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If you’re a healthcare marketer, you’ve likely seen generative search shaking things up. With generative search, artificial intelligence (AI) analyzes a query and provides an answer rather than a list of pages. These AI Overviews do have an appeal. As marketers and brand experts, we’ve been guiding consumers toward more natural, conversational interactions for years. AI Overviews are the natural progression.
According to a recent study, AI Overviews now only appear in 15% of search results compared to 84% at launch. That’s welcome news to marketers who had been scrambling since the feature rolled out to everyone in the U.S. in May. However, 63% of healthcare keywords still pull in an AI Overview. AI Overviews push your hard-earned content further down the page. It’s time to fine-tune your optimization strategies to meet today’s search ranking challenges.
By embracing AI and shifting our mindset, we can see a slightly revised marketing approach following these healthcare content strategy tips.
Boost your SEO strategy for generative search
In the world of search today, E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. It’s the secret sauce Google looks for when serving results. We just need to add an H for health. Healthcare sites that bring on the H-E-E-A-T demonstrate accuracy, in-depth knowledge, strong brand reputation and transparency. That doesn’t change with AI. But it does require maintenance. Ensure your SEO strategy includes a plan to regularly audit and refresh content (and quality) to remain at the top of the ranks.
According to Google Search Central, “There is nothing special for creators to do to be considered [in AI Overviews]…”. That assumes you’ve already checked these boxes:
A conversational tone
Is your healthcare content written in plain language? AI Overviews target broad topics for a wide audience to make it easy to find answers. The tool pulls from resources that prioritize clear content.
Structured data
Does your site include schema markup to help medical conditions, treatments and doctors stand out? Schema markup helps Google interpret your pages and determine if they match user intent. It’s looking for clarity, like the audience it serves.
Multimedia
Do you regularly sprinkle content with related videos, charts, graphs, infographics or interactive tools? Don’t overlook doctor profiles. Adding a video that features the doctor can create a stronger emotional connection than words alone. Videos generate SEO results because Google appreciates engaging user experiences. Consider adding videos to your content mix if you see videos in your targeted search engine results pages (SERPs).
Accessibility
Have you added alt text, reviewed W3C recommendations and ensured your site is mobile-friendly? This signals your commitment to accessibility, a factor AI Overviews also prioritize.
Expert authors
Do you link to reliable source pages, include citations and identify expert authors in your blog? Your doctors and medical staff bring unique perspectives and personal experiences.
At the end of the day, it’s all about following SEO best practices. Often — but not always — articles that land in AI Overviews are also in top SERPs. The common contributing factor? Delivering quality content and following — or mostly following — SEO best practices.
Watch our on-demand webinar to hear more from Diane and Nikki on SEO and AI.
Include AEO in your SEO strategy
Once upon a time, Google trained us in shortcut searches with keywords and choppy phrases, but Google AI welcomes human conversation. That switch means a greater emphasis on long-tail keywords, specifically more full-length questions. Think about how Google inserts sections like Featured Snippets, People Also Ask and now Discussions and forums pulled in from Reddit and Quora. Rather than just SEO, marketers need a solid AEO (answer engine optimization) strategy to take advantage of these opportunities to appear in these sections. AEO is a digital marketing optimization strategy that helps content appear in AI-generated searches. You could create an FAQ page, but you’d be selling yourself short. Each question allows you to connect with your audience, and each answer may deserve a dedicated blog post to boost your SEO and thought leadership. Good SEO strategy embeds AEO. And AEO gives you a better chance of appearing on results pages with AI Overviews.
Keep up your local SEO strategy
Local SEO is still an important component of your content strategy, particularly with AI Overviews changing the landscape and potentially decreasing your organic traffic. But with a focus on local information, AI Overviews can also increase your visibility and reach. Google reported that AI Overviews “will provide context about local places, using AI-powered insights that make it easy to compare and explore options.” This focus applies to providers and care services, too.
AI Overviews guide the user not only to specific answers but also to answers to follow-up questions. It can encourage the user to ask about not just a health condition’s definition or symptoms but also which specialists treat it. This is where the beauty of AI Overview’s source lists is in your favor. Your organization might show up as an answer to these follow-up questions. Generative searches like AI Overviews can guide users in finding specialists in their city or state. It’s another opportunity for your organization to show up in SERPs.
In summary, it’s still important to keep your local SEO strong so your healthcare content, provider profiles and reviews can show up among top results.
Smart generative search strategy starts with quality healthcare content
Staying ahead in the AI-driven search landscape will require healthcare marketers to adapt and refine their strategies. By focusing on H-E-E-A-T, incorporating AEO and maintaining strong local SEO practices, you can ensure your content remains visible and relevant in both traditional search results and AI Overviews.
Remember, investing in authentic, valuable content is still the key to winning the SEO game. For personalized guidance and expert assistance, WG Content is here to help you navigate these changes and optimize your healthcare marketing strategy.
Follow-up questions about generative search and content optimization in the age of AI
