Perplexity vs. Google Search: Comparison

Perplexity vs. Google Search: An Overview

• Search style: Google's default SERP now leads with an AI Overview on roughly 20% of US queries (and 40-50% of informational ones), with a list of links beneath. Perplexity delivers a single direct answer with citations. The gap is narrower than it used to be - both are answer engines now; the difference is layout and which surfaces you're optimizing for.
• SEO & link building: Google still rewards classic SEO signals - backlinks, content quality, topical authority. Perplexity sources information dynamically in real time, but it also leans heavily on authority and citation signals when deciding which pages to quote.
• User experience: Google's SERP is dense - ads, AI Overviews, shopping units, People Also Ask, the lot - which can feel cluttered. Perplexity is minimalist: one answer, one citation list, follow-up prompts beneath.

Google Search remains the better choice for deeper research and navigational queries, and still carries most of the traffic, while Perplexity is convenient, quick, and provides direct answers without requiring additional research.

If you’re trying to rank as a result, you’ll have to rely heavily on keywords, backlinks, and content optimization to succeed with Google. Perplexity relies on these signals as well, but perhaps not so much as Google. It is more dynamic as it fetches results in real time.

Also, like ChatGPT, Perplexity likely values brand visibility and popularity more than traditional search engines:

So, the more popular your brand is – i.e., the more people search for it in traditional search engines – the higher its chances of showing up in ChatGPT and, likely, other answer engines, including Perplexity. 

While there are many ways to influence this, backlinks and getting featured on high-authority sites are some of the most important ones. And that’s not so different from traditional SEO!

Last but definitely not least, let’s talk UX. 

Google Search's interface is familiar but increasingly busy - ads, AI Overviews, shopping carousels, and People Also Ask boxes can crowd out the ten blue links. 

Perplexity, on the other hand, stays minimalist and quick. No ads (yet), no shopping units, no competing SERP features - just the answer, the source list, and follow-up suggestions. 

It does, however, still lag Google on multi-source, exploratory research where you want to compare ten perspectives side by side.

Check out our experiment to determine which one is better for link-building, deep research, and analysis.

Our Research on Perplexity vs. Google Search

The best way to test Perplexity and Google search would be to do a fair comparison test by executing one task with both. 

We decided to test Perplexity and Google on a topic we're experts in - link building. We tested them using several different queries, from those more informational ones (e.g., “how to get backlinks for a brand new website”) to those that actually help us find link-building opportunities.

The goal? See which one delivers more relevant, in-depth, and actionable results. 

Step 1: Setting the Criteria

The first step was to set the criteria, and we decided on the following:

• Relevance
• Freshness
• Depth
• Diversity
• SERP Features

Such criteria will help us find out who provides us with more useful results that lead to better link-building practices, fresh content, precise results, and content variety.

Step 2: Selecting the Queries

The second step was to prepare queries that both beginners and experienced users would use to dig into the topic, learn, and find link-building opportunities. 

We settled for queries in the 4 different categories that would fit basic how-to questions but also specific and in-depth result requirements.

Therefore, we have a total of 36 queries split into 4 categories:

1. Basic queries (ideal for learning and strategic planning)
2. Finding websites for link building (ideal for direct link sourcing)
3. Finding linkable assets & outreach targets (ideal for finding pages that could lead to backlink results)
4. Local and niche-specific link building (ideal for finding in-depth specific results)

The 36 queries we will use for this experiment include:

Step 3: Testing the Queries & Documenting the Results

For the test to be fair and successful, we tested each query using a private (incognito) mode in the browser with both Google Search and Perplexity.

We took notes of the top 10 results for each query and we compared the results of both Perplexity and Google Search based on the criteria we set. 

One of the primary goals was to identify whether the results led to backlink opportunities or generic SEO content that wasn’t of much help.

After running all queries, we analyzed the results and looked for patterns to see if we could identify whether Google Search or Perplexity results were more useful and actionable to 4 categories of intended user searches.

The Results

Insight #1 - Basic Queries

Both Google and Perplexity performed well in providing relevant results. Google provided significantly deeper content, which suggests Perplexity favored concise answers.

When it comes to freshness, both provided up-to-date results, being a tie.

If you’re interested in depth, Google is better for performing basic queries. However, both Google and Perplexity offer relevant and fresh content, so if depth isn’t important, Perplexity still makes a good choice.

Insight #2 - Finding Websites for Link-Building Queries

When finding websites for link-building purposes, Perplexity slightly outperformed Google by providing on-target answers.

However, Google provided much deeper results, which means that Perplexity gives concise and shorter answers.

Both provided equally fresh and up-to-date content.

Perplexity provided more direct answers but Google gave us in-depth coverage.

Insight #3 - Finding Linkable Assets & Outreach Targets Queries

Both Perplexity and Google Search provided us with moderate results, whereas Google provided slightly deeper knowledge than Perplexity.

However, Perplexity had a slight advantage in providing fresher content compared to Google.

So while Perplexity might provide fresher content thanks to its dynamic way of sourcing information, Google still provides much more in-depth information.

Insight #4 - Local & Niche-Specific Link Building Queries

In this specific category, Perplexity was slightly more relevant than Google, but neither were particularly strong.

As always, Google offered a slightly deeper dive, but both were still providing relatively shallow results.

However, Perplexity had a slight advantage in providing fresher content than Google.

So, Who Wins - Google vs. Perplexity Search?

Google is still a key search engine, especially for businesses that rely on search traffic. It’s still one of the best search engines for navigational queries, which makes it easier for people to find and visit specific websites.

Many still see Google as a more trustworthy option, with users often double-checking Perplexity results for factuality.

So, for this purpose, many users are still visiting the websites Perplexity gets its information from:

Even so, some risks remain. As another Reddit user pointed out: 

Perplexity will sometimes cite sources that do not actually say what it tells you they say. It hallucinates like the others.

‍Perplexity is a new player reshaping the way people can search with AI-powered summaries, and it’s really good at providing quick answers that don't require people to click on websites. This is one of the aspects that could shift things for website owners who rely on search traffic.

While it’s not publicly known how exactly AI-powered search engines choose which websites to source from, our experiment tells us that marketers should pay attention to SEO strategies and backlinks for both traditional and AI-search discovery.

With Google still being the number one engine that’s driving direct traffic, adapting to AI search trends is also a good idea to stay ahead, considering the latest search trends.

SEO Implications for Your Site: How Should Brands, Publishers, and Content Creators Adapt?

As AI search engines like Perplexity gain traction, it’s important to rethink your strategies to maintain visibility and traffic. Google still drives the most traffic to websites, but AI-powered search engines are changing the way people search for queries.

Here’s a quick overview of how this will change the game for brands, publishers, and content creators:

Impact on Organic Traffic

• AI-powered search engines like Perplexity provide direct answers, potentially reducing click-through rates (CTR) to websites.
• Websites that rely on organic traffic from Google might see a shift as users get answers without visiting pages.

SEO Adaptation

• Traditional SEO strategies (keywords, backlinks) remain important
• However, AI-powered search engines also use other ranking signals. Structured content, for example, seems to be especially important, as it’s easier for AI to summarize and extract information from.

Content Discovery & Visibility

• Since Perplexity sources information dynamically, brand awareness and external citations could influence rankings more than traditional on-page SEO.
• Popular brands with frequent mentions in other sources may have an advantage in AI-generated search results.

Trust & Verification Issues

• Many users still cross-check Perplexity’s AI-generated responses with Google for factual accuracy.
• Businesses should ensure their content is well-cited and trustworthy to reduce misinformation risks.

Backlinks Remain Essential

• High-authority backlinks improve rankings on both Google and AI search engines.
• AI-generated search results rely on trusted sources, which only reinforces the need for strong link-building efforts.

Potential for Bias in AI Search

• AI-driven search results may favor popular sources, limiting visibility for smaller or niche websites.
• Unlike Google’s indexed results, Perplexity’s AI-generated responses may unintentionally exclude less-known but high-quality sources.

Changing Search Behavior

• Users looking for quick answers may prefer Perplexity, while those conducting deep research still rely on Google.
• Marketers and site owners should adapt their strategies to cater to both types of search behaviors.

One Thing We Know: Backlinks from High-Authority Sites Remain Crucial for Both Perplexity and Google

Google continues to reward authoritative backlinks, and AI search engines rely on high-quality sources for generating responses. So, backlinks from reputable sites improve visibility on both platforms, which is a win-win.

Need help building backlinks to stay relevant, drive traffic, and position yourself better to take advantage of both traditional and AI-powered search engines? 

We’ve been helping clients do so for the past decade and can help you do the same. Book a meeting with our team or order your first links now.