AI search · Perplexity
Perplexity SEO Services
Get found when customers ask Perplexity.
Perplexity is an answer engine. People ask it a question, and it writes an answer with links to the sources it used. For research-style questions, such as comparing providers or understanding a decision, those links can send visitors who are already well informed.
Our Perplexity SEO services help your business become easy for Perplexity to reach, understand and cite accurately. We start with the practical basics, such as whether its crawler can read your site, and build from there.
- Crawler access
- Firewall checks
- Citable content
- Honest tracking
How it works
How Perplexity finds and cites websites
According to Perplexity’s documentation, it collects information using crawlers and user agents that work automatically or in response to user requests. One crawler surfaces and links websites in Perplexity’s search results. A separate fetcher may visit a page when a user asks a question, to help give an accurate answer and link to it.
We are not aware of a published formula for how Perplexity chooses its sources, and answers can differ between people and over time. So we focus on being eligible, being clear, and being accurate.
Being cited is the visible goal.
Because Perplexity shows its sources, a citation is a link a visitor can click.
Crawler
Surfaces and links websites
In Perplexity’s search results.
Fetcher
Visits when a user asks
To help give an accurate answer and link to the page.
The goal
Be cited accurately
Eligible, clear and correct, so you can be linked.
Crawler access
Can Perplexity reach your website?
Perplexity documents two different agents, and they follow different rules. Many website owners assume one robots.txt line controls everything.
PerplexityBot
What Perplexity says it is for
Surfacing and linking websites in Perplexity’s search results. Perplexity says it is not used to crawl content for AI foundation models.
What it means for you
Perplexity recommends allowing it in your robots.txt file and permitting requests from its published IP ranges.
Perplexity-User
What Perplexity says it is for
Supporting user actions, such as visiting a page to help answer a question and linking to it. Perplexity says it is not used for crawling or training.
What it means for you
Perplexity says it generally ignores robots.txt rules because a user requested the fetch, so a robots.txt block may not stop it.
# Let Perplexity search surface your pages
User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /Example only. Firewall and CDN rules can still block it.
What we check for you
- Perplexity says changes can take up to 24 hours to show.
- Your web application firewall and CDN, which can block these agents even when robots.txt allows them.
- Perplexity’s published IP lists and firewall guidance, which it describes as the source of truth.
- That your pages can be fetched at all. A page Perplexity cannot fetch cannot be cited.
What we do
Our Perplexity SEO services
The mix depends on what the first audit finds. These are the services we can include in your plan.
Perplexity Visibility Audit
We put a fixed set of questions your customers ask to Perplexity and record whether your business is cited, which sources are linked and how you are described.
Crawler and Firewall Review
We check your robots.txt file, firewall and CDN settings, and server logs, so PerplexityBot and Perplexity-User can reach the pages you want them to use.
Answer-Ready Content
We rework key pages to give direct answers, in short sections that are easy to quote.
Comparison and Buying-Guide Content
People use Perplexity to research and shortlist. We create honest comparison, “best for” and cost-explainer content that helps both Perplexity and buyers.
Third-Party Presence
Perplexity can link to pages other than your own, such as reviews, directories and articles. We look for honest opportunities and avoid spammy tactics.
Entity and Brand Clarity
We make sure your name, services, location and descriptions are consistent across your website, profiles and listings.
Freshness and Accuracy
Because answers can draw on live pages, we keep key facts accurate and up to date, and show clearly when a page was last reviewed.
Tracking and Reporting
We repeat the same question set on a schedule, track citations, accuracy and sources, and combine this with your analytics.
What we test
Questions customers ask Perplexity
People use Perplexity differently from a search box, so we test four kinds of question for your business. The examples are templates, not results.
“What should I look for when choosing a [service] provider?”
“Which [service] companies suit a small business in [city]?”
“Does [your business] offer [service], and what do customers say?”
“How does [service] work, and what affects the cost?”
For each one, we record whether you are cited, how you are described, which other sources appear and whether the details are correct.
How we work
Our Perplexity SEO process
A clear process keeps the work focused.
- 1
Understand Your Business
We start with your customers, market and competitors, and the questions people ask before they choose you.
- 2
Audit Visibility and Access
We run the question set, check both Perplexity agents can reach your site and review your pages.
- 3
Agree the Plan
We set the scope, priorities and timeline with you before work begins.
- 4
Fix, Create and Build
We fix access problems, improve or create content, tidy your brand information and look for honest mentions.
- 5
Track and Refine
We repeat the tests, report in plain language and adjust as Perplexity and your market change.
Measurement
How we measure Perplexity visibility
We report on:
- Citations and links across your fixed set of questions
- Whether the details Perplexity gives about your business are correct
- Which other sources appear for the same questions
- Visits from Perplexity in your analytics, noting that some visits may not be labelled clearly
- Enquiries and sales linked to those visits
Perplexity report
IllustrativeLayout example only. Your report starts from your own baseline.
An honest note
Nobody outside Perplexity controls what it cites, so we cannot promise a citation or a timeline. We report on trends against your starting point and tell you plainly what is and is not working.
Who it suits
Who Perplexity SEO suits
Perplexity SEO helps most where buyers research and compare before they choose.
Professional and advisory services
People research providers in detail.
Small and local businesses
Be named accurately.
SEO for small business ↗Online stores, startups and consultants
Customers compare options before buying.
If you work in a regulated profession, we plan content within the advertising rules that apply to you.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Still have a question?
Tell us about your business and we will point you to a sensible starting point.
Ask Us a QuestionWhat is Perplexity SEO?
Perplexity SEO is the work of making your business easy for Perplexity to reach, understand, describe accurately and cite. It builds on traditional SEO and adds crawler and firewall access, answer-ready content, clear brand information and tracking.
Should I allow PerplexityBot on my website?
If you want your pages to be surfaced and linked in Perplexity’s search results, yes. Perplexity recommends allowing PerplexityBot in robots.txt and permitting requests from its published IP ranges, and it says this crawler is not used to collect content for AI foundation models.
If I block PerplexityBot, can Perplexity still use my pages?
Possibly. Perplexity says Perplexity-User, which visits pages when a user asks a question, generally ignores robots.txt because the user requested the fetch. Blocking PerplexityBot mainly affects whether your pages are surfaced in its search results. Firewall rules are a stronger control, and we can explain the options.
Can you guarantee my business will be cited in Perplexity?
No. Nobody outside Perplexity controls what it cites, and answers vary between people and over time. We work on the things within your control and report honestly on what changes against your starting point.
Is Perplexity SEO different from ChatGPT SEO?
The foundations are the same: access, clear content, consistent business facts and honest mentions. The differences are in each platform’s crawlers, rules and how they show sources, so we check each one separately. See our ChatGPT SEO services for that side.
How much does Perplexity SEO cost?
It depends on the size of your website, your market and the work needed. After we understand your business and goals, we agree the scope with you and provide a suitable quote.
Let’s talk
Ready to be found in Perplexity?
Your customers are already asking Perplexity detailed questions. The opportunity is to make sure your business can be found, understood and cited accurately when they do.
Tell us about your business and the questions your customers ask, and we will discuss a suitable starting point for your Perplexity SEO plan.