My team is debating whether we need separate strategies for Perplexity vs Google. I’ve used both extensively but struggle to articulate the real differences.
What I’ve observed:
| Aspect | Perplexity | |
|---|---|---|
| Results | List of links | Direct answer |
| Ads | Everywhere | None |
| Speed to answer | Requires clicking | Immediate |
| Sources | Have to evaluate myself | Citations provided |
My questions:
Looking for strategic clarity from people who’ve optimized for both.
Alex, they’re fundamentally different technologies with different goals.
The core distinction:
Google (Search Engine):
Perplexity (Research Engine):
The technical architecture:
| Component | Perplexity | |
|---|---|---|
| Core tech | Ranking algorithms | LLM + retrieval |
| Input | Query → Index search | Query → Real-time search → LLM |
| Output | Ranked links | Generated answer + citations |
| Data source | Crawled index | Live web + LLM knowledge |
The key insight:
Google decides which page deserves position #1. Perplexity decides which sources to synthesize into an answer.
These are different questions requiring different optimization.
So for Google we’re competing for rankings, for Perplexity we’re competing to be cited?
Does that mean all our link building efforts are wasted for Perplexity?
Not wasted, but less important.
| Ranking Factor | Google Impact | Perplexity Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Backlinks | Very High | Low |
| Keyword optimization | High | Low |
| Content quality | High | Very High |
| Content freshness | Medium | Very High |
| Content clarity | Medium | Very High |
| Brand mentions | Low | High |
| Domain authority | High | Medium |
The overlap:
Quality content helps both. But the emphasis differs.
My recommendation:
Link building isn’t wasted - it helps Google. But it shouldn’t be your only strategy anymore.
Let me break down the content strategy differences:
Writing for Google:
Writing for Perplexity:
Example transformation:
Google-optimized title: “Best CRM Software 2025: Top 10 Solutions Reviewed & Compared”
Perplexity-optimized content structure: “The best CRM software in 2025 is [specific recommendation] for [specific use case]. Here’s why: [three clear reasons with data].”
The key insight:
Google wants you to earn the click. Perplexity wants extractable information to cite.
Your content needs to do both.
User intent differs significantly:
When people use Google:
When people use Perplexity:
The implication:
Different users, different stages, different needs.
Example - “CRM software”:
| Platform | User Intent | Optimal Content |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to evaluate options | Product pages, comparison pages | |
| Perplexity | Learning what CRM is | Educational content, guides |
Strategy:
Map your content to user journey stages, then optimize each piece for the platform that stage naturally uses.
Let’s talk about the business impact:
Google traffic characteristics:
Perplexity traffic characteristics:
Our data:
| Metric | Google Organic | Perplexity Citations |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly sessions | 45,000 | 3,200 |
| Avg. session duration | 1:45 | 4:23 |
| Conversion rate | 2.1% | 4.7% |
| Revenue per visitor | $4.20 | $9.80 |
Key insight:
Perplexity visitors convert 2x better despite lower volume. Why? They’ve done research before arriving.
Brand exposure value:
Even when users don’t click through, your brand being cited builds awareness. Hard to measure, but valuable.
Technical requirements comparison:
What both need:
Google-specific:
Perplexity-specific:
Quick technical audit:
Check if your site allows both:
Many sites accidentally block AI crawlers while allowing Google.
The ad-free experience changes everything:
Google’s challenge:
Perplexity’s advantage:
What this means for brands:
On Google:
On Perplexity:
The irony:
Brands with big ad budgets may do better on Google. Brands with great content may do better on Perplexity.
Which category is your company in?
Where this is all heading:
Short-term (now - 2026):
Medium-term (2026-2028):
Long-term:
Strategic recommendation:
Build for both now. The skills and content that work for Perplexity will help you as Google adds more AI features. The companies that only optimize for today’s Google will be caught flat-footed.
How to measure success on each:
Google metrics (established):
Perplexity metrics (emerging):
The measurement gap:
Google gives you Search Console. Free, detailed, official. Perplexity gives you… nothing official.
Solution:
Third-party tools like Am I Cited fill this gap. Track:
Without measurement, you can’t optimize.
This thread gave me strategic clarity. Here’s my framework:
The fundamental difference:
Google = Ranking competition (who’s #1?) Perplexity = Citation competition (who gets quoted?)
Dual optimization strategy:
Layer 1: Foundation (helps both)
Layer 2: Google-specific
Layer 3: Perplexity-specific
Resource allocation:
Given our B2B audience that does heavy research:
This may shift as Perplexity grows.
Measurement approach:
| Platform | Tool | Key Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Search Console | Rankings, traffic, CTR | |
| Perplexity | Am I Cited | Citations, share of voice |
| Both | Analytics | Conversions, revenue |
The bottom line:
They’re different but complementary. Optimize for both, with emphasis based on your audience behavior.
Don’t choose - do both, strategically.
Thanks everyone for the insights.
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