When you think about search engines, your mind probably immediately jumps to Google. You may also be familiar with Bing or the older search engines like Ask.com. But with AI becoming more integrated into many aspects of our lives, it’s also possible that you’ve started to think about AI platforms , like ChatGPT, as your go-to way for finding out information.
Let’s start off by saying that no, ChatGPT isn’t classified as a search engine. As opposed to bringing you a variety of potential results based on your query, ChatGPT uses conversational text based on data from all over the web. However, many people use ChatGPT to answer any question that pops into their head, including possible concerns about their health, putting it on a similar level to search engines.
More and more users are leaning on ChatGPT for their search needs and ultimately converting (i.e, becoming customers or patients). ChatGPT has about a 16% conversion rate while Google’s is 1.8%. Learning how to optimize for AI is becoming more and more important.
Read on to learn about how using ChatGPT as a search engine impacts healthcare. Then we’ll discuss the specific ways that it’s affecting search engine optimization (SEO) in healthcare marketing and how to optimize for AI.
The basics of ChatGPT as a search engine for healthcare
Even though ChatGPT is a chatbot, not a traditional search engine, it has many search capabilities that users have come to rely on. People can use ChatGPT to access live data with cited sources for all information, while also asking follow-up questions.
As a healthcare provider, recognizing how people are using ChatGPT in their wellness journey opens up optimization opportunities that can lead to engagement and conversions. It can provide several benefits for patients including:
- Making medical information more accessible and easy to understand
- Knowing when it’s time to take action on a healthcare concern
- Getting recommendations for nearby providers (like you)
You can optimize for ChatGPT by creating high-quality content that directly addresses conversational questions. You can also make the most of your Google Business Profile to appeal to the local searchers.
6 ways ChatGPT is changing SEO in healthcare marketing
Now let’s dive into how ChatGPT is impacting SEO and why it’s worth incorporating into your healthcare marketing strategy.
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Patients are asking AI their medical questions instead of searching on Google.
Approximately 7% of all Google queries are medical related, which is about 7,000 per minute. However, some people are starting to utilize AI capabilities for medical information. Approximately 17% of adults use AI chatbots at least once a month for medical information and advice. This means that some of your site’s traffic is stemming from ChatGPT as opposed to organic search engine results pages (SERPs).
Even though organic SEO for Google should still be a significant priority in your marketing strategy, you shouldn’t discount the impact of ChatGPT. Recognizing these patient behaviors ensures that you’re still targeting people where they are.
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AI is reshaping keyword strategy.
Keyword research is at the heart of all digital marketing strategies. But the keywords used in Google aren’t the same as what’s typed into ChatGPT. By learning about the keywords that are being searched by AI users, you can address them directly in your content. For example, a Google user may search “physical therapy exercises,” while a ChatGPT user may type, “What physical therapy exercises can I do at home to help my lower back pain?”
Optimizing for ChatGPT involves using long-tail keywords (three words or more) throughout your content that align with the conversational ChatGPT searches.
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Search engines themselves are integrating AI
It’s natural to still feel a bit of a hesitancy about AI, especially when it seems impossible to get away from. Still, it can be helpful to see that even the search engines you love are integrating AI, so it’s worth embracing as a way to boost your SEO performance.
Google has started using an AI feature called Google SGE (Search Generative Experience), which provides generated summaries in response to queries using a conversational tone. Its similarities to ChatGPT mean that you can optimize your healthcare content for both SERPs and AI.
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Content needs to be more authoritative than ever.
Credibility and trustworthiness are essential for any source that a search user comes across, especially when it comes to their health and wellness. The Google algorithm and AI both want to prioritize sources that are an authority in their field. To assess the quality of content, Google specifically uses a concept called EEAT, which stands for:
- Experience
- Expertise
- Authoritativeness
- Trustworthiness
Google also considers health to be a “your money or your life” topic, meaning it holds related content to the highest standards.
Creating content with data and sources helps to establish the authoritative voice of your practice, increasing the likelihood that you’ll be used as a trusted source in AI responses for ChatGPT and Google SGE.
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ChatGPT influences patient expectations.
The speed in which we can receive information, either through SERPs or AI, is truly astounding. When a person has been getting their medical insight almost instantaneously, it can influence what they expect from you during in-person sessions. They want fast answers in an accessible and conversational way.
When your content appears in ChatGPT or Google results, the user is encouraged to complete a conversion and book an appointment with you. During that appointment, you can still provide them with the comprehensive information they would receive online, while also keeping your humanity and compassion at the forefront.
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AI tools speed up marketing workflows.
When you’re incorporating AI into your healthcare processes, the goal is to have it make your tasks faster and more efficient. You can use it to assist with your marketing campaign in a few ways, including:
- Brainstorming ideas
- Researching digital marketing trends
- Drafting outlines for blog posts
- Verifying that all information is HIPAA compliant
But it’s essential to remember that AI isn’t meant to replace the need for human expertise, especially with information as influential as medical information. Be sure that anything created with AI has regular oversight by a human in your practice to maintain true to your brand.
Want to attract new patients to your website? BURG+CO. can help by incorporating ChatGPT into your healthcare marketing strategy
Staying on top of new technologies and patient behaviors can play a key role in how effective your healthcare marketing is. ChatGPT has become many people’s go-to source for many things, from writing emails to finding movie suggestions. And when it’s used as an assistive tool for your marketing efforts, you can gain traffic from another distribution channel that you haven’t previously explored.
If you’re not sure how to optimize your site’s content, BURG+CO. can help. While our team has expertise in the SEO that we all know and love, we’ve also learned how to incorporate AI, such as ChatGPT, into digital marketing campaigns while still preserving the human element. We know how to align your content with what the AI chatbot is looking for to get you traffic from quality leads.
Our team has years of experience in helping healthcare brands improve their digital presence to attract new patients and retain existing ones. If you’re looking to perform better in search engine results and attract more potential patients to your site, we’re ready to talk to you to see how we can help.
Want expert support with your digital marketing? Connect with BURG+CO. today to explore how we can help your healthcare brand grow.