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While Google still dominates, Perplexity AI is quickly climbing up the ladder—recently crossing a staggering 780 million monthly queries. And that’s no small number for a search engine most people hadn’t heard of a year ago.

As the best freelance digital marketer in Malappuram, I’ve been watching how this change affects content discovery, visibility, and digital marketing strategy. Spoiler: it’s not just a tech trend—it’s a signal that user behavior is evolving fast.

Let’s unpack what this rise means for marketers and businesses—and how you can adapt before your competitors even notice.

🤖 What Is Perplexity, and Why Is It Gaining So Fast?

Perplexity is not your average search engine.

It’s a conversational answer engine powered by AI that gives you summarized, sourced, and cited results in seconds. People love it because:

It's clean and fast
It shows sources (huge for trust)
You can ask follow-up questions in context
It works like you think—fluid, not keyword-based

This mix of AI + verified information is driving its growth, especially among researchers, developers, students, and marketers.

🔍 What This Growth Signals for Search Behavior

The fact that 780 million people now use Perplexity monthly tells us something big:

People don’t just want links. They want answers—fast, clear, and backed by facts.

This means that search engines are becoming answer engines. And if your content isn’t optimized to provide clean, scannable, AI-digestible insights… you're not going to surface in these new ecosystems.

It’s no longer just about SEO. It’s about Answer Engine Optimization.

💼 Case Study: From Blog to Answer Box

A SaaS brand I work with wanted to grow traffic, but their long-form articles were underperforming—especially in newer platforms like Perplexity and AI summaries in Bing.

Here’s what we changed:

Broke down big articles into question-answer format
Added source-style citations even within blog content
Used structured headings and bullet formats
Published shorter, high-value explainers alongside long blogs

After 60 days:

Their content was featured in Perplexity's sourced results
Engagement time improved by 42%
Traffic from non-Google platforms rose by 31%

This wasn’t by luck. It was by designing for how new engines digest content.

📌 6 Tips to Prepare Your Content for AI Answer Engines like Perplexity

Structure is everything
Use clear H2s, short paragraphs, and FAQ sections.
Write answers, not just articles
Lead with the value. Think: "What would I ask if I were searching?"
Cite sources naturally
Even internal links or known stats help AI trust your content.
Be concise—but insightful
AI tools prefer straight-to-the-point explanations with context.
Mix in high-authority references
If you’re writing about tech, quote GitHub or TechCrunch—not just your blog.
Stay updated
Tools like Perplexity favor fresh content. Update your articles regularly.

📍 Local Impact: What This Means for Businesses in Kerala

Even if you’re a small brand in Malappuram, this shift matters.

Your potential customers are now discovering services through AI search, voice prompts, and answer engines. If your website, blog, or service page doesn’t show up there, you’re losing ground—even if you rank on Google.

The good news? You don’t need massive budgets—just smart content built for the new search mindset.

💬 Final Thoughts

Perplexity hitting 780 million queries isn’t just a stat—it’s a clear signal that SEO is evolving, and the early adopters will win big.

If you’re still optimizing only for Google, it’s time to expand your visibility to how people really search today—through conversation, curiosity, and credibility.

Need help future-proofing your digital strategy?
As the best freelance digital marketer in Malappuram, I help brands and creators align with the next generation of discovery platforms.

👉 Visit thefaris.com — Let’s build a content system that works across every search window.

Perplexity grows to 780 million monthly queries