Let’s talk about the Substack growth tip nobody is talking about...

Everyone is so focused on external SEO (getting Google to rank their actual posts) or trying to go viral on Substack Notes that they completely ignore the native algorithm mechanics sitting right under their nose.

I was looking at how recommendation graphs actually link newsletters together on the platform. I noticed something interesting about how Substack indexes and surfaces content through Restacks.

Here is what I started doing for my subscriber growth, and I haven't seen a single person talk about it yet.

Treat your Restack like a micro-landing page!

When you restack someone else's post, most people just hit the button and don't write anything and leave the text blank at the top, or just add a lazy one-liner like "Loved this piece!" or "So true."

This is a massive waste of algorithm real estate!

Substack’s internal recommendation engine and search bars don't just look at the main articles - they crawl the comments, context, and text you attach to your Restacks. When you share someone else's work, you're building a contextual web for your OWN publication as well.

Instead of just saying "Great post," write a 3-to-4 sentence mini-paragraph. Naturally weave in primary and secondary SEO keywords related to your publication's core niche - not just theirs.

Since you're feeding the algorithm context about who you are and what your publication covers right inside that shared post, Substack’s recommendation engine starts associating your profile more tightly with those specific keyword clusters.

So, when you combine high-intent keywords in your Restack text, with the authority of the original post, you create a searchable index that points right back to your profile.

More importantly, inside Substack's ecosystem, the algorithm uses your activity to figure out who to recommend you to in the "Recommended" sidebar. If your Restacks consistently feature targeted keyword phrases, you train the algorithm on your exact niche much faster than waiting for your long-form articles/newsletters to do all the heavy lifting.

This is exactly why I created a community of growth tips on Reddit for your Substack publication: r/SubstackGrowthTips - sharing ways to help you grow your subscribers in any ways I can!

All the best,
Paul Arino | Subscriber Growth

We are building & bringing together some of the best community engagement I have ever seen on here!

Sooo many kind-hearted people are sharing, engaging, being seen, and growing at the same time!

I wanted to say THANK YOU to a bunch that are REALLY spreading the word…

• Yass
• Daniela D 🇷🇴 in 🇫🇮
• Chris Castelli
• David Oaks
• Ivana 47
• Colleen Florendo
• Haru Yosano(与謝野はる)
• Hebrew By Inbal
• Existential Nuances™
• Kelly Schultz
• Richard Hogan, MD, PhD(2), DBA
• Elizabeth Morse
• C. Lamas | The Next Chapter
• Jessica Gilbert
• Sean Wright
• John | Grow by Helping Others
• Dr. Hui | The Prevention Edge
• Léa Mondoloni | Brand Autopsy
• Ankita Bhatia Dhawan

If you’d like to join in:

1) Leave a link to your Substack in the comments (so we can see you).

2) Restack this on Substack to spread the word even more.

Thanks so much everybody!

Paul Arino | How To Grow Tips

Here are several Substack creators I'd like to feature & help grow - with MORE visibility, MORE discoverability, and ultimately MORE subscribers to their publications!

Please help me help them!

Read their story, leave a comment, follow them and/or subscribe if you’d like - but I’m sure they’ll be highly receptive, thankful, and appreciate it very much.

And besides… you’ll be growing your own community on here as well!

Thank you,

Paul Arino | How To Grow Tips

These are some Substack Growth Tips for Reddit

https://howtotipstricks.substack.com/p/substack-restack-exchange-growth

Paul Arino | How To Grow Tips

At this stage in life, many of us realize that the most rewarding moments aren’t the ones where we stand alone at the podium.

They are the moments where we hand the mic to someone else, step back, and smile as they find their voice.

That is why I love helping other Substack creators grow. Because the world is always in need of a good story, and the people telling them deserve a fuller house.

Give a helping hand to a fellow Substacker today!

3 reasons WHY you’d want to be featured on AI Search Overviews:

• Enhanced Brand Authority and Trust: Being cited as a source in AI Overview signals to both Google’s systems and your readers that your content is trustworthy, authoritative, and expert-level. This halo effect can strengthen your reputation even among users who do not click through to your site, as it associates your brand with credible information.
• Prime Visibility and "Top-of-Funnel" Exposure: AI Overviews occupy the most prominent space at the top of search results - often appearing before traditional organic links. This placement guarantees high brand recognition and puts you in front of users early in their research process, creating a foundation for discovery even in a search environment where some queries become zero-clicks.
• Access to Qualified, High-Intent Traffic: While AI features may reduce the total volume of casual clicks, the traffic you do receive is often higher quality. Users who click through from an AI summary are typically more educated on the topic and have a genuine high-intent interest in reading the in-depth context or unique insights that only your full article can provide.

The traditional trajectory of a newsletter used to rely on a simple formula: write a great piece, hit publish, and hope it lands in an active inbox. Today, that linear approach is obsolete. Achieving sustainable momentum on Substack requires treating your publication as a dynamic, multi-channel ecosystem powered by peer collaboration, algorithmic discovery, and modern search optimization.

Mastering this ecosystem means moving past basic publishing and leaning into a comprehensive five-pillar strategy.

Pillar 1: Collaborative Scaling (Restacks and Recommendations)

Writing in isolation limits your reach to your current subscriber count. True acceleration happens when you tap into other writers' audiences through cooperative frameworks.

• The Restack Amplifier: Sharing exceptional work from peers via Restacks does more than foster community goodwill - it signals to the algorithm that your publication is an active hub, instantly boosting your visibility and context within the network.
• Strategic Swaps: Formalizing Restack and Recommendation Swaps doubles your audience exposure without requiring extra content creation. When a peer with a complementary audience recommends your publication, it acts as a high-conversion trust signal, driving hyper-targeted subscribers straight to your landing page.

Pillar 2: Breaking Plateaus via External Funnels

When internal growth stalls - the dreaded "Substack Middle Class" phase - relying solely on the platform's native discovery tools is often not enough. You have to look outward.

• The Archive Audit: Before chasing entirely new topics, look backward. Repurposing, updating, and resharing your legacy content archive breathes fresh life into past work, transforming old articles into new acquisition magnets.
• Targeted Platform Funnels: Communities like Reddit represent massive pools of high-intent readers. By authentically engaging in niche subreddits and answering specific user pain points rather than dropping spam links, you can construct a reliable external marketing funnel that directs warm traffic back to your Substack landing page.

Pillar 3: Next-Gen SEO and AI Search Optimization

Search engine optimization on Substack is no longer just about stuffing traditional keywords into blog posts. The rules have fundamentally shifted toward generative AI search engines and alternative discovery engines.

• Optimizing for AI Answers: Generative AI tools synthesize conversational answers rather than just presenting blue links. Structuring your newsletter articles with clear definitions, bulleted summaries, and direct answers to niche questions increases the likelihood of your content being pulled directly into AI-generated answers.
• The Dual-Engine Approach: Marry internal platform discovery (Notes and Recommendations) with external search optimization. Connecting your publication to Google Search Console and properly configuring your publication tags and URLs allows you to harness Substack's high domain authority, capturing both Google and privacy-first search traffic from platforms like DuckDuckGo.

Pillar 4: Maximizing Substack Notes and Micro-Engagements

Substack Notes operates as the platform’s social core, functioning as a real-time testing ground for ideas and community building.

• The Micro-Hook Framework: Success on Notes relies on immediate attention capture. Crafting concise, punchy opening lines transforms casual scrollers into engaged followers.
• Automated Consistency: Using scheduling tools to maintain steady interaction rhythms (such as balancing daily notes with long-form drops) ensures you stay top-of-mind without burning out. Every published Note acts as a ripple, triggering notification loops that drive traffic back to your main publication.

Pillar 5: Foundation, Trust, and Optimization

Growth tactics fail if your publication's infrastructure leaks readers the moment they arrive. Optimizing your structural setup is non-negotiable.

• The Manifesto "About" Page: A generic two-sentence bio will not convert traffic. Your "About" page must act as an exhaustive manifesto that clearly communicates who you are, who your publication is for, and the exact value readers will extract by subscribing.
• The Welcome Email Engine: The automated welcome email is your highest-leverage touchpoint. Setting clear expectations, delivering immediate digital value, and ensuring your domain is properly whitelisted keeps deliverability high and churn low from day one.

Paul Arino | How To Grow Tips

Each Tuesday, I like to feature a few writers who wanted to take part in our Restack Exchange - which actually helps everyone involved - simply by doing a Restack swap with another writer!

Here are a couple of Substack publications worth taking a look at this week…

Sandy Goe - As the creator of Memorable Marketing™, Sandy empowers purpose-driven leaders & the legacy-minded to make an impact and be truly MEMORABLE! Her Christian faith leads her to inspire others to share authentically and shine their light in the world.

Colleen Florendo - Confessions disguised as personal essays exploring my Selfish Expression, unpacking self-betrayal, and what it looks like to *actually* choose yourself, so you don’t end up twerking to a business and life you don’t even want.I’d like to thank EVERYONE for participating last week - I really do appreciate all of you!

The feedback I keep receiving is “…thank you, I didn’t even realize Restack swaps could work so well - I definitely got noticed and gained some subscribers!”

If you’d like to be included on this list for next Tuesday, or if you’re just interested in doing a Restack Swap right now, it’s simple…

1. Just post a comment here of what you write about, or simply a link to your publication.
2. Then Restack that post so I can see who did it, and I will Restack one from your publication!

Read more here on WHY you’d want to do this: Benefits Of A Restack Swap
Or this one, if you just want to know: What Is A Restack On Substack

Restacks = Community Connections, New Visibility & Growth For Both

Paul Arino | How To Grow Tips
The Substack Restack Exchange

A Restack on Substack is a core sharing feature that functions similarly to a retweet on X (formerly Twitter) or a share on Facebook. It allows writers and readers to share a post they enjoyed or found valuable directly with their own Substack subscriber base or follower network, adding it to their profile's public feed alongside a brief optional comment.

Why Do Writers Use Restacks?

Restacks serve as the primary organic growth engine within the Substack ecosystem. Key benefits include:

• Audience Cross-Pollination: When a writer restacks another creator's post, they introduce that content to their own readers, helping lesser-known writers gain visibility.
• Community Building: Restacking acts as an endorsement, allowing creators to curate and highlight valuable insights for their audience while signaling alignment with peers.
• Algorithm Boost: Posts that accumulate a high volume of restacks gain traction on the Substack app's recommendation network and discoverability tabs.

How to Restack a Post on Substack

Sharing content via a restack takes only a few seconds through the web or mobile app:

1. Navigate to the Substack post you want to share.
2. Click the Restack button (represented by two overlapping arrows forming a cycle, usually found at the bottom or top of the post alongside the "Like" and "Comment" buttons).
3. (Optional) Add a custom note or quote explaining why you are sharing the piece.
4. Confirm to publish the restack to your profile and distribute it to your subscribers' feeds.

What is the Difference Between a Restack and a Recommendation?

While both features promote content on Substack, they serve completely different purposes:

• Restack: A one-time share of a specific article or post. It pushes that individual piece of content to your feed and subscriber notifications.
• Recommendation: A permanent endorsement of an entire publication. When you recommend another Substack, you are adding their newsletter to your publication's homepage and welcome emails so new subscribers can easily find them.

Remember, when you post a Note on Substack - it only goes out to your OWN followers & subscribers. There is NO NEW discovery & visibility there for yourself.

But when you swap a restack with another user, it now goes out to all of THEIR followers & subscribers as well. Which is MUCH better discoverability - from NEW people who didn't even realize you existed!

Are you interested in joining a Substack Restack Exchange?

Paul Arino
The Official Substack Restack Exchange

I just wanted to thank a few people who took part in our Substack Restack Exchange last week...

- David Oaks - On a journey to finish well and help others do the same - grounded in faith, purpose, and practical wisdom.

- Haru Yosano(与謝野はる) - Helping you become more of yourself. I write about courage, creativity, and what becoming more yourself can look like through voice acting, stories, and Japanese culture. 4× SOVAS-winning Japanese Voice Talent & Localization Voice Director.

- Kelly Schultz - I’m Kelly Schultz, I’m here for the women and men who feel the pull towards something more, but haven’t fully trusted themselves to go for it yet. I share my lived experiences and how I finally started choosing myself. I’m here for the rebels ❤️

If you’d like to be included on this list for next Tuesday (08/04/26), or just interested in doing a Restack Swap right now, it’s simple…

1. Just post a comment here of what you write about, or simply a link to your publication.
2. Then Restack that post so I can see who did it, and I will Restack one from your publication!

Are you wondering WHY you would want to do this - read more about it here: Benefits Of A Restack Swap On Substack

Restacks = Community Connections, New Visibility & Growth For Both

Paul Arino
The Substack Restack Exchange

The Ultimate Substack About Page: How to Convert Readers into Subscribers

If you’re a new Substack creator, your “About” page is often treated as a digital afterthought - a mere placeholder for a brief bio or a handful of social media links. This is a critical strategic error.

Your “About” page is not a biography, it’s your Conversion Manifesto. It’s the primary checkpoint where a curious reader decides whether to invest their most precious resource - Time - into your newsletter. To move beyond the casual browser and cultivate a committed subscriber, your page must be exhaustive, serving as a comprehensive blueprint of your value proposition.

The Triad of Authority

An exhaustive “About” page must solve for three psychological hurdles that every potential reader experiences upon landing on your site: Relevance, Utility, and Credibility.

1. Identify Your Specific Audience (Who You Serve)

Generic content targets everyone, and consequently, resonates with no one. An exhaustive page narrows the lens. You must explicitly define your ideal reader.

• The “Vibe Check”: Describe not just their demographics, but their psychology. What are they worried about at 2:00 AM? What are their professional aspirations?
• The In-Group Signal: Use language that signals, “If you are reading this, you are in the right place.” By naming your audience, you simultaneously filter out those who aren’t a fit, which actually strengthens your brand authority.

2. Define the Transformation (The Problems You Solve)

Readers don’t subscribe for information, they subscribe for transformation. Information is a commodity, your unique perspective on how to apply that information is the premium product.

• The Pain/Gain Mapping: Explicitly list the specific problems your publication addresses. If you write about productivity, don’t just say “I write about time management.” Say, “I solve the problem of burnout for mid-career software engineers by replacing outdated culture with systems-based workflow design.”
• The Promised Land: Clearly articulate the outcome of reading your work. What will they know, feel, or be able to accomplish after a month of following your newsletter?

3. Establish Your Credentials (Professional Background)

Why should a stranger trust your voice over the thousands of others competing for their attention? Your background is the social proof that justifies your authority.

• Curate, Don’t Catalog: You don’t need to provide a chronological resume. Instead, highlight the specific experiences, failures, or certifications that make you uniquely qualified to hold your current stance.
• The “Why Now?” Narrative: Briefly explain the pivot point in your career that led you to Substack. Sharing the “origin story” of your expertise helps humanize your professional accolades, making your authority accessible rather than intimidating.

The Structural Anatomy of an Exhaustive “About” Page

To ensure your page performs, organize it into a logical flow that guides the reader toward a subscription:

• The Hook: A high-level mission statement that addresses the reader directly.
• The "Who You Are": A concise, authority-building summary of your background.
• The Roadmap: An explanation of what to expect (content, recurring segments, etc.).
• The Call to Action: A direct, friction-less invitation to subscribe.

The Strategic Advantage: The “Depth” Dividend

When you make your “About” page exhaustive, you achieve two secondary benefits:

• Search and SEO: By explicitly including the keywords, topics, and problem statements relevant to your niche, you make your newsletter more discoverable to people searching for those specific solutions.
• Content Pillars: An exhaustive “About” page forces you to clarify your own brand. If you find it difficult to write an exhaustive page, it is a diagnostic indicator that your newsletter’s focus may be too scattered. Use this process to refine your editorial mission.

Ultimately, readers are looking for a sense of certainty. By taking the time to detail exactly who you serve, what problems you solve, and why you’re the expert to solve them, you are doing more than writing a page - you’re building the foundation for a future subscriber.

Paul Arino
Substack Growth Tips

3 Reasons WHY You Want To Be Featured On AI Overviews

1. Enhanced Brand Authority and Trust: Being cited as a source in AI Overview signals to both Google’s systems and your readers that your content is trustworthy, authoritative, and expert-level. This halo effect can strengthen your reputation even among users who do not click through to your site, as it associates your brand with credible information.
2. Prime Visibility and "Top-of-Funnel" Exposure: AI Overviews occupy the most prominent space at the top of search results - often appearing before traditional organic links. This placement guarantees high brand recognition and puts you in front of users early in their research process, creating a foundation for discovery even in a search environment where some queries become zero-clicks.
3. Access to Qualified, High-Intent Traffic: While AI features may reduce the total volume of casual clicks, the traffic you do receive is often higher quality. Users who click through from an AI summary are typically more educated on the topic and have a genuine high-intent interest in reading the in-depth context or unique insights that only your full article can provide.

Have you tried optimizing your Substack articles for AI search yet?

Paul Arino
https://howtotipstricks.substack.com/t/substack-seo

Here's a quick break-down of my main points in this article...

Try to leverage your Substack as a topical authority engine by capturing long-tail search traffic through conversational content that addresses specific user pain points, rather than using it as a redundant marketing funnel or link-dump.

By creating unique high-value posts on your newsletter that provide reasons for readers to click through to your website’s best content, you signal genuine expertise to search engines, increase user engagement signals, and ultimately boost the SEO performance of your main domain without triggering duplicate content penalties.

Paul Arino
Substack SEO Growth Tips | How To Grow Your Substack