First movement usually shows within a month; top positions typically take 3 to 6 months. Field data puts Perplexity pickup around 48 hours after a new source appears, ChatGPT around 5 to 7 days, and Google AI Overviews at two to three weeks.
Perplexity searches the live web on every question, so it reacts fastest. ChatGPT refreshes its source picture over days. Google AI Overviews leans on its index and trust signals, so it moves in weeks, and holds positions longer once you have them.
Weeks 1 to 2: your first pieces get indexed and Perplexity starts citing. Weeks 3 to 6: ChatGPT begins naming you on the questions where several sources now agree, and the first Overview citations appear. Months 2 to 6: stacked sources push you toward the top answer on your priority questions, and classic Google rankings follow the same signals.
Daily, targeted publishing beats occasional bursts. Aim every piece at one exact question, put it on a source AI already trusts for your category, and let recent pieces mature for a couple of days instead of rewriting them. Where a stuck question will not move, a paid placement on a trusted publication, plainly disclosed, is sometimes the fastest honest lever.