How AI search engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT are changing the way people find businesses

AI search engines are shifting discovery from “clicking through a list of links” to “getting direct answers with citations.” Tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity now act as gatekeepers when they answer a user’s question, the businesses they cite (or include) get instant visibility.

• Traditional SEO shows your page in a ranked list. AI search shows your brand or answer directly.

• Being “in the answer” means your business gets exposure even if the user doesn’t click through.

• AI tools combine multiple sources, so your content must be structured, authoritative, and connected, not just optimized for keywords.

• Synthesis, Not Just Ranking
  
  

  Perplexity “synthesizes content from multiple pages and gives concise answers.”

  
  ChatGPT’s “Search” feature (aka “SearchGPT”) now merges generative responses with real-time web sources.

• Citations & Transparency
  
  

  AI search engines often show which sites they used for the answer — giving credit, and showing users where to go next.
  
  

  For example, Perplexity answers often include inline source links.

• Business Discovery via AI Features
  
  

  ChatGPT now lets merchants appear in search results. The OpenAI guide “Help

  ChatGPT discover your products” confirms that any site can be surfaced if it meets discoverability criteria.

  Perplexity is also building toward a “shopping answer mode,” where product cards appear visually with sources.

• Authority & Earned Mentions

  
  AI prefers third‑party credibility. One recent academic paper “Generative Engine Optimization: How to Dominate AI Search” shows that AI systems place heavy weight on earned media (mentions by other sites) rather than pure brand content.

  
  Another audit, “Generative AI Search Engines as Arbiters of Public Knowledge,” shows that generative systems tend to rely on external bias and widely-cited sources.

• Bias & Verifiability Concerns
  
  

  Research like “Evaluating Verifiability in Generative Search Engines” warns that many AI answers are not fully supported by accurate citations — meaning your citations and clarity matter more than ever.

• It’s no longer enough to optimize for Google’s algorithm. You must optimize for AI inclusion.

• Your content must be structured for AI: immediate answers, entity mentions, data, and clean schema.

• Be present where AI draws its sources: Reddit, niche industry blogs, Q&A sites — earn mentions.

• Use automation (e.g. your GEO Rank Engine system) to continually feed new AI‑friendly content and score whether it’s being cited by AI tools.

• A brand owner asked on Reddit: “How can I get my company mentioned in ChatGPT?” The community replied: “Get cited in high-authority threads (Reddit, Quora, niche blogs). ChatGPT pulls from what’s already referenced.”

  Reddit

• ImpactPlus, a marketing blog, published a guide: “How to get recommended by ChatGPT” — showing that businesses already recognize AI is a new channel for discovery.

  Impact Plus

• OpenAI itself publishes guidelines for merchants to appear in ChatGPT product search: showing us that businesses can be surfaced organically by AI.

  OpenAI

• SEO news sites note that with “ChatGPT Agent” features, AI is beginning to demand agentic interaction optimization, not just classic SEO.

  Search Engine Journal