’s community ethos is built on shared knowledge. The more marketers can learn from each other’s approaches, the faster they unlock value.

What is the way forward for Quora?

Quora’s foundation in SEO has turned into a real advantage in the AI era. With Semrush naming us the most cited domain in Google’s AI Overviews, our content now helps inform how people across the web find billions of answers.

Because AI systems reward depth and reliability, Quora’s library of human‑validated knowledge consistently stands out. Every well‑written answer adds to a living dataset that teaches algorithms what credible information looks like. For brands, this means you’re not just visible on Quora; you’re part of how AI itself learns to describe your category.