The most citation-transparent answer engine. Perplexity shows every URL it pulled from - making it the easiest engine to optimize for.
Perplexity is built around live web retrieval. For each query, it pulls 4–6 sources, synthesizes an answer and shows the citations inline. That transparency is a gift for AEO - you can see exactly which pages drove the answer and work backwards.
Because Perplexity surfaces more brands per answer than ChatGPT, mention rates are typically higher. A 70%+ mention rate is achievable for category leaders; 40–60% is solid for challengers.