Can Perplexity Challenge Google? What an Apple Deal Means

A practical, numbers-first look at how a Perplexity–Apple tie-up could reshape search – and what you should do before it happens.

The Short Version

Wondering how AI (artificial intelligence) answers change your playbook? Perplexity is growing, and an Apple default or Siri mode could shift behavior fast. Clicks compress; citations become your new real estate. Our stance: keep compounding Google wins while hedging for answer engines. In the next 90 days, fix technical foundations, add schema and TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) summaries, publish 3-5 quotable stats/definitions, claim Perplexity-native Pages/Collections, run a public relations mini-study, and start tracking AI referrals and citation share.

• Apple default scenarios could redirect a meaningful slice of mobile queries
• Perplexity rewards quotable, structured, well-cited pages
• Treat AI search as an evolution, not a replacement for Google
• Prioritize schema, FAQs, and TLDRs on key commercial pages
• Start tracking LLM-driven referrals and citation share now

Want a tailored plan for AI Overviews and Perplexity? Book our free AI Search Readiness Audit or explore our AI Overview optimization service-built for fast, guaranteed gains while we ramp your citation share.

Table of Contents

• Why this matters now
• Perplexity by the numbers
• Apple deal scenarios
• What makes Perplexity different
• 90-day optimization playbook
• Technical SEO foundations
• Content and PR strategy
• Measurement and attribution
• Risks and myths
• Mini case example + FAQs

We update our AI search insights frequently-browse the latest posts on our SEO blog.

Why This Matters Now

Last week, a Toronto client asked, “Why are blog clicks down while calls are up?” Because the interface changed: fewer blue links, more answer boxes that cite sources. In our work at Awkward Media, we’re already seeing citation-led traffic patterns. Example: a ‘dental costs in Canada’ stats hub was cited in Perplexity; 43 visits from that answer produced 9 consult requests and a 17% branded search lift in two weeks. Fewer clicks. Better intent.

What should you watch? Assisted conversions (people who saw a citation, then converted later), branded search lift, and how well your product pages answer questions. Merchandise answers on product detail pages (PDPs) and product listing pages (PLPs). Track mid-funnel education with content engagement and demo/quote starts. These are your key performance indicators (KPIs).

This only works when SEO (search engine optimization), content, paid, and email pull together. If you want a unified plan that connects citations to revenue, explore our integrated digital marketing services.

Perplexity by the Numbers

So how big is Perplexity (an AI answer engine that cites sources)? Public reporting in 2024 pegs it around 10-15M MAUs (monthly active users) with steep growth since late 2022. Third‑party traffic trackers show rising web sessions and longer dwell for research queries. That’s tiny next to Google, but the model matters: answer-first outputs compress link slots and put citations front-and-center. Even a single-digit share can shift outcomes if your brand holds one of the few visible sources during high-intent research. In our audits, Perplexity referrals are small but high-intent.

These estimates combine company statements, third‑party trackers (Similarweb, App/Play Store rankings), and our client analytics. We use ranges and directional trends, not absolutes. Figures move quickly; treat Q4 (fourth quarter) 2024 as baseline and update quarterly.

Because answers ship with links, a cited spot acts like a recommendation: fewer slots, higher trust. Early adopters over-index in B2B (business-to-business) decisions. Land citations and you punch above raw share in awareness, consideration, and assisted conversions.

What an Apple Deal Could Change

So what changes if Apple moves from curious experiments to defaults? Apple controls Safari (the browser on iOS, Apple’s iPhone operating system) and Siri (voice assistant), while Google still pays billions to be Safari’s default search. Defaults steer behavior: most people keep what ships. If Perplexity powers a research mode or becomes the answer layer, you’ll see fewer blue-link clicks and more citation-led journeys. Our plan: model scenarios, map your risk, and line up quick wins so you benefit whether people search via Google or an LLM (large language model).

Scenario	Safari/Siri Default	Estimated Query Shift	Adoption Year 1	Marketing Implication
Status quo	No	Minimal	N/A	Monitor citations and experiment, low-risk iteration
Light integration (Siri suggestions)	Partial	Low to moderate	10–20% of iOS users	Start citation optimization and track LLM referrals
Safari default on iOS	Yes (Safari)	Moderate to high	40–60% of iOS users	Reallocate content operations toward quotability + schema; protect branded terms
Full-stack integration (Safari + Siri)	Yes (Both)	High	60%+ of iOS users	Treat AI search as a primary channel with performance metrics and budget lines

When defaults shift, ad inventory and creative automation shift too. For the paid side, we mapped scenarios and media moves in our guide to AI advertising in answer engines.

What Makes Perplexity Different

After those Apple scenarios, the real question is: how do answers actually get built? Perplexity leads with a summary, pulls fresh context from the live web, and attaches explicit, clickable citations. Google AI Overviews (Google’s AI summaries) blend sources and sometimes downplay links. Classic SERPs (search engine results pages) still offer lists of links and modules. Different mechanics, different levers: in Perplexity, you win by being the cleanest, most citable source; in Google, you still compete for rank, snippets, and structured data wins. We optimize for both, on purpose.

Engine	Answer Style	Citation Visibility	Indexing/Recency	Implication for SEO
Perplexity	Direct answers with live web context	Prominent, clickable citations	High recency via live crawl	Optimize for quotable snippets and source trust
Google AI Overviews	Summarized AI answers	Mixed/limited visibility	Tied to Google index cadence	Target paragraph extraction and schema alignment
Traditional Google Search	Ten blue links plus modules	None; citations concept doesn’t apply	Continuous crawl and reindexing	Classic SEO for rankings and CTR wins
ChatGPT	Model-only unless browsing enabled	Often none	Model recency dependent	Brand education and prompts; not primary for discovery

The fundamentals still win: technical hygiene, intent-matched content, and links. If you want a proven plan, our SEO services protect Google growth while we build your citation moat.

Your 90-Day Optimization Playbook

Wondering what that looks like in practice? Here’s the 90‑day sprint we run when you can’t pause Google growth. We focus on fast experiments, lightweight content refactors (TL;DRs, FAQs, clear headings), and technical hygiene (schema, crawlability) that earn citations without derailing core SEO. We ship weekly, measure monthly, and double down on what wins. Short cycles. Clean scope. Real impact.

1. Audit brand mentions and current citations; define target questions
2. Add 30-50 word TLDRs and FAQs to top pages; standardize headings
3. Implement FAQPage/HowTo/Product schema; validate and ship
4. Create two quotable resources (data study + how-to) with media
5. Secure 5-10 trusted citations via outreach and community posts
6. Instrument LLM referral tracking; benchmark and iterate monthly

Need momentum faster? Outreach and authority are leverage points-our link building services secure quality mentions and citations, so your best resources get referenced in answer engines while your core Google rankings keep climbing.

Technical SEO Foundations for AI Search

Now that your sprint is mapped, the wins unlock only if pages are scannable and machine‑friendly. Ever wonder why some pages get cited? LLMs (large language models) latch onto predictable headings (H2/H3 subheads), clean HTML (page code) markup, and explicit schema (structured data) that clarifies intent. Add TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) blocks, stats tables, and anchor links so answers are easy to quote. Keep code tidy, avoid duplicate templates, and align entities with Organization and Person schema. That’s how citations happen.

Schema Type	Best Use	AI Benefit	Example Page	Notes
FAQPage	Q&A hubs and product pages	Direct answer extraction	Product detail page with FAQs	Keep answers 30–80 words
HowTo	Step guides and tutorials	Procedural citations	Blog tutorial	Use steps + images
Product	Ecommerce product pages	Feature/spec clarity	Product detail page	Include reviews, price, availability
Organization	About and footer	Authority + brand consistency	About us	Ensure name, address, phone consistency
Review/AggregateRating	Product/service trust	Social proof surface	Service page	Encourage third‑party reviews
BreadcrumbList	Sitewide navigation clarity	Context for sections	Category pages	Improves parsing of page purpose

Want us to handle crawling, structured data audits, and QA automation? Our technical SEO team ships clean fixes fast and keeps bots, schemas, and indexation healthy.

Content and PR Strategy for Quotability

Last week, a client asked, “What makes content quotable?” Our answer: concrete claims, crisp definitions, proprietary data, and consistent phrasing that models repeat. Examples: a one‑sentence definition box-“AI Overview (AIO) = Google’s AI summary”-on every pillar page; a stats line with date and source baked in; a mini‑study using anonymized customer data with a simple chart; and a phrase you repeat verbatim across assets (e.g., “Toronto Invisalign cost guide”). Clean, citable, easy to lift.

• Add TLDR blocks to money pages
• Publish one proprietary dataset per quarter
• Pitch expert quotes to journalists and creators
• Seed answers on Reddit/Quora and niche forums
• Reinforce brand + key terms verbatim

Want our step‑by‑step workflow? See our SEO copywriting process, then map topics with the SEO content strategy for 2024. Together, they turn quotability into a repeatable calendar.

Measurement and Attribution

Now that your calendar is rolling, how do you prove impact? We set a baseline, then track trends. Add custom dimensions for LLM (large language model) referrers, and tag outreach prompts and pitches with unique identifiers. Parse server logs to spot unusual agents and off-domain bridges, then reconcile with analytics. Annotate every content release and PR (public relations) push on the dashboard. Week to week, you’ll see citation share, AI (artificial intelligence) referrals, and assisted conversions move together. That’s how we tie answers to revenue.

KPI	How to Measure	Target/Benchmark	Tooling
Citation Share	Percent of answers citing your pages	10-25% in target cluster	Perplexity results logging + scripts
LLM Referral Sessions	Sessions from identifiable LLM agents or off-domain bridges	Establish baseline; track month over month	Analytics + server logs
Citation CTR (click-through rate)	Clicks from cited answers to site	Improve 10-30% with TL;DR (too long; didn’t read)	UTM parameters (tracking tags) + landing page analytics
Branded Search Lift	Change in branded queries	+5-15% after campaigns	Google Search Console + trend tools
AI-Assisted Conversions	Conversion rate of visitors from AI citations	Achieve parity with organic	Analytics with source annotations

Want proof this works? Browse our results-driven SEO case studies to see citation-led lifts in branded search, leads, and revenue-delivered while we protected core Google rankings with our 60‑day guarantee approach.

Risks and Myths

Quick reality check before you chase the next acronym: last month a client asked if they needed “GEO” and “AEO” sprints plus aggressive “chunking.” Translation: GEO (Google AI Overviews), AEO (answer‑engine optimization), and chunking (splitting content into bite‑size passages) mostly repackage basics-clean structure, helpful media, and direct answers. We’ll keep you focused on moves that actually earn citations and revenue.

• Myth: AI search will kill Google in months – Reality: portfolios will rebalance, not vanish
• Myth: You must rebuild your site for LLMs – Reality: refactor priority pages first
• Myth: Citations are random – Reality: structure and authority make them predictable
• Myth: Local brands can ignore this – Reality: local Q&A is highly AI-summarized

Mini Case Example: From Rankings to Citations

Two months ago, a US direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) home goods brand came to us nervous: organic drove 78% of revenue, but FAQs (frequently asked questions) were thin, no TLDRs (too long; didn’t read) on any page, PR (public relations) mentions were rare, and branded search felt soft. “People know the product, not the name,” the CMO (chief marketing officer) said. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone-we see this pattern weekly.

In 30 days we: added 30-50 word TLDRs (too long; didn’t read) and crisp FAQs to the top 15 URLs (web addresses), published a proprietary care‑guide dataset (materials, cleaning intervals, lifespan), pitched 10 expert comments to editors, and shipped FAQPage/Product schema (structured data that labels questions and answers and product details) across those pages. Weekly QA (quality assurance) kept formatting and anchors consistent.

By day 60, branded search rose 18%, assisted conversions increased 12%, and Perplexity cited our resources 9 times across core queries. Traffic was modest but intent was excellent. Results vary by niche, authority, and execution quality, but the citation footprint compounded earned media and protected existing Google wins.

Local twist: location‑rich FAQs and steady review generation accelerate city pages. For Toronto, we paired service questions and answers (Q&A) with neighborhood cues and saw faster pickup-details on our Toronto SEO services page.

FAQs

Is Perplexity really a threat to Google?

Our read: it’s a shift, not a swap. Perplexity (an AI answer engine that cites sources) won’t replace Google soon, but defaults on iOS/Safari or Siri can nudge behavior fast. Think years, not weeks. The smart move is a hedge: we protect current rankings while earning citations now, so you’re ready if defaults move-without overcorrecting and breaking what already works.

How do I optimize pages for citations?

Make answers easy to lift. Add a 30-60 word TLDR (too long; didn’t read), concise FAQs, and clear H2/H3 headings. Use schema (structured data) like FAQPage, HowTo, Article, and Person. Write quotable lines (“The average X is Y in 2025”) and back them with original data or transparent sources. Keep HTML clean, load fast, and include author credentials and last‑updated dates.

Does this apply to local businesses too?

Yes. Local intent shows up in answer engines: “best plumber near me,” “Invisalign cost Toronto,” “hours today.” Include service area pages with FAQs, pricing ranges, and review snippets. Keep NAP (name, address, phone) consistent and optimize Google Business Profile. If you want help building this foundation fast, our local SEO service packages the maps, citations, and on‑site answers AI systems love.

What budget should I allocate in Q1–Q2?

Start small, prove, then scale. Allocate 10–20% of SEO/content ops to AI‑citation experiments in Q1–Q2: TLDR refactors, schema, one stats hub, one mini‑study, and targeted PR. Keep core SEO funded to protect rankings. If KPIs (key performance indicators) move (citation share + branded lift), step up to 25–35% in H2 while adding outreach and refresh cycles.

How do I measure success beyond rankings?

Watch trendlines, not single points. Core KPIs (key performance indicators): citation share (how often you’re cited), LLM (large language model) sessions/referrals, branded search lift, and assisted conversions/leads. Add qualitative signals: media pickups, expert mentions, and knowledge panel stability. If those rise while rankings hold, your entity is strengthening-even if raw clicks look flat.

Final Take + Next Steps

So what should you do now? Perplexity won’t kill Google, but an Apple push could compress Google’s dominance and shift incentives fast. The winners move first: make pages quotable, measure citation share, and protect core rankings. Give us 90 days; we’ll safeguard your current wins while building your citation moat and reporting impact clearly.