AI search moved from novelty to mainstream way faster than most of us expected.
Like, many lightspeeds faster.
After Google I/O 2025, even seasoned digital strategists realized the shift from traditional search to AI Overviews wasn’t years away; it was already here (and stomping all over traditional search analytics).
In the past, digital visibility centered on technical SEO and keyword-driven content. While that foundation still matters, it’s only part of the picture. To get noticed by AI-driven systems, brands must also focus on:
- Local SEO
Information that feeds AI entity recognition (e.g., accurate directory listings and map data). - Brand reputation
Patient reviews and sentiment that signal trust. - Brand and digital PR
Authoritative mentions that AI systems rely on to assess expertise.
Healthcare organizations that aren’t showing up in AI Overviews risk losing visibility right when patients, physicians and partners are making their final decisions.
What are AI Overviews and why do they matter?
How AI Overviews work in Google search
AI Overviews, like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), synthesize information using large language models (LLMs) to analyze and summarize content from multiple sources.
Unlike traditional search, they don’t return a ranked list of links (though links are still available). Instead, users see immediate, informative answers at the top of the search page, often without needing to click further.
Enter the threat of “zero-click” searches
According to Search Engine Land, almost a third (27.2%) of all searches in March 2025 ended without a click (up from 24.4% the year prior). This trend is expected to continue as search engines continue to incorporate more AI-powered features and direct answers on SERPs.
The opportunity for healthcare brands
But fear not. You can improve your visibility, signal authority and get your brand in AI Overviews. Focus on aligning content, reputation and brand signals so AI systems recognize your expertise and surface your organization when patients, providers and partners are making decisions.
| AI Overviews determine whether your brand shows up first, even before search clicks. |
From SEO to AEO
First, let’s define these tech-y acronyms because AEO and GEO will likely become the standard over time. Together, these strategies help ensure AI systems recognize and cite your brand accurately:
- AEO: answer engine optimization
- GEO: generative engine optimization
- SEO: search engine optimization
- LLMO: large language model optimization
The rise of LLMO, GEO and AEO
LLMO, GEO and AEO shift focus from traditional ranking metrics (e.g., keyword rank, organic traffic and PPC click-through rates) to AI recognition and citation.
Your healthcare brand must have clear entity representation, structured content and authoritative mentions to be seen as credible and trustworthy among AI systems.
Why rankings and clicks are no longer enough
Traditional key performance indicators (KPIs), like keyword rankings and clicks, no longer tell the whole story. Even before AI Overviews, rankings were becoming unreliable. Brodie Clark’s analysis of Google’s &num=100 experiment showed how rank tracking was already unstable. That shift foreshadowed what we’re seeing today: the death of rankings as a KPI, accelerated by AI-driven search experiences.
Instead, AI systems now evaluate authority and credibility across three key areas:
- Entity recognition (e.g.,brand, clinicians, services and locations)
- Co-occurrence signals relevant pairings (e.g., cardiology + heart health)
- Overall brand authority (e.g., citations in industry publications, directories and reviews)
Healthcare implications of the shift
For healthcare leaders, it’s way past time to get strategic about your content marketing. AI visibility affects patient acquisition, physician referrals, payer confidence and investor perception
| In short, these strategies make sure your patients, partners and investors see your brand first. |
Next, I share how your healthcare brand can improve its odds of showing up in AI Overviews.
7 strategies to improve your chances of being mentioned in AI Overviews
1. Strengthen your digital authority
According to the Google blog, AI rewards original, high-quality content that demonstrates qualities of experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness, or E-E-A-T.
How to do it:
Publish content led by clinicians, backed by data and referenced by credible sources. Ensure it is up to date (and revised as needed), relevant and directly addresses user intent and various query formulations (use keywords, search operators, query expansion and different types of queries).
2. Create citation-friendly content
AI models prefer structured, reference-rich content.
How to do it:
Use frequently asked question (FAQ) sections, schema markup and source references to make your content citation-ready.
3. Earn mentions in authoritative publications
AI favors content with third-party validation.
How to do it:
Focus on digital PR and thought leadership initiatives in reputable healthcare outlets to increase the likelihood of your brand appearing in AI Overviews.
4. Optimize for entity recognition and co-occurrences
Consistency matters.
How to do it:
Ensure your brand, products, services, locations and clinical expertise appear clearly and are associated with relevant terms across websites, directories and Google Business Profiles.
5. Leverage patient reviews and industry directories
Feed AI recognition.
How to do it:
Positive reviews on Google, Healthgrades and Vitals, combined with accurate directory listings, strengthen trust signals and local SEO, which feed AI recognition.
6. Invest in multi-channel content
Diversify your digital marketing footprint.
How to do it:
Invest in multiple entry points for AI systems to discover your E-E-A-T. Blogs, videos, LinkedIn posts and press coverage all increase citation opportunities.
7. Align content for retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems
RAG combines traditional search databases with AI summarization (so your content can be found and cited more easily).
Get your content into the RAG pipeline.
How to do it at scale:
Structure and update content consistently with authoritative references so AI systems can easily find, trust and cite your brand across multiple channels.
| Brands that adopt these strategies now are more likely to dominate AI visibility and patient acquisition in 2026. |
Measuring success in the AI era
- Track brand mentions instead of rankings
Measure how often your brand appears in AI-generated responses, not search rankings. (e.g., track AI mentions using Brandwatch or a similar tool). - Monitor referral traffic from AI-driven platforms
Monitor referral sources and engagement carefully. Even in zero-click scenarios, AI citations can drive indirect traffic to your site. - Evaluate brand-context matches in AI responses
Ensure your brand is cited in the right context and aligned with your specialties, service lines and locations.
| Focus on brand mentions and context, not just clicks or rankings. |
How Healthcare Success helps providers get cited in AI Overviews
- Deep SEO + healthcare expertise
Our marketing specialists integrate technical SEO, local SEO, reputation management, branding and digital PR into a unified strategy specifically for your healthcare specialty. - Proven strategies for AI and search visibility
As a leading healthcare SEO agency, we’ve helped hospitals, multilocation practices and healthcare SaaS companies optimize for AI Overviews, ensuring brands are recognized by AI-driven systems. - Partnering to future-proof healthcare marketing
Generative AI has reshaped search. Partner with Healthcare Success to maintain (or build AI search visibility and secure your brand’s place in the digital conversation.
| Stay visible, trusted and ahead with AI Overview mentions and turn every search into an opportunity to influence the customer journey. |
