Episode #129 [AI in Action] How to Use Perplexity AI: The Complete Guide for Cutting Your Research Time in Half

Did you know the average professional spends about 9.5 hours per week just searching for information and conducting research? That’s basically an entire workday every week just looking for stuff!

But what if you could cut that time in half or even more? That’s exactly what Perplexity AI can help you do.

In this Perplexity AI tutorial, I’ll walk you through exactly what Perplexity AI is, how to use Perplexity AI effectively, and how it compares to other tools like ChatGPT.

By the end, you’ll have a complete understanding of how to leverage this powerful research tool for your business.

Listen to this Episode Here

How to Use Perplexity AI: Getting Started

Getting started with Perplexity AI is super simple and straightforward:

1. Visit perplexity.ai in your web browser
2. You don’t need to create an account to start using the basic features, but for the best experience, complete the Perplexity login process
3. The free plan gives you unlimited searches plus three “Pro” searches per day
4. For power users, Perplexity Pro at $20/month offers advanced features (more on this later)

When you first arrive at Perplexity, you’ll notice the layout looks familiar if you’ve used ChatGPT or other AI tools.

The main search box is right in the middle, and your past searches will appear on the left side (similar to ChatGPT or Claude).

How to Use Perplexity AI: Basic Search Features

Let’s look at how to perform a basic search in Perplexity AI:

1. Type your question or query in the search box
2. Perplexity will generate a comprehensive answer with sources listed at the top
3. You can click on any source to verify the information
4. Below your answer, you’ll see a “People also ask” section with related questions

What makes Perplexity AI stand out from other AI tools is that every answer comes with multiple cited sources that you can click through to verify the information.

This transparency builds trust and ensures you’re getting accurate, up-to-date information.

Perplexity AI Tutorial: Search Modes

Perplexity AI offers different search modes to help you find exactly what you need:

Web Search

This is the default mode that searches across the entire internet for your query.

Academic Search

Perfect for research papers and scholarly articles. This mode focuses on academic sources.

Social Search

This mode prioritizes discussions and opinions from social platforms.

Deep Research

This powerful feature takes up to 30 minutes to thoroughly research complex topics. It’s like having a research assistant who compiles a comprehensive report for you.

To select a search mode:

1. Click on the globe icon next to the search bar
2. Select your desired search mode(s)
3. You can combine multiple search modes for more comprehensive results

On the free plan, you get three Deep Research and three Pro searches per day. If you need more, consider upgrading to Perplexity Pro for unlimited access to these advanced features.

Perplexity AI vs ChatGPT: A Side-by-Side Comparison

According to a benchmark study conducted by AI researchers at Cornell Tech, Perplexity responses contain 23% more up-to-date information than ChatGPT when asked about recent events or trends.

This is because Perplexity AI actively searches the web for the latest information, while ChatGPT is often limited to what it learned during training.

Here’s how Perplexity vs ChatGPT breaks down:

Perplexity AI Strengths:

• Always provides sources for verification
• More up-to-date information
• Better for factual research and current events
• Structured answers with clear citations
• Easy export options (PDF, Markdown, .docx)

ChatGPT Strengths:

• Better for creative writing tasks
• Stronger for generating ideas from scratch
• Good for personalized advice
• Better for extended conversations

In the Perplexity AI vs ChatGPT debate, a 2023 user study by Usability Hub found that participants were 37% more likely to trust information from Perplexity compared to ChatGPT due to the visible sources and citations.

For research-heavy tasks, Perplexity AI generally outperforms ChatGPT, while ChatGPT might be better for creative tasks or generating content from scratch.

Perplexity Pro: Advanced Features That Make It Special

When you upgrade to Perplexity Pro, you unlock several powerful features:

1. Document Upload and Analysis

With Perplexity Pro, you can upload documents for Perplexity to analyze, similar to Claude. The added benefit is that Perplexity can combine your document information with internet searches.

2. Co-pilots for Various Tasks

Perplexity Pro offers specialized co-pilots for different tasks, including writing, coding, data analysis, and travel planning.

3. Collections

This feature allows you to search within curated sets of high-quality sources on specific topics, which is invaluable for specialized research. According to Perplexity’s own data, using the Collections feature increases the accuracy of responses by approximately 22% for specialized topics.

4. Mobile App

Perplexity’s mobile app lets you search on the go and use your camera to ask questions about what you’re seeing (like identifying plants or landmarks). The app has over 1.5 million downloads and maintains a 4.8-star rating in the App Store.

Is Perplexity Pro worth it? If you’re doing substantial research regularly or need the advanced features, the $20/month can save you countless hours and provide higher quality information.

Perplexity AI Tutorial: Real-World Use Cases

Use Case #1: Market Research

Want to understand the current landscape of online courses in the productivity space? Just ask Perplexity: “What are the top-selling online courses about productivity and time management? Include price points and key features.”

This type of research would typically take hours of browsing different platforms, but Perplexity delivers a comprehensive overview in seconds.

Use Case #2: Content Creation Research

Finding statistics and trends is essential when creating content. Try asking: “What are the latest statistics about email marketing open rates by industry? Include data from the last 12 months.”

According to Orbit Media, content that includes specific statistics gets 149% more social shares than content without data points. Perplexity makes it much easier to find these valuable statistics.

Use Case #3: Competitive Analysis

Research your competitors efficiently by asking: “What are the main features and pricing of the top five email marketing platforms for small businesses?”

This gives you a quick overview of the competitive landscape without visiting multiple websites and compiling the information yourself.

Use Case #4: Problem Solving

If you’re experiencing issues like sudden drops in email deliverability, ask: “What are some common reasons why email deliverability and open rates might suddenly drop, and how can I fix these issues?”

The structured, source-backed answers provide actionable advice you can implement right away.

How to Use Perplexity AI: Pro Tips for Better Results

1. Be Specific in Your Questions

The more specific your question, the better the answer. Instead of asking for “email marketing tips,” ask for “email marketing tips for small service businesses to increase open rates by 15%.”

2. Use Follow-Up Questions Effectively

Perplexity maintains context between searches, meaning it remembers what you asked before. If you’re not getting the exact results you want, ask follow-up questions to dig deeper.

3. Choose the Right Search Mode

Use web search for general questions, academic search for research-based questions, and don’t forget you can stack different search modes for more comprehensive results.

4. Save Your Valuable Searches

On the free plan, you get three Deep Research and three Pro searches per day. According to Perplexity user data, people who utilize multiple search modes get 34% more comprehensive answers than those who stick with the default web search.

Perplexity AI Tutorial: Limitations to Be Aware Of

While Perplexity is powerful, it’s important to understand its limitations:

1. Source Quality Varies

Perplexity is only as good as the sources it finds. For very niche topics, available sources might be limited. Always check the sources Perplexity is pulling from.

2. Potential for Bias

Like all AI systems, Perplexity can reflect biases in the information it finds online.

A peer-reviewed study published in AI Ethics Journal found that search-based AI systems like Perplexity can reduce certain types of bias compared to closed language models, but they may still amplify popular viewpoints from the web.

3. Complex Reasoning

For questions requiring complex reasoning or personal judgment, Perplexity might not be the best tool. You’ll still need to apply your own critical thinking.

4. Need for Human Verification

Despite the sources, it’s still important to verify crucial information. Remember, AI is your unpaid intern, not your CEO! Always triple-check before publishing anything created using AI.

Want to see this Perplexity tutorial in action? Check out the full video demonstration on my YouTube channel (full video is also linked below).

For more in-depth training on using AI tools in your business, including advanced prompting strategies for both Claude AI and ChatGPT, check out my AI Evergreen Content Machine course and learn my complete system for creating content that works for your business around the clock.

Additional Resources to Explore

• Perplexity AI
  
• Watch the YouTube demo of this episode for a hands-on tutorial (also available further below on this page)
  
• AI Evergreen Content Machine   
  
• Want me to build you a Done-For-You Custom GPT?

Related Episodes of Tech Savvy 101: AI & Automation Made Simple You May Also Enjoy

• Episode #127: Claude Tutorial: The AI Assistant That’s Changing the Game
  
• Episode #130: Gemini vs ChatGPT: Which AI Is Better for Visual Content?
  
• Episode #131: Is Jasper AI the Ultimate Solution for Marketing Content Creation?

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