How Perplexity Chooses Its Sources
Perplexity blends three things when it picks which sites to cite:
- Relevance: Does this page directly answer the question?
- Authority: Does this site look trustworthy and established?
- Clarity: Is the content structured and easy for AI to reuse?
Translation: you don’t need to be the biggest brand — you need the clearest answers, clean structure, and
consistent facts.
Step 1: Build “Citation-Ready” Content
Perplexity loves content that feels like a mini guide or fact sheet, not a sales pitch. For each main service,
create a page that covers:
- What the service is
- Who it’s for
- Typical pricing or ranges
- How long it takes / what to expect
- 3–5 common questions and answers
Use headings, bullet lists, and short paragraphs. Think “handout for a local workshop,” not “SEO blog fluff.”
Step 2: Add the Right Structure
To make your pages easy for Perplexity to parse:
- Use descriptive H1 and H2 headings
- Add FAQ schema to the Q&A section
- Include LocalBusiness and Service schema tied back to your business
- Link to related internal pages (pricing, service area, about)
Perplexity reads your structured data too. Clean schema + clear headings = higher chance of becoming a
source card.
Step 3: Seed Perplexity With the Right Questions
Once your content is ready, start asking Perplexity questions your customers would ask. Examples:
- “Best emergency plumber in Corpus Christi that’s open late”
- “Laundromat near Taft with wash-and-fold service”
- “Who do locals trust for [service] in the Coastal Bend?”
If you don’t show up yet, that’s fine. You’re teaching Perplexity what to look for and which pages match
the question. Over time, it will test and learn from your content.
Step 4: Strengthen Your External Signals
Perplexity pulls from across the web. To look like a serious source, make sure you:
- Keep Google Business Profile fully updated
- Maintain accurate info on major directories (Yelp, BBB, Chamber, etc.)
- Have at least a few local press mentions, interviews, or case studies
- Earn real reviews that mention specific services and results
AI doesn’t just trust what you say about yourself. It checks who else is talking about you.
A Simple Perplexity Action Plan
- Pick one flagship service and build a clear, structured guide page for it.
- Add LocalBusiness + Service + FAQ schema.
- Ask Perplexity 5–10 questions that page should answer.
- Note which sites are being cited instead of you.
- Improve your page until it’s more helpful than theirs.
Where RDS Comes In
We treat Perplexity as one of the “AI front doors” to your business. Inside our AI visibility plans we:
- Map your services to the exact questions customers ask AI
- Build citation-ready pages with structured data
- Track when and where you start showing up as a cited source
- Fine-tune content as AI behavior changes
