I’ve been working in and around search engine optimization for the better part of 20 years, and every few years, someone comes out and says SEO is dead. In more recent years, this has even grown bigger, and the statement has often been, “Search is dead.” People claim that search engines are no longer necessary because social networks give them everything they need. But search has nevertheless endured.

Now there is a new search slayer, the heralded hero that has come to save or ruin all of humanity (depending on the mood of a few tech billionaires). The advent of AI will change everything, and as some people in our small neck of the woods think, it will kill search and SEO—again.

To judge from the analytics data from the thousands of sites built and maintained by Kadabra, traffic coming from AI chatbots and assistants is still small. I wanted to check the quality of results from AI search, so I decided to put ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to the test with six search prompts to see which tool is currently best for search. I used the latest models of each tool, and although they are paid while Google is free, I wanted to see what they had to offer at their current best.

I looked at Google’s most-searched terms, and by removing the searches for specific brands or sites, I tried to compile a list of real things people would search for in everyday life—ranging from weather reports to sports results, shopping, health-related issues, or local searches.

  1. Best deals on iPhone 16 Pro
  • ChatGPT linked only to the official Apple site, but it also mentioned the trade-in program and gave a localized result.
  • Perplexity listed six different sites with a helpful breakdown of deals and options, but the results were not local to me—they were all from another country.
  • Gemini linked to Reddit and TechRadar content that gave a breakdown of options, including screenshots from the sites. It also linked to Apple’s site, but again, results were not local for me.
    Winner: None, Good old Google still wins this for being the most relevant and local.
  1. How do I know if my 5-year-old is suffering from seasonal allergies?
  • ChatGPT gave a list of symptoms and some background information, along with questions to ask to better understand the situation. It cited KidsHealth.org.
  • Perplexity provided a full breakdown of symptoms, indicators, and contributing factors, citing seven different online sources and suggesting treatments and related follow-up searches.
  • Gemini listed symptoms and cited many different sources. It also gave advice on treatment and linked to five relevant articles.
    Winner: Perplexity for giving the most in-depth and relevant answer.
  1. Paris weather hourly for a flight arriving at 6 PM local time tonight
  • ChatGPT gave the correct day and time, listed weather warnings clearly, and showed a breakdown of hourly weather.
  • Perplexity showed a daily weather graphic and a breakdown of hourly weather for the four hours before the time mentioned, but not after.
  • Gemini got the time and date correct but only gave overall weather information for the day, without an hourly breakdown.
    Winner: ChatGPT for answering all requirements in full.
  1. Latest Manchester United game results and analysis
  • ChatGPT listed four sources, gave a description of the game, and ended with a short analysis of the team, including a brief preview of the next game scheduled for today, with a timetable in my local time.
  • Perplexity provided a summary with bullet points of the game’s events, as well as a detailed analysis on performance, standings, players, and areas for improvement. It also gave a short preview of its next Europa League game (but not the next Premier League game tonight).
  • Gemini listed its latest five results across different leagues, gave a clear and thorough in-depth analysis and summary, and linked to some relevant pages.
    Winner: Gemini for its wider coverage and analysis.
  1. The best electric scooter for city commuting
  • ChatGPT listed five options with thumbnails of the products and a short description for each. It linked to relevant reviews but didn’t give a final verdict or prices.
  • Perplexity chose one winner, the Apollo Go, and gave seven categories where this product excels, but all the information came from just one source, and no price was listed.
  • Gemini suggested two best overall picks as well as two runners-up. It listed factors to consider and linked to some relevant sources.
    Winner: None – follow-up questions were needed here. This search was too complicated for current AI models to give a clear answer.
  1. Recommended locksmiths near me
  • ChatGPT listed seven different local options (relatively local) with information and links to each.
  • Perplexity thought I was in Lahore, Pakistan, and gave me five locksmiths there.
  • Gemini gave five local locksmiths with links and even embedded a Google map with the locksmiths showing up and my location exactly pinpointed.
    Winner: Gemini for being the most accurate and providing a map.

I couldn’t figure out a clear winner out of the tools tested. Perplexity gave the most in depth results but got local information wrong. Unsurprisingly Gemini was good at connecting to Google results and local information but was a little more superficial in answering complex questions. ChatGPT was kind of in between, good at summarizing data and showing lists.

Overall, AI search, like in other applications, can summarize and compress information quite well. It can provide lists of results, sources, factors, indicators, or symptoms and serve as a helpful decision-making tool. However, making the right or wrong choices is still up to us. AI pushes information to us faster, but it doesn’t yet enable us to understand more than we would by searching in the old-fashioned way—at least not yet.

Written by Lior Haner, Jan 26th 2025