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AI platform features change quickly. This article describes what was verified on the date of the last update. Check the provider's current documentation before making an implementation decision.
The managing director of a manufacturer was looking for an ERP system. They did not type a keyword into Google. They opened Perplexity and asked: "Which ERP systems are best for a manufacturer with 100 employees?" Within seconds they had an answer naming five specific systems, a description of each, links to sources and suggestions for follow-up questions. One of the recommended suppliers received an enquiry from that company that week. Four others did not.
Perplexity is the fastest-growing AI search product in the world and, importantly for B2B companies, has a distinctly different user profile from ChatGPT. Understanding that difference matters when building the right AI Visibility strategy.
What is Perplexity?
Perplexity is a conversational AI search engine that answers a user's question by generating direct text while also listing the sources it cited. Unlike ChatGPT, which can optionally search the web, Perplexity was designed from the ground up as a search engine with real-time web access. Every answer includes visible links to sources.
Perplexity launched in 2022 and combines a generated answer with a list of cited sources. For audit purposes, what matters more than a fluctuating query count is the ability to code brand mentions and domain citations separately.
Who uses Perplexity?
This is key information for B2B companies. Perplexity has a disproportionately high share of technical users, professionals and business decision-makers - the most valuable audience for most B2B services. Demographic research points to an over-representation of degree-educated users, technology-sector employees and people in management roles.
Perplexity is also particularly popular for market research and due diligence before B2B purchases - exactly the process that precedes contact with a prospective supplier. A decision-maker asking "Which companies specialise in cybersecurity training for banks?" is your prospective client at the shortlisting stage. If you are not there, you do not make that list.
How does Perplexity choose its sources?
Perplexity shows sources with every answer - a fundamental difference from ChatGPT, which does not always provide them. The way sources are selected is distinctive: Perplexity uses an algorithm similar to a search engine, indexing pages through PerplexityBot, and combines it with a generative model to produce the answer.
| Source | Share of Perplexity citations | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 46.7% | Activity in relevant communities matters enormously | |
| Wikipedia | High | A Wikipedia presence directly increases visibility |
| Industry publications | Significant | Articles in trade media are cited |
| Company blogs | Moderate | Requires good SEO and content quality |
| LinkedIn articles | Moderate | Articles are indexed by PerplexityBot |
Perplexity vs ChatGPT - key differences for AI Visibility
- Perplexity always shows its cited sources - being cited is visible to the user and builds trust in your brand
- Perplexity searches the web on every query - content published today can appear in results within days
- ChatGPT combines training-data knowledge with optional search - for it, the history of mentions matters more
- Perplexity depends more heavily on Reddit than other models - activity in discussion communities matters especially here
- Perplexity handles factual and research questions better; ChatGPT handles more complex analysis and recommendations better
How to improve visibility in Perplexity
- 1Unblock PerplexityBot in robots.txt - check that your robots.txt does not contain an entry blocking PerplexityBot. That is a necessary condition for indexing.
- 2Build a presence on Reddit and specialist forums - 46.7% of Perplexity citations come from Reddit. Answer questions in your field; do not sell.
- 3Create content that answers questions - Perplexity is optimised around questions. Articles with a question in the title and a specific answer in the first paragraph are favoured.
- 4Earn citations in external articles - when industry media write about your company or quote your experts, those articles can become Perplexity sources.
- 5Build a Wikipedia presence - a Wikipedia article about your company or an author is a direct channel into Perplexity citations.
How to check your visibility in Perplexity
Open Perplexity and ask ten questions a buyer looking for a supplier might ask. Watch two things: whether your company appears in the answer text, and whether your page is among the cited sources. That second signal is unique to Perplexity - you can see exactly which pages it treats as authoritative in your category.
If you are absent but competitors are present, check which of their pages are cited. That tells you which type of content Perplexity treats as valuable in your category. If their blog articles are cited, you need a blog. If their LinkedIn profiles are, you need to build personal experts. If their forum posts are, you need to be active in those communities.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does Perplexity cite Reddit so often?
Perplexity favours current opinions and discussions, which on Reddit are filtered through a voting system that AI reads as a credibility signal.
How do I get into the sources Perplexity cites?
The key is presence on high-authority platforms such as Reddit, Wikipedia and LinkedIn, plus publishing distinctive data.