AI Search7 min read

ChatGPT Search vs Perplexity vs Google AI Overviews: What's the Difference?

A

Ashton

Founder, Buttercup Digital - 28 March 2026

The three dominant AI search platforms — Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT Search, and Perplexity — each work differently, draw from different source pools, and serve different user needs. Only 11% of domains are cited by both ChatGPT and Perplexity, which means a single-platform SEO strategy leaves most of the AI search landscape unaddressed. Understanding how each platform works is the starting point for building visibility across all three.

Google AI Overviews: the highest priority for Australian businesses

Google AI Overviews (formerly Search Generative Experience) are AI-generated answer boxes that appear at the top of Google Search results. They appear for roughly 15-20% of searches, skewed heavily toward informational and research queries.

Why it's the priority: Google remains the dominant search engine in Australia with roughly 94% market share. AI Overviews appear within Google's standard search results, meaning your existing Google customers are already seeing them. The volume of queries where AI Overviews appear dwarfs the combined query volume of ChatGPT Search and Perplexity.

  • •Source pool: Google's own web index — the same pages that rank in organic search. Well-optimised pages that already rank are more likely to be cited.
  • •Strongest signals: E-E-A-T, topical authority, structured data, Google Business Profile for local queries.
  • •Most effective for: Australian businesses targeting informational queries — "how to", "what is", "best X in [city]".
  • •Commercial queries: AI Overviews appear less frequently for purely commercial queries (where Google typically shows ads instead). Google Ads still dominates the commercial SERP.

Perplexity: the researcher's AI search engine

Perplexity is an AI-native search engine that directly answers questions with cited sources. Unlike Google AI Overviews (which appear within a standard search experience), Perplexity is the entire product — users come specifically to ask questions and get synthesised answers.

Its user base skews toward researchers, professionals, and tech-forward users. Lower volume than Google but high-quality audience — Perplexity users tend to be deliberate in their searches and have above-average purchasing power.

  • •Source pool: Reddit (~47% of citations), news sources, industry directories (G2, Capterra, Clutch), LinkedIn, Quora.
  • •Strongest signals: Reddit presence, G2/Clutch profile (for service/software businesses), earned media in relevant publications.
  • •Most effective for: B2B businesses, professional services, software/SaaS, any business where the buyer does thorough research before purchasing.
  • •What to prioritise: A Clutch.co profile with real reviews for service businesses. Authentic participation in relevant Reddit communities. Earned media in industry publications.

ChatGPT Search: the wildcard with growing usage

ChatGPT Search is OpenAI's browsing capability that allows ChatGPT to search the web in real time. It's available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers and increasingly integrated into ChatGPT's default responses for questions that benefit from current information.

It's growing fast but is still significantly smaller than Google in query volume. However, the nature of ChatGPT interactions is different — users are often in a decision-making or research phase, asking longer, more complex questions. Being cited in ChatGPT responses during those moments has disproportionate influence.

  • •Source pool: Wikipedia (#1 citation source), Reddit, news and media, LinkedIn articles, earned media.
  • •Strongest signals: Wikipedia presence (not achievable for most businesses), earned media in reputable publications, LinkedIn articles from named experts, Reddit.
  • •Most effective for: Brand awareness and consideration-stage visibility, particularly for businesses where customers ask ChatGPT for recommendations.
  • •What to prioritise: Earned media mentions in recognisable publications (Mumbrella, Smart Company, AFR). LinkedIn thought leadership articles. If eligible, a Wikipedia entry.

Bing Copilot: the Microsoft ecosystem

Bing Copilot is Microsoft's AI-powered search experience, integrated into Bing and Microsoft 365. It has lower market share in Australia than Google AI Overviews but is used significantly in enterprise environments through Microsoft's productivity suite integration.

  • •Source pool: Microsoft news ecosystem, Forbes and business publications, LinkedIn (Microsoft-owned), industry publications.
  • •Strongest signals: LinkedIn activity, mentions in business publications, Bing-indexed content.
  • •Priority for: B2B businesses whose clients use Microsoft enterprise tools. Less critical for most Australian consumer-facing businesses.

A multi-platform visibility strategy for Australian businesses

Because only 11% of domains are cited by both ChatGPT and Perplexity, a strategy that only optimises for one platform leaves significant visibility gaps. The practical approach:

  • •Foundation (affects all platforms): High-quality website content with answer-first structure, FAQPage schema, E-E-A-T signals, consistent entity data.
  • •Google AI Overviews: Technical SEO, topical authority, GBP with reviews, AI crawler access.
  • •Perplexity: Clutch/G2 profile, Reddit participation, earned media in industry publications.
  • •ChatGPT Search: LinkedIn thought leadership, earned media in recognisable Australian publications, PR strategy for brand mentions.
  • •All platforms: AI crawlers allowed in robots.txt (GPTBot, PerplexityBot, anthropic-ai, Google-Extended).

Frequently asked questions

Which AI search platform should Australian businesses focus on first?

Google AI Overviews, without question. Google has 94%+ market share in Australia, and AI Overviews appear within the standard search experience your customers are already using. The tactics that help you appear in Google AI Overviews (quality content, E-E-A-T signals, GBP) also improve your traditional SEO. After establishing this foundation, add Perplexity visibility (Clutch profile, Reddit) as the next priority.

How do I check if my business appears in ChatGPT or Perplexity?

The simplest method: open ChatGPT and Perplexity and ask the questions your customers would ask. "What are the best Google Ads agencies in Perth?" "How do I choose a plumber in Fremantle?" If competitors appear and you don't, you have a gap. There are also specialist AI visibility tracking tools emerging, but manually checking with realistic customer queries is a practical starting point.

Does ranking on Google guarantee appearance in Google AI Overviews?

No — but there's a strong correlation. Google AI Overviews draw primarily from pages that rank in Google's organic index, meaning pages that already rank well are more likely candidates for citation. However, ranking position is not the only factor — content structure, E-E-A-T signals, and topical authority all influence whether a ranked page is selected for an AI Overview. Page 1 rankings are table stakes; the additional factors determine which page-1 results get cited.

Is Perplexity used in Australia?

Yes, and growing. Perplexity has seen rapid adoption among professionals and researchers in Australia, particularly in the tech, finance, and professional services sectors. Its Australian user base is smaller than Google's by a large margin, but the users tend to be high-engagement and high-value. For B2B businesses and professional services, Perplexity visibility is worth investing in relative to the effort required (primarily Clutch profile and Reddit participation).

Will AI search replace Google for Australian consumers?

Not in the near term. AI search is becoming an increasingly important layer on top of existing search behaviour, not a wholesale replacement. Google is actively integrating AI into its core product (AI Overviews), which means AI search and traditional search are converging rather than competing for most users. The businesses most at risk are those whose visibility depends entirely on informational content that AI engines can now answer without a click-through — not those with strong commercial, local, or branded search presence.

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