Perplexity AI is one of only a handful of (relatively) popular AI models, alongside ChatGPT, Grok, Copilot, Gemini, and others.

Considering the fact that users are flocking to these AI models, some eCommerce merchants are wondering if it’s worth adapting their SEO strategies to be more specific to these answer engines.

Here are some of the more common questions, answered.

What Is Perplexity AI?

Perplexity AI was developed in 2022 by four engineers; like other AI models, it uses large language models to parse the search results and furnish concise, digestible answers to long-form user queries.

Though it is largely similar to other AI models, Perplexity differs slightly because it’s consistent with providing reliable citations in its answers so it can easily be fact-checked.

How Many People Use Perplexity AI?

While it’s unlikely that Perplexity has nearly as many users as Google or even other AI models like ChatGPT, estimates suggest that somewhere around 30 million monthly users utilize Perplexity.

Does Perplexity Use ChatGPT?

Perplexity AI actually does use ChatGPT, but it also leverages its own LLM models to parse and then reassemble data. However, one of the things that makes it different from ChatGPT is that it uses its own model to scour the web results and provide a solid citation chain for its outputs.

Does Perplexity Have eCommerce Functionality?

Unlike some AI models, Perplexity actually does have eCommerce functionality, both for free and premium users.

Free users can take advantage of a function known as “Instant Buy,” which is powered by PayPal, whereas premium users have the advantage of Perplexity’s “Buy with Pro.”

In either case, AI models like this one that enable online shoppers to buy directly through the platforms stand to upend online commerce, and if not, they will likely significantly impact it.

What Are Perplexity AI SEO Services?

The fact that some AI powered search engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT make it possible for online shoppers to buy through the platforms also means that some eCommerce entrepreneurs have been rightly wondering if their digital marketing strategies need a shift, specifically if their traditional SEO approaches need to be tweaked.

Before we can get into that, Perplexity AI SEO services are, from a very high level, a collection of practices that make it more likely that a website or a product will be featured as an output through an AI engine.

Like other answer engine optimization services, Perplexity AI SEO services are heavily reliant on content-forward approaches that align with the platform’s natural language processing.

Therefore, Perplexity AI SEO services are more akin to content marketing than they are to other digital marketing approaches, and rely on information-dense, naturally phrased, structured content that will appeal to the model’s LLM.

Are They Worth the Investment?

Whether or not a specific investment in Perplexity AI services, or other AI SEO services targeting ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or others is worth it really has to do with how effective your current traditional search engine optimization strategy is working.

If it’s effective and your website has multiple entries on page one, along with rich snippets, featured snippets and AI overviews, it’s probably not worth the extra expense. There is a great degree of overlap between AI SEO and traditional SEO. “Ranking” in Perplexity is effectively the same as ranking in a search engine like Google and requires no extra effort or investment, if the latter is already working.

Looking Towards the Future

No one can see which AI platform will ultimately come out on top, although ChatGPT is leading the way, but the fact remains that it’s unlikely that fewer people will use these platforms with time. Therefore, now is the time to position yourself for a competitive advantage in these platforms to ensure that you will continue to attract interested and qualified traffic over the internet. Be prepared for the New Year by taking a closer look at your organic marketing strategies and ensuring the content-driven portion of them is equipped to generate organic visibility for your business through AI models.

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