There’s a New Search Sheriff in Town – And Google’s Feeling the Heat

For years, Google has been the king of the digital jungle, dominating how customers find everything from a plumber to an accountant. But recently, something’s shifted. There’s a new wave of AI-powered search engines that don’t just point you in a direction, they do the digging and analysing for you.

If you haven’t yet experimented with tools like GPT-powered search or Perplexity, now’s the time to start paying attention. Because while Google still owns the lion’s share of search traffic, these intelligent newcomers are changing the rules of the game, and fast.

Let’s start with the big picture.

Traditional search engines (yes, Google we’re talking about you) are keyword-driven. You type in a few words, and you’re handed pages of links. You then do the hard work, clicking, comparing, sifting through reviews and ads, and hoping you land on something useful.

But AI search engines? They don’t just search - they answer.

Here’s why that’s powerful:

• They summarise, not just index. Instead of scrolling through 10 tabs, you get a direct, well-explained response in one go.
• They understand context. Ask a natural-sounding question like “What’s the best local dog groomer that takes walk-ins and does small breeds?” and AI will give you an actual answer, after researching, and analysing not only the sites but also reference sources and reviews for you.
• They reduce research fatigue. For time-poor people (read: nearly every business owner and customer), the idea of skipping the comparison stage is deeply appealing.

So, what does this mean for local businesses?

It means how people find you will be shifting. And if you're not showing up in these new search engines, or worse, if you're not even aware of them, you’re at risk of becoming invisible to the next wave of customers.

If Google is the encyclopaedia and GPT is the chatty genius in the corner, Perplexity AI is the best of both, blending live web search with conversational AI to give you answers that are not only smart but sourced.

Perplexity’s claim to fame is its ability to pull real-time information from the internet and combine it with top-tier language models like GPT-4o and Claude 4.0 Sonnet. That means it doesn’t just rely on what it’s been trained on, it searches live, synthesises what’s relevant, and gives you a direct answer with links to where the information came from. No fluff. No guessing. No "click-and-hope" browsing.

What Makes It Different?

• Live, Source-Linked Answers: Instead of showing you 10 blue links (like Google), or giving you a generic AI guess (like some chatbots), Perplexity gives you a clear, accurate answer with citations. You can see exactly where the info came from.
• Incredible Speed and Clarity: Ask a complex question, like which local solar installer offers rebates in your suburb - Perplexity will instantly research, then summarise the web and show you sourced recommendations.
• Contextual Conversations: It remembers your previous questions in the same session, so your follow-ups feel natural, no need to rephrase every time.
• Customised Search Control: You can even steer it to prioritise sources like Reddit, YouTube, or academic papers, making it a versatile tool for everything from quick checks to deep research.
• Built for Trust: Unlike many AI tools that "guess with confidence," Perplexity is upfront when it can’t find an answer and avoids inventing facts. It’s like having a research assistant who isn’t afraid to say, “I’ll check that for you.”

So if you're a business owner who wants to know how your business stacks up against competitors, or how customers might be researching services in real-time now and the future, Perplexity is a tool worth knowing.

• Google remains dominant for deep, comprehensive local searches, but is cluttered and SEO-driven.
• Perplexity is gaining traction for quick, trustworthy answers with transparent sourcing, especially for users who want direct recommendations without sifting through links.
• GBT (ChatGPT with Search) is versatile and conversational, but may not always be as locally precise as Google or Perplexity.

To be visible across all platforms:

• Optimise your Google Business Profile and encourage Google reviews.
• Build your presence on other authoritative review sites and local directories.
• Get featured in “best of” lists and ensure your business is cited in reputable, local, and industry-specific content.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date info everywhere online and encourage clients to leave detailed, positive reviews.

This multi-pronged approach ensures your business is well-positioned as AI-driven search engines like Perplexity and GBT become key competitors to Google in the local search landscape

What should you do next? Test out all three and ask them each for their suggestion on who they would recommend, in your industry, location and see the results.  Here is one example on Perplexity,

Search is changing and it’s happening quickly. With AI tools like Perplexity and other AI-powered platforms now part of the mix, it’s no longer just about ranking on Google. It’s about being visible, trusted, and easy to find wherever your customers are looking.

If you're not sure where to start, you're not alone. We’re already helping businesses navigate this shift, and we’d be happy to help you do the same.