There’s a new kind of search engine on the rise, and it’s changing the way people discover and evaluate businesses. It’s called Perplexity and it’s powered by AI.
If you’ve never heard of it, don’t worry. But trust us: you will.
Perplexity is part of a new wave of AI search tools that deliver fast, conversational answers instead of endless lists of links. And if your business isn’t visible in the right places online, tools like Perplexity may not recommend you even if you’re the best in the business.
As a top-performing search engine optimisation agency, we’ve been tracking this shift closely and helping our clients stay ahead.
So, what is Perplexity? How does it work? And what should you be doing to show up?
What is Perplexity?
Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine that combines the best of Google and ChatGPT. You ask a question, and it instantly reads from the web and gives you a clear, helpful answer — backed by real sources.
It’s clean, conversational, and smart. Instead of clicking through pages of results, users get what they need in seconds.
It’s especially popular among researchers, students, consultants, and busy professionals who want fast, trusted answers without all the clutter.
How Perplexity Works
- You type in a question (e.g., “best small business accountant in Wellington”)
- Perplexity searches trusted websites, directories, and platforms in real time
- It generates a clear, summarised response — with clickable citations
- The more credible and structured your online presence is, the more likely you’ll be included
Why This Matters for Businesses
Tools like Perplexity are changing the way customers find and evaluate businesses. Instead of sifting through 10 tabs, they’re getting recommendations instantly and often, those recommendations come from AI tools like this.
If your business isn’t showing up on:
- Google Business Profile
- Trusted directories (Yellow, Hotfrog, etc.)
- Your own SEO-optimised website
- Authoritative content (blogs, FAQs, thought leadership)
- Social media and media mentions
…then AI tools might overlook you entirely. That’s why investing in digital marketing services, including the expertise of an SEO specialist that NZ businesses trust, is more important than ever.
How to Show Up in Perplexity
You can’t directly list your business on Perplexity (yet), but you can make it easier for AI tools to find and trust your business by:
1. Optimising Your Website for SEO
- Use clear headings, schema markup, and location-specific keywords
- Make sure your services are easy to understand and categorise
2. Claiming and Updating Your Google Business Profile
- Keep your hours, services, and reviews current
- This is one of the top data sources for AI tools
3. Publishing High-Value Content
- Blog posts, FAQs, and thought leadership give AI tools the “signals” they need to understand your authority
- Answer real customer questions in your content. That's what people are typing into AI tools
4. Getting Mentioned by Others
- Backlinks from trusted sources, media articles, or industry websites help reinforce your expertise
- AI tools look for corroborating evidence of your credibility
5. Maintaining Consistency Across Platforms
- Your business name, address, services, and messaging should be consistent everywhere — directories, socials, your website, etc.
- When we build an online marketing strategy for our clients, we consider all of these touchpoints to ensure they're found and trusted — by humans and AI alike.
The Bottom Line
AI-powered search tools like Perplexity aren’t a trend, they’re the future of how people find and choose businesses.
Getting found online is no longer just about Google rankings. It’s about being present in the right places, with the right information, in a format that AI tools can read, trust, and use to recommend you.
If your digital presence is fragmented, out of date, or hard to understand, it’s time to fix that.
Need help making your business AI-ready? At Muritai Group, we help brands get found, trusted, and recommended — by people and by AI.
As a trusted search engine optimisation agency offering expert digital marketing services, we’re here to help you build a future-proof online presence.
Let’s make sure your business shows up.
