For years, being visible online largely meant one thing: appearing when patients searched on Google. While that is still very important, people are now searching for healthcare providers in more than one place.
Your potential patients are increasingly using AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini to research health information, compare providers, and ask questions such as, “Who is a good dentist in my area?” or “Which medical practice offers this treatment?”
Recent research shows just how quickly behaviour is shifting. In 2026, 45% of consumers said they had used AI tools for local business recommendations, up from just 6% the previous year. At the same time, Google remains central to local search, with 71% of consumers using Google Search at some point during their most recent local business search.
Healthcare is following the same trend. Research from healthcare research specialists KFF found that 32% of adults had used AI chatbots for health information in the previous 12 months.
For dental and medical practices, this means being visible not just on Google, but also in AI search tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini, where patients are increasingly looking for information and providers.
The three pillars of modern search optimisation: SEO, AEO and GEO
So, what are SEO, AEO and GEO, and how do they help your practice get found?
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): Helps your website appear prominently in traditional search results such as Google when patients search for your services.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation): Makes your website content clear and useful so search engines and AI-powered tools can easily identify answers to the questions patients are asking.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation): Helps AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini understand your practice, expertise, services, and location so your practice has a better chance of being referenced in AI-generated answers.
How can I get my dental or medical practice to appear more often in ChatGPT and AI search results?
There is no single trick that guarantees your practice will appear in an AI-generated answer. The strongest approach is to make it easy for both Google and AI tools to understand who you are, what you do, where you are, and why your practice is a credible source of health-related information.
Here are six practical places to start:
1. Keep your website clear and current.
Make sure your key services, treatments, practitioners, and your location/s are clearly explained. If you want to be found for a particular service, your website needs useful information about it.
2. Optimise your Google Business Profile.
Ensure your practice name, address, phone number, opening hours, services, and other information are complete and accurate. Regular Google Business Profile updates also help patients find reliable information about your practice.
3. Build your Google reviews.
Encourage happy patients to leave genuine reviews, and respond to every review, whether positive or negative. Reviews help to reinforce your practice’s reputation and credibility.
4. Answer the questions patients are actually asking.
Create useful website content around common patient questions. Clear FAQs, blogs, and treatment information can help your practice appear when people search Google or ask an AI tool a related question.
5. Demonstrate your expertise.
Build deeper content around the areas your practice wants to be known for. Practitioner profiles, educational articles, and detailed service information help establish your experience and authority.
6. Strengthen your brand beyond your website.
Maintain a consistent presence across social media, online directories, industry websites, and other reputable online sources. Trusted mentions of your practice elsewhere can reinforce who you are and what you are known for.
Improving your visibility across Google, ChatGPT and AI search
Improving your visibility across Google, ChatGPT, and AI search starts with a clear search optimisation strategy that reflects how patients now look for healthcare providers.
MedDigital specialises in search optimisation for Australian dental and medical practices, incorporating SEO, AEO and GEO strategies. Unlike a general marketing agency, MedDigital works specifically with healthcare practices and focuses on helping them attract and engage patients across Google and emerging AI search channels.
How visible is your practice?
Do you know what potential patients see when they search for your practice’s services on Google or ask ChatGPT or Gemini to recommend a local provider?
Try MedDigital’s free Search Ranking & AI Visibility Report to get a clearer picture.
You can check your Google rankings, see whether your practice appears in AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini, compare your visibility with competitors, and uncover opportunities to improve your online presence.
Or, if you’d like to talk through your practice’s online visibility (or any other marketing challenges) and where there may be opportunities to improve, book a 15-minute chat with the MedDigital team.
