Your Patients Are Searching Differently. Can They Still Find Your Practice?

For years, healthcare search marketing was relatively easy to explain.

Someone needs a physical therapist, so they open Google and type: “physical therapist near me.”

Practices compete to appear in the results.

That behavior certainly hasn't disappeared, but search itself is changing. And I think healthcare practice owners need to understand the shift without getting caught up in the hype.

Search Is Becoming a Conversation

Google reported this year that its AI Overviews now have more than 2.5 billion monthly active users, while AI Mode has surpassed one billion.

More interesting to me is how people are searching.

Google says AI Mode is encouraging people to ask more complex questions that better express what's actually on their minds.

Think about what that could mean for healthcare.

Instead of: “physical therapist near me”

Someone might search: “I've had shoulder pain for three months after playing tennis. What type of provider should I see, and how do I find someone nearby who works with athletes?”

That's a very different search.

The patient isn't necessarily choosing a practice yet. First, they're trying to understand their problem.

You May Be Competing Before the Patient Knows What They Need

I discuss a similar example in my book.

Imagine someone who has suffered a significant back injury.

Depending on the situation, that person might consider a primary care physician, orthopedic specialist, physical therapist, chiropractor, or another option. They aren't necessarily searching for your practice category. They're searching for a solution.

That distinction matters.

If your entire search strategy revolves around ranking for a handful of service keywords, you're potentially entering the conversation late.

Google Isn't Disappearing. Google Is Changing.

I would be cautious about headlines declaring “SEO is dead.” People have been announcing the death of SEO for a very long time, and so far, they've been wrong.

What's actually happening is more interesting.

Google itself is integrating AI deeply into Search. In May, it announced a redesigned AI-powered Search box and a more seamless transition between AI Overviews and conversational AI Mode.

So I don't think it's really useful or relevant to ask whether to optimize Google or AI. After all, AI is increasingly a part of Google.

Meanwhile, prospective patients can also encounter your practice through Google Maps, traditional organic results, paid ads, reviews, social content, ChatGPT and other AI platforms.

That's why I describe modern search as an ecosystem of visibility.

Being Found Once May Not Be Enough

Healthcare decisions require trust.

A prospective patient may encounter your name in an AI answer. Then, they Google your practice, read your reviews, open your website, look at the provider bios, and even check your social presence.

After all of that, they might return to Google Maps before calling.

Those aren't separate marketing journeys, they're one patient doing research. And every appearance of a consistent, credible practice reinforces the others.

Your Google Business Profile matters. But...

• Your website matters.
• Your reviews matter.
• Your content matters.
• Traditional SEO matters.
• AI visibility increasingly matters.

This is the thinking behind what I call the Everywhere Search System.

Original Expertise May Become Even More Valuable

There's another development I find interesting.

As AI-generated content becomes easier to create, original expertise becomes more valuable, not less.

Google has continued adding features designed to surface original content, trusted sources and firsthand perspectives within AI Search.

For healthcare practices, that's a useful reminder.

Don't create 50 generic articles because an AI tool can produce them cheaply. Have your clinicians answer the questions patients actually ask.

That includes explaining your approach, sharing genuine expertise, writing useful service pages, and building your reputation. Relevant practice owners will keep their business information accurate and respond to reviews.

Google's own current local-business guidance continues to emphasize complete business information, reviews, photos and videos.

These aren't glamorous tactics, but they ARE trust signals.

Don't Chase the Algorithm

The temptation whenever search changes is to look for the latest trick.

I wouldn't.

Search models change constantly, even daily. In fact, I describe in the book how quickly rankings and search behavior can move, including a dental-office audit where a ranking changed between Monday and Wednesday.

Trying to outsmart every algorithm update is exhausting.

Instead, build the strongest possible digital footprint around the questions your ideal patients actually have. That means you want to be useful, authoritative, and visible in several places. Make it easy for someone to understand why your practice may be the right choice and make the next step easy when they're ready.

The Question Has Changed

A few years ago, a practice owner might have asked: “Are we ranking on Google?”

That's still worth knowing.

But I'd expand the question: “When our ideal patients are researching their problems and evaluating their options, where do we show up?”

• Google.
• Maps.
• AI answers.
• Reviews.
• Your website.
• Social media.
• Other trusted sources.

The specific mix will continue changing.

The objective won't.

Be visible when the right patient needs you, build enough trust to be considered, and make it easy for that person to become a patient.

If you're not sure how visible your practice is across today's search ecosystem, I help healthcare businesses evaluate that bigger picture. You can book a discovery meeting with me to discuss your current strategy.