If you have seen people add “reddit” to the end of their Google searches, you already understand the problem Google is trying to fix. The Google Perspectives filter is a new search filter that shows posts, videos and answers from real people, such as forum threads, Q&A replies and social media clips, instead of only the usual list of websites.
Google announced it on 10 May 2023, the same day as Google I/O, and said it will appear “in the coming weeks.” Below I explain what it is, what we know and don’t know yet, and what I think site owners and marketers should do now.
What Is the Google Perspectives Filter?
Perspectives is a filter that sits at the top of the search results, next to filters like Images, Videos and News. Google says it will show up when your search “would benefit from others’ experiences.”
When you tap it, the results change. Instead of brand pages and big publishers, you get content made by individual people:
- Discussion boards such as forums and community threads.
- Q&A sites where people answer each other’s questions.
- Social media posts, including short and long videos.
- Written posts and images shared by individual creators.
Google has not given an official list of platforms. In coverage of the announcement, Reddit, YouTube and TikTok were the examples people pointed to, and the demo screenshots showed that kind of content.
Creator Details Shown With Each Result
One detail I find interesting is how each result looks. Google says Perspectives results will show more about the person who made the content: their name, their profile photo, and information about how popular their content is.
That is a big shift. In normal results, the site name is the main trust signal. In Perspectives, the person is the main trust signal.
A Perspectives Section on the Main Results Page
You won’t only see this content if you tap the filter. Google also says a Perspectives section may appear inside the normal results page. It will have a “See more” link that takes you to the same full page of content the filter shows.
So even people who never touch the filter may see first-hand posts mixed into their search results.
How It Relates to Perspectives in Top Stories
The name is not completely new. Google already uses “Perspectives” for a feature in Top Stories that shows a mix of voices and sources about a news story. That news version launched in the US, in English. The new filter takes the same idea and brings it to everyday searches, not just news.
Why Google Is Adding Perspectives Now
I see three clear reasons behind this change.
First, searchers have been asking for it. Adding “reddit” to a query has become a common habit for product research, travel tips and “is this worth it” questions. People want to hear from someone who has actually done the thing, not read another page written to rank.
Second, younger people are starting searches on social apps. Many people now search on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube for things like recipes, places to eat and how-to tips. Perspectives brings that kind of content back into Google.
Third, it fits Google’s push on “experience.” In December 2022, Google added an extra “E” for Experience to its quality rater guidelines, turning E-A-T into E-E-A-T. I covered that change in E-A-T becomes E-E-A-T. Perspectives is a very visible way to put first-hand experience on the results page.
The Ranking Changes Google Announced Alongside It
The Perspectives news came with a few ranking statements that, in my view, matter more for most websites than the filter itself.
An Update to the Helpful Content System
Google says it will update its helpful content system “in the coming months.” The goal is to better understand content written from a personal or expert point of view.
The helpful content system launched in August 2022 to reward content made for people over content made mainly to get search clicks. If you need a refresher, read my explainer on Google’s helpful content update and “people-first content”.
More “Hidden Gems” in Search
Google also said it will soon show more “hidden gems.” Its examples were a comment on a forum thread, a post on a little-known blog, or an article with unique expertise on a topic.
This is good news for small sites that have real knowledge but not much authority. It is less good news for sites that rewrite what everyone else has already said.
More Weight on Original Reviews
Finally, Google says it has changed how it ranks reviews to put more weight on the quality and originality of the information. That means pages based on first-hand experience, or written by people who know a subject deeply.
This is the same direction as the recent reviews updates, which now cover more than just product reviews.
What We Don’t Know Yet
It is only a week since the announcement, so there are real gaps. I’d rather be clear about them than guess.
- Exact launch date. Google only says “in the coming weeks.” Some people have reported seeing it in tests, but it is not live for everyone.
- Countries and languages. Google has not said. Many new search features start in the US in English, and I expect the same here, but that is my guess, not a Google statement.
- Mobile or desktop. Google’s demo showed it on a phone. Google has not confirmed whether desktop will get it at the same time.
- Which platforms are included. There is no official list, and it may change over time.
- How results are chosen. Google has not explained how it picks which posts and creators show up in Perspectives.
- Reporting. There is no sign yet of a Perspectives filter or search appearance in Search Console. If traffic arrives from it, you may not be able to separate it from normal web results.
I’ll treat all of these as open questions until Google publishes more detail or the feature goes live.
How the Google Perspectives Filter Could Affect Your Traffic
For most business websites, I don’t expect a sudden drop the day Perspectives launches. It is a filter people have to choose, plus a section that shows on some queries. But the direction matters.
Queries Most Likely to Show Perspectives
Think about searches where people want an opinion or a real story, not a fact. For example:
- “Is [product] worth it”
- “[Product A] vs [Product B]” for everyday products
- “Best things to do in [city]” or “is [city] safe for families”
- “How to deal with a difficult landlord”
- “What is it like to work at [company]”
- “Moving to [country] tips”
Searches with one clear answer, like “opening hours” or “how many grams in a cup,” are less likely to need other people’s experiences.
Who Has the Most to Lose
In my experience, the pages most at risk are generic list posts and reviews written by someone who never used the product. If a forum thread from a real owner now sits above your “top 10” list, searchers may pick the thread.
Affiliate sites, travel blogs and generic “how to” content are where I would watch most closely.
Who Has the Most to Gain
Brands and people who already make content on YouTube, community forums and social platforms could get more reach from Google. So could small blogs with genuine first-hand content, thanks to the “hidden gems” change.
Local businesses may also benefit indirectly. If a happy customer posts about you on a forum or in a short video, that post could now appear in Google for searches about your area or service.
How to Prepare Your Content for Perspectives
You can’t “optimize for Perspectives” with a tag or a setting. There is no markup for it. What you can do is make sure your content and your brand show real experience in the places Google is likely to pull from. This is the process I’d follow.
- List your opinion-type queries. In Search Console, filter queries for words like “worth it,” “vs,” “review,” “best,” “experience” and “tips.” These are the searches most likely to show Perspectives.
- Check what ranks today. Search those queries yourself. Note if forums, Reddit threads or videos already appear. If they do, Perspectives will probably show there too.
- Add real experience to your key pages. Include your own photos, test notes, what went wrong, and what you’d do differently. Show who wrote the page and why they know the subject.
- Put a real person in front. Perspectives shows names and profile photos. Give your experts a visible author bio on your site and a consistent profile on the platforms they post on.
- Turn your best answers into videos. Pick two or three questions customers ask often. Record short, honest answers and post them on YouTube or another platform your audience uses.
- Take part in communities honestly. Answer questions in forums where your customers already ask them. Help first, and follow each community’s rules on self-promotion.
- Review results after launch. Once Perspectives is live, run your query list again and see what appears. Adjust your plan based on what you actually see.
What Real Experience Looks Like on a Page
“Experience” can feel vague, so here is a simple example. Say you sell running shoes and write a guide on trail shoes.
- Weak: “These shoes have good grip and are comfortable for long runs.”
- Strong: “Our staff wore these on muddy trails for a month. The grip held on wet rocks, but the toe box felt tight after about 15 km for wider feet.”
The second version gives the reader something only a real user could know. That is the kind of detail Google keeps saying it wants to reward.
A Quick Self-Check
Google’s own guidance on creating helpful, reliable, people-first content has a list of questions you can ask about your pages. When I review a page, I ask a shorter version:
- Would someone who has done this thing learn something new here?
- Is it clear who wrote it, and why they should be trusted?
- Does it show first-hand use, or does it only summarize other pages?
- Would I share this page with a friend who asked me the same question?
If the answer to most of these is no, I’d fix that page before worrying about any new search feature.
Mistakes I’d Avoid
New features always bring rushed tactics. These are the ones I think will backfire.
- Spamming forums and Reddit. Communities spot promotion fast. Getting banned or downvoted helps no one, and it can hurt your brand in the very results you want to appear in.
- Faking experience. Adding “I tested this” to a page you didn’t test is risky. Readers notice, and Google is clearly working on telling real experience apart from claims.
- Creating fake accounts or paid posts that pretend to be real users. This goes against platform rules and against the whole point of Perspectives.
- Dropping your website. Social posts are useful, but you don’t own those platforms. Your site is still where you control the content and the customer journey.
- Making big changes before launch. Don’t rewrite your whole site based on an announcement. Start with your most important opinion-type pages.
How Perspectives Fits With SGE and the Rest of Google I/O
Perspectives was announced alongside Google’s Search Generative Experience, or SGE, the AI-powered answers Google is testing through Search Labs. I explain that feature in my Google I/O 2023 SGE guide.
The two features pull in a similar direction. SGE gives a quick AI summary at the top. Perspectives gives human voices and first-hand stories. Between them, the classic list of ten blue links gets less space on some searches.
My honest take: this makes generic content harder to justify. If an AI summary can give the facts and Perspectives can give the opinions, a page has to offer something extra to earn the click. That extra is usually depth, original data you collected yourself, or real experience.
What I’m Watching Over the Next Few Weeks
Here is my short watch list while Perspectives rolls out:
- When the filter goes live and in which countries.
- Which platforms appear most often, and whether smaller forums get a fair share.
- Whether Search Console adds any way to see Perspectives traffic.
- When the helpful content system update arrives, and what Google says about it.
- How often the Perspectives section appears on commercial searches compared with informational ones.
I’ll update my advice as real data comes in. Until then, I’d focus on what doesn’t depend on the launch date.
Conclusion
The Google Perspectives filter is Google’s answer to people adding “reddit” to their searches. It brings forum posts, videos and first-hand stories to the top of the results, with the creator’s name and photo front and center. It is announced but not fully live yet, and many details are still unknown.
The bigger message is clear, though. Google wants to reward real experience, and it is building features and ranking changes around that idea. My next step for you: pick your five most important review or “best of” pages and check them for first-hand detail. If you want a structured way to do that, my guide on how to audit your site for unhelpful content walks you through it.
