How to Get Cited by Perplexity
Perplexity is the AI search engine that shows its work. Every answer includes numbered citations linking to sources. That makes it the clearest test of whether your AI optimization is working—you can actually see if you’re being cited.
It’s also where the math actually works for publishers. PerplexityBot traffic grew 157,490% in 2025. Compare that to Anthropic’s crawl-to-referral ratio of 500,000:1. They crawl 500,000 pages for every visitor they send back. Perplexity cites sources visibly, which means real referral traffic.
Here’s what I’ve observed about how Perplexity selects sources.
What Seems to Matter
1. PerplexityBot can access your site.
Check your robots.txt. If you’re blocking PerplexityBot, you won’t be cited. Perplexity’s bot documentation confirms they respect robots.txt.
2. Your content directly answers the question.
Perplexity matches semantically, not just by keywords. A post that actually answers “how to fix a leaky faucet” beats a plumbing company’s homepage that mentions faucets.
3. Freshness, for time-sensitive queries.
A 2024 article about tax rates won’t be cited for questions about 2026 rates. For evergreen content, freshness matters less.
4. Clear structure.
Headings that describe sections. Lists for multi-part information. FAQ sections are citation gold—they’re explicitly formatted as questions and answers.
5. Source authority.
Established sites get cited more. But new sites can get cited with strong, specific content. Authority is a factor, not a gate.
What Doesn’t Seem to Matter
Exact keyword matching. Perplexity understands meaning. You don’t need the exact query phrase in your content.
Word count. A 600-word post that directly answers a question beats a 3,000-word post that buries the answer.
Social signals. No evidence that Twitter followers or Facebook likes influence citations.
How to Improve Your Odds
Answer specific questions. Think about what people actually type: “best [X] for [Y],” “how to [do thing],” “what’s the difference between [A] and [B].” Create content that directly addresses those patterns.
Add FAQ sections. Explicitly formatted Q&A is easy for Perplexity to parse and attribute. If you have a comprehensive guide, add an FAQ at the bottom covering common follow-up questions.
Update time-sensitive content. If your post includes dates, prices, or current events, keep it current. Add “Last updated” dates.
Build topical depth. One article about solar panels doesn’t establish expertise. Twenty articles covering installation, costs, efficiency, and maintenance signals you’re a real source on the topic.
Tracking Your Citations
No dashboard exists for Perplexity citations. You can:
- Check Google Analytics for referrals from
perplexity.ai - Manually search queries relevant to your content
- Use emerging tools that track AI citations (this space is developing)
Perplexity traffic converts well in my experience—users are actively researching and citations carry implicit endorsement. Volume is still smaller than Google, but unlike most AI crawlers, Perplexity actually sends measurable traffic. That 157,490% growth rate means the channel is worth watching.
FAQ
How long until I get indexed?
No fixed timeline. Some content appears within days; other content takes weeks. Ensure PerplexityBot can access your site and keep publishing.
Does Perplexity pay for citations?
They have revenue-sharing deals with some publishers, but most citations come from organic indexing without payment.
Can I submit my site to Perplexity?
No submission process exists. If PerplexityBot can crawl your site, you’re eligible. No registration required.
Why is my competitor cited but not me?
Could be: more topical authority, clearer content structure, better freshness for the query, or simply longer crawl history. Compare your content honestly.
Malcolm Michaels is the founder of HeyTC and creator of GetCited. This post was developed with AI assistance—human direction, AI drafting, human editing.