Increasing complexity challenges SEO concerns and reveals vulnerabilities in Google's dominance
In the world of search engines, Google has been the undisputed leader for many years. However, the emergence of AI-first search engines such as Perplexity threatens Google's dominance and raises concerns about the future of search engine optimization (SEO). But new research from enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge suggests these concerns may be overblown.
Perplexity search engine referral traffic to brand websites has increased 40% month-over-month since January, according to BrightEdge research. This shows that Perplexity is gaining attention and becoming a significant player in the search engine market. Additionally, 60% of citations match Google's top 10 organic search results. This means that Perplexity provides similarly relevant answers to users' queries just like traditional search engines.
Jim Yu, CEO of BrightEdge, believes that businesses should continue to invest in SEO regardless of AI involvement. However, he emphasizes the need for reliability in his AI era. While a website that currently ranks highly will have a head start, it is essential to focus on optimizing for specific topics that match your company's expertise.
The impact of Perplexity on search is clear when compared to Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE). BrightEdge he researched nine industries and discovered differences in the content sources each search engine receives. For example, Reddit is cited as the top domain in seven industries, excluding healthcare and finance. Perplexity prioritizes Yahoo, MarketWatch, and CNN for financial queries. Mayo Clinic, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Coursera are considered authoritative sources of information about healthcare, restaurants, travel, and education, respectively.
The study also highlights the importance of partnerships between AI engines and online communities to obtain training data. Reddit and Google's licensing agreement and Yelp's partnership with Perplexity exemplify the need for collaboration in the AI-first search engine space.
Additionally, a BrightEdge report revealed that Perplexity will soon be showing branded ads in search results. This move will allow advertisers to influence the follow-up queries that users see. It may seem contradictory to his Perplexity claims of being free from an advertising-driven model, but Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity's chief business officer, says advertising has always been a key part of their business. He said it was part of his strategy.
Despite Perplexity's growth, Yu advises marketers not to underestimate Google's dominance in referral traffic. But he offers insights for marketers to adapt to the changing search landscape. This includes identifying areas of expertise for content creation, ensuring structured information for AI search engines, and breaking down silos within your organization to effectively optimize for the web.
In conclusion, Perplexity's growth and influence in the search engine market shows that AI-first engines are emerging and challenging Google's dominance. Perplexity may not be a better marketing tool than Google, but businesses need to prepare for a world of multiple AI engines. The marketing community needs to master multiple search platforms to stay ahead of the curve and capitalize on potential revenue opportunities. The future of search is evolving, and it's important to track developments in AI search engines and adapt accordingly.