How Perplexity Chooses Which Sources to Cite
Unlike ChatGPT, which pulls local data from Foursquare's API, Perplexity crawls the open web in real time for every query. It searches, reads pages, evaluates their quality, and then synthesizes an answer with inline citations linking back to the sources it used. This makes Perplexity uniquely transparent among AI search engines. You can see exactly which sources it chose and why. For local businesses, getting cited by Perplexity means your website or directory listing appears as a linked source in AI-generated answers seen by millions of users. This guide explains exactly how Perplexity's source selection works and what you can do to earn citations. For how ChatGPT handles local search differently, see how ChatGPT finds local businesses (/blog/how-chatgpt-finds-local-businesses).
How Does Perplexity's Search Architecture Work?
Perplexity's architecture is fundamentally different from ChatGPT's approach to local search. While ChatGPT uses pre-integrated API partnerships (Foursquare for local data, Bing for web search), Perplexity performs fresh web searches for every query. The process works in stages. First, Perplexity interprets the user's query and generates search terms. Second, it searches the web and retrieves approximately 10 relevant pages. Third, it reads and evaluates each page for quality, relevance, and authority. Fourth, it synthesizes an answer using information from the best sources. Fifth, it adds inline citations linking to the specific pages it used, typically 3-4 sources per answer. This real-time retrieval approach means Perplexity's answers reflect the current state of the web. Unlike ChatGPT, which relies on Foursquare's database for local data, Perplexity can cite your website directly, your Yelp page, a local news article about your business, or any other web page that provides relevant information.
What Factors Determine Which Sources Perplexity Cites?
Perplexity's source selection algorithm weighs multiple factors. Domain authority accounts for roughly 15 percent of ranking weight. Established, high-authority domains are preferred, including government sites, Wikipedia, expert blogs, and well-known industry publications. Content recency is heavily weighted. Perplexity rewards recently published or refreshed content with a significant ranking boost. Fresh content with current dates outperforms older pages on the same topic. Factual density matters. Perplexity requires a content quality threshold to rank in top answer placements. Content must be factually rich, specific, and verifiable rather than vague or generic. Content structure affects extractability. Well-structured content with clear headings, concise bullet points, and summaries makes it easier for Perplexity to extract citation-worthy snippets. Citation frequency creates a compounding effect. Being cited frequently by Perplexity drives up to 35 percent of all AI answer inclusions for a domain, creating a virtuous cycle where cited content gets cited more.
What Are Perplexity's Trust Seeds?
Perplexity relies on what are called trust seeds. These are platforms that Perplexity's system recognizes as containing human-verified, authoritative information. Known trust seeds include Reddit (community-validated information and recommendations), LinkedIn (professional profiles and company information), Crunchbase (company data and funding information), Wikipedia (encyclopedia-level verified facts), government websites (regulatory and official data), academic and research sites (peer-reviewed information), and industry-specific authoritative publications. For local businesses, the practical implication is that having your business mentioned or discussed on these trust seed platforms increases the likelihood Perplexity will cite information about you. A Reddit thread recommending your business, a LinkedIn company page with complete information, or a Wikipedia mention all serve as trust signals that make Perplexity more confident in citing your business.
How Can Local Businesses Get Cited by Perplexity?
Getting cited by Perplexity requires a different approach than optimizing for ChatGPT. Since Perplexity searches the web directly, your website content matters more than your Foursquare listing. Publish structured, factual content. Use question-based headings that match how users query AI. Provide concise, specific answers. Include data, facts, and verifiable claims rather than marketing language. Maintain NAP consistency across directories. Perplexity cross-references information from multiple sources. Consistent business data across your website, Yelp, and other directories increases confidence. Keep content fresh. Perplexity heavily rewards recency. Update your key pages regularly with current information, dates, and data. Add structured data markup. JSON-LD schema helps Perplexity extract business information accurately from your website. Build trust seed presence. Get mentioned on Reddit, maintain a complete LinkedIn company page, and ensure your business appears on relevant authoritative platforms. Link to authoritative sources in your content. Perplexity trusts content that cites peer-reviewed research, government data, and industry reports. This signals research depth. For more on how to improve your overall AI visibility, see our guide to AI visibility for local businesses (/blog/ai-visibility-local-businesses).