Research conducted by BrightEdge indicates a significant increase in traffic to Perplexity and highlights the opportunities available for optimizing traffic, especially in the ecommerce sector.
Understanding Perplexity AI
Perplexity is an Answer Engine developed by experts from prominent tech companies like OpenAI, Facebook, Quora, Microsoft, and Databricks. It has garnered support from key investors and engineers in Silicon Valley, positioning itself as a leading innovator in the realm of AI-powered search engines.
Combining elements of a search engine and a chatbot, Perplexity features its unique ranking system akin to PageRank. The chatbot interface facilitates user queries, while the AI backend enables diverse functions such as essay writing.
What distinguishes Perplexity.ai from its competitors, as elaborated below, is its extensive citation display from various websites.
Traffic Surge Analysis
BrightEdge’s research reveals a remarkable 40% surge in referral traffic to Perplexity.ai since January, indicating a growing interest among users in exploring unconventional search experiences beyond traditional results.
Leveraging their proprietary BrightEdge Generative Parser, researchers identified AI search patterns that demonstrate user acceptance of AI-driven search engines.
The key takeaway is that the search marketing landscape is reminiscent of the early days of Google’s emergence, prompting SEO professionals to experiment with effective strategies amidst evolving technologies.
BrightEdge’s report reflects on this transitional phase:
“Marketers relying on organic search face a transformative shift with the rise of AI-centric search engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT. Adapting to these dynamic platforms poses challenges due to their evolving nature.”
In contrast to ad-driven models, Perplexity offers organic search traffic opportunities without competing with advertisements.
Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) Parallels
BrightEdge’s study unveils a substantial overlap between Perplexity’s search outcomes and Google’s SGE results, particularly noticeable in health-related inquiries where qualified content sources are limited.
Notably, Reddit dominates most search topics except healthcare and finance, designated as YMYL (your money/your life) subjects.
B2B Search Result Convergence
Perplexity mirrors Google’s SGE by favoring authoritative sites in healthcare and education, while prioritizing review and local search platforms for restaurants and travel, benefitting brands like Yelp and TripAdvisor.
Travel Search Result Alignment
Finance-related queries frequently feature Yahoo, MarketWatch, and CNN, with minimal overlap in eCommerce results, except for Wikipedia and Amazon.
According to BrightEdge:
“Google references Quora and Consumer Reporters for product details, whereas Perplexity leans towards Reddit and product-oriented sites, offering an advantage to ecommerce platforms.”
This trend favors ecommerce sites focusing on product sales.
BrightEdge identifies the following opportunities with Perplexity:
- Perplexity’s search growth rate is escalating by 39% monthly.
- On average, Perplexity displays 5.28 website citations in its search results.
- Travel and restaurant queries on Perplexity feature more citations compared to Google SGE.
- Search marketers are urged to optimize for AI-driven search engines, seizing the potential presented by Perplexity.
Jim Yu, Founder and Executive Chairman of BrightEdge, emphasized:
“Mastering emerging search platforms is crucial for marketers, given their substantial impact on revenue. The rise of AI-first engines underscores the need for marketers to adapt to evolving search dynamics.”
Explore further insights on optimizing for Perplexity on BrightEdge’s platform.
Image Source: Shutterstock/rafapress
