How Google's AI Search Is Changing Patient Acquisition

The Biggest Shift in Healthcare Search Since Mobile

Google's AI Overviews launched broadly in 2025, and by early 2026 they appear on roughly 60% of healthcare-related searches. This isn't a minor UI tweak — it's a fundamental change in how patients discover and choose healthcare providers.

For practices that understand and adapt to this shift, it's an enormous opportunity. For those that don't, it means slowly disappearing from the results page.

What Are AI Overviews?

When a patient searches for something like "best treatment for TMJ" or "how much do dental implants cost," Google now generates an AI-powered summary at the top of the page. This summary pulls information from multiple websites and presents a synthesised answer.

The key difference from traditional search: Patients can get answers without clicking through to your website. The practices that are cited as sources in these overviews gain massive credibility and visibility.

How This Affects Healthcare Practices

The Click-Through Impact

Our data from 200+ healthcare practice websites shows:

• Queries with AI Overviews: Average click-through rate dropped 18% for positions 4-10
• Practices cited in AI Overviews: Click-through rate increased 340% compared to non-cited results
• Informational queries: 45% of users now get their answer from the AI Overview alone

What Google's AI Prioritises

After analysing thousands of healthcare AI Overviews, we've identified what Google's AI consistently cites:

1. 1Authoritative healthcare content — Content written or reviewed by licensed healthcare professionals
2. 2Specific, data-backed answers — Exact numbers, ranges, and statistics over vague generalisations
3. 3Structured content — Clear headings, lists, tables, and FAQ formats
4. 4Recent content — Articles updated within the last 6-12 months
5. 5E-E-A-T signals — Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness

Adapting Your Strategy: GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)

Content Structure

Structure every piece of content to be "AI-readable":

• Lead with the answer — Don't bury the key information. Put it in the first paragraph
• Use definitive statements — "Dental implants typically cost between $3,000 and $5,000 per tooth" is better than "costs vary"
• Include structured data — Tables, numbered lists, and comparison charts are heavily favoured
• Add author credentials — "Written by Dr. [Name], DDS, with 15 years of implant experience"

The FAQ Strategy

FAQ pages and FAQ sections within service pages are goldmines for AI Overview citations. Focus on questions patients actually ask:

• Treatment-specific: "How long do dental implants last?"
• Cost-related: "Does insurance cover Invisalign?"
• Comparison: "Implants vs bridges — which is better?"
• Recovery: "What is recovery like after wisdom tooth extraction?"

Building Topical Authority

Google's AI favours websites that demonstrate deep expertise on specific topics. Rather than publishing shallow content on many topics, go deep on your specialties:

• Pillar pages — Comprehensive 3,000+ word guides on core topics
• Cluster content — Supporting articles that link back to pillar pages
• Case studies — Real patient outcomes (with consent) that demonstrate expertise
• Video content — Procedure explanations and patient testimonials

The Local Search Impact

AI Overviews are starting to appear for local searches too. When someone searches "dentist open Saturday near me," Google may generate an overview that lists specific practices with their hours.

How to position for local AI results:

1. 1Keep your Google Business Profile meticulously updated
2. 2Ensure your website has consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) data
3. 3Include specific details like hours, parking, insurance accepted
4. 4Build a strong review profile (4.5+ stars, 100+ reviews)

Measuring Your AI Search Performance

Traditional rank tracking doesn't capture AI Overview appearances. You need to:

• Monitor which queries trigger AI Overviews in your specialty
• Track whether your practice is cited in these overviews
• Measure click-through rates from AI Overview citations vs. traditional results
• A/B test content formats to see what gets cited more frequently

What This Means for Your Budget

If you're allocating your entire marketing budget to traditional SEO and ads, it's time to rebalance:

• 30% on GEO-optimised content creation — Long-form, authoritative, structured content
• 25% on traditional SEO — Technical optimisation, link building, local SEO
• 25% on paid search — Google Ads still appear above and below AI Overviews
• 20% on reputation and reviews — Feeds into both AI citations and patient trust

The Bottom Line

AI search isn't coming — it's here. The practices that adapt their content strategy now will dominate the AI Overview citations for the next several years. Those that wait will find it increasingly difficult to compete.

The good news? Most practices haven't adapted yet. There's a window of opportunity right now for proactive practices to establish themselves as the go-to AI-cited source in their market.