In 2025, ChatGPT and Perplexity dominate conversational search. But they work radically differently — and your GEO strategy must account for this.
This article breaks down the technical differences between the two platforms and gives you concrete strategies to maximize your visibility on each.
Quick Comparison
| Criteria |  ChatGPT |  Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Data source | Training data + web (optional) | Real-time web |
| Citations | Rarely explicit | Always with links |
| Freshness | Fixed cutoff date | Real-time |
| Users | ~200M/month | ~15M/month |
| Primary use | Conversation, creation | Factual research |
| GEO ease | Difficult (long-term) | Faster |
ChatGPT: The 200M-user giant
How ChatGPT works
ChatGPT relies primarily on its training data — a massive web snapshot at a given date (called "cutoff date"). When you ask a question, it draws from this "frozen" knowledge.
With the "Browse with Bing" feature (for Plus users), ChatGPT can also do real-time web searches. But it's not systematic — it decides itself when it's needed.
What ChatGPT values
- • Historical authority: Established sites with many backlinks
- • Wikipedia presence: Being mentioned on Wikipedia increases your chances
- • Evergreen content: Timeless information that stays valid
- • Mention volume: The more you're cited on the web, the more you're in the training
GEO limitations
- • Impossible to know exactly what's in the training data
- • Several months delay between publication and inclusion
- • No link to your sources (except Browse mode)
- • Tendency to "hallucinate" or mix sources
GEO Strategies for ChatGPT
Build your authority long-term
Publish quality content regularly. The more you're cited by other sites, the more chances you have to be in future models' training data.
Target "evergreen" queries
Questions asked year after year ("What is a CRM?", "How to create an LLC?") are perfect for ChatGPT.
Be present on Wikipedia and authoritative sources
If your company deserves a Wikipedia article, it's a major asset. Otherwise, target the reference media in your sector.
Use clear structure
Definitions at the beginning of paragraphs, lists, tables. ChatGPT extracts well-structured information better.
Perplexity: The challenger that cites its sources
How Perplexity works
Perplexity is fundamentally different: it's an AI-augmented search engine. For each query, it performs a real-time web search, analyzes results, then synthesizes an answer by explicitly citing its sources.
This is a huge advantage for GEO: your efforts are visible immediately. If you publish an optimized article today and it's well indexed, Perplexity can cite it tomorrow.
What Perplexity values
- • Content freshness: Recent articles are favored
- • "Citable" structure: Direct answers, lists, numerical data
- • Traditional SEO: Good Google position = more chances to be in sources
- • Demonstrated expertise: Identified author, cited sources, verifiable data
The Perplexity advantage
When Perplexity cites you, it displays a clickable link to your site. It's direct, qualified traffic. Unlike ChatGPT where the user stays in the interface without ever seeing your site.
GEO Strategies for Perplexity
Publish regularly
Freshness matters. An article from last week has more chances than one from last year.
Optimize for "direct answers"
Start each section with a clear answer. Perplexity loves extracting these direct formulations.
Add numerical data
Statistics, percentages, studies. Perplexity often cites them verbatim in its responses.
Work on your SEO
Perplexity relies on search results. Better SEO = more Perplexity visibility.
Target specific questions
Long, precise queries are Perplexity's playground. Create content that answers these questions.
Which to prioritize?
The answer depends on your situation and goals:
Prioritize ChatGPT if...
- • You already have strong online authority
- • Your content is "evergreen"
- • You're targeting volume (200M users)
- • You can invest long-term
Prioritize Perplexity if...
- • You want fast results
- • You regularly publish fresh content
- • You want direct traffic (clickable links)
- • Your target audience is tech-savvy
Our recommendation
Optimize for both. GEO best practices (structure, statistics, authority) work on all platforms. Start with Perplexity for measurable "quick wins", then build your authority for ChatGPT long-term.
How to measure your visibility on each platform
On ChatGPT
Manually test prompts related to your brand/sector. Note if you're mentioned, in what position, and with what sentiment.
Example prompts to test: "What's the best [your category]?", "What do you think of [your brand]?", "[your brand] vs [competitor]"
On Perplexity
Easier: check if your pages appear in cited sources. You can even see which parts of your content are extracted.
Bonus: with Senthor.io, you can track traffic from Perplexity to your site.
Conclusion
ChatGPT and Perplexity represent two different approaches to AI search, and your GEO strategy must adapt to each.
In summary: Perplexity for quick results and direct traffic. ChatGPT for brand awareness and volume. Both for a complete GEO strategy.