AEO for Healthcare: How to Get Your Practice Found by AI Search

Healthcare AEO (AI Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing your medical practice's website, provider profiles, and patient education content so that AI search engines — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Microsoft Copilot — recommend your practice when patients ask health-related questions. When someone asks an AI "Who is the best dermatologist near me for acne treatment?" or "What pediatrician in Austin takes Blue Cross?" healthcare AEO is what determines whether your practice appears in that answer or gets overlooked in favor of a competitor. Unlike traditional healthcare SEO, which optimizes for search engine result pages, healthcare AEO focuses on the specific signals that AI models use to evaluate, trust, and recommend medical providers in conversational responses.

Why Healthcare Providers Need AEO

The way patients find healthcare providers is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Instead of typing "dentist near me" into Google and scrolling through a list of results, a growing number of patients are asking AI engines directly: "Who is the best dentist in my area for Invisalign?" or "What dermatologist near downtown takes Aetna and has good reviews?" The AI responds with a curated, opinionated answer — naming specific practices, explaining why each one is recommended, and often citing credentials, reviews, and specialties.

This shift is accelerating across every type of healthcare query. Patients are asking AI engines:

• "Best dermatologist near me for acne treatment" — AI names specific providers with board certifications and patient review highlights
• "Symptoms of strep throat vs. the flu" — AI explains the differences and may recommend local urgent care options
• "Therapist in Austin who specializes in anxiety" — AI recommends therapists with relevant specializations and availability
• "Best pediatrician that takes Blue Cross in Denver" — AI filters by insurance and recommends practices with strong parent reviews
• "What to expect during a root canal" — AI explains the procedure and may cite dental practices with patient education content
• "Physical therapy for rotator cuff tear near me" — AI recommends PT clinics with demonstrated orthopedic expertise

For healthcare providers, this shift is existential. If your practice is not the one AI engines recommend, you are invisible to a rapidly growing segment of patients. And unlike Google search where you can buy ads to appear at the top, AI recommendations cannot be purchased — they are earned through content quality, data structure, provider credentials, and review signals.

The impact is already measurable. Practices that have optimized for AI search report that AI-referred patients arrive with higher intent and deeper trust. When an AI engine recommends your practice by name with a specific reason — "Dr. Chen at Lakeview Dermatology is board-certified with fellowship training in cosmetic dermatology and has a 4.8-star rating across 340 Google reviews" — the patient arrives pre-sold. That is the power of healthcare AEO.

The Healthcare AEO Framework: 6 Pillars

This framework covers the six core areas that determine whether AI engines will discover, evaluate, and recommend your practice. Each pillar reinforces the others — MedicalOrganization schema helps AI engines find your practice, but patient education content gives them reasons to recommend you over competitors. Provider profiles establish authority, reviews validate it, appointment accessibility reduces friction, and compliance-safe strategies ensure you can optimize aggressively without risk.

Pillar 1: MedicalOrganization & Physician Schema

Healthcare-specific schema is the foundation of healthcare AEO. While any business can use Organization schema, healthcare providers have access to specialized schema types that communicate medical-specific information to AI engines: specialties, credentials, accepted insurance, available services, and clinical affiliations. These schema types give AI engines the structured, machine-readable data they need to confidently recommend your practice for specific medical queries.

The essential schema types for healthcare providers:

• MedicalOrganization — The core schema type for your practice. Includes practice name, address, phone, medical specialty, available services, and insurance networks. This tells AI engines "We are a cardiology practice in Seattle that accepts these insurance plans and offers these services."
• Physician — Schema for individual providers. Includes name, credentials, board certifications, medical specialty, affiliated hospitals, and education. This lets AI engines recommend specific doctors, not just your practice.
• MedicalClinic — For urgent care centers, walk-in clinics, and multi-specialty clinics. Includes operating hours, available services, and whether the clinic accepts walk-ins.
• Dentist — A specialized schema type for dental practices. Includes dental specialties, procedures offered, and insurance information.

Here is a comprehensive MedicalOrganization schema template with healthcare-specific properties that AI engines prioritize:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "MedicalOrganization",
  "name": "Lakeview Family Medicine",
  "description": "Board-certified family medicine practice serving the greater Seattle area since 2005. Specializing in preventive care, chronic disease management, and pediatric medicine.",
  "url": "https://www.lakeviewfamilymed.com",
  "logo": "https://www.lakeviewfamilymed.com/images/logo.png",
  "image": "https://www.lakeviewfamilymed.com/images/office-exterior.jpg",
  "telephone": "+1-206-555-0140",
  "email": "info@lakeviewfamilymed.com",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "1234 Lakeview Blvd, Suite 200",
    "addressLocality": "Seattle",
    "addressRegion": "WA",
    "postalCode": "98101",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "geo": {
    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
    "latitude": 47.6062,
    "longitude": -122.3321
  },
  "medicalSpecialty": [
    "https://schema.org/PrimaryCare",
    "https://schema.org/Pediatric"
  ],
  "availableService": [
    {
      "@type": "MedicalProcedure",
      "name": "Annual Physical Examination",
      "procedureType": "https://schema.org/DiagnosticProcedure"
    },
    {
      "@type": "MedicalProcedure",
      "name": "Chronic Disease Management",
      "procedureType": "https://schema.org/TherapeuticProcedure"
    },
    {
      "@type": "MedicalProcedure",
      "name": "Pediatric Well-Child Visits",
      "procedureType": "https://schema.org/DiagnosticProcedure"
    }
  ],
  "healthPlanNetworkId": [
    "AETNA-PPO-WA",
    "BCBS-PREFERRED-WA",
    "UNITED-CHOICE-PLUS"
  ],
  "isAcceptingNewPatients": true,
  "openingHoursSpecification": [
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
      "opens": "08:00",
      "closes": "17:00"
    },
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": "Saturday",
      "opens": "09:00",
      "closes": "13:00"
    }
  ],
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.8",
    "bestRating": "5",
    "reviewCount": "287",
    "ratingCount": "340"
  },
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.healthgrades.com/group-directory/wa-washington/seattle/lakeview-family-medicine",
    "https://www.zocdoc.com/practice/lakeview-family-medicine"
  ]
}

Key healthcare-specific properties: The properties that differentiate healthcare schema from generic Organization schema are medicalSpecialty, availableService, healthPlanNetworkId, and isAcceptingNewPatients. These are the exact data points patients ask AI engines about — "Do they take my insurance?" "Are they accepting new patients?" "Do they offer this procedure?" Without these properties in your schema, AI engines have to guess or skip your practice entirely.

Use our free schema generator to build MedicalOrganization schema without writing code.

Pillar 2: Provider Profiles

Patients do not just search for practices — they search for specific providers. "Best female dermatologist in Austin," "pediatrician who speaks Spanish near me," "therapist specializing in CBT for anxiety." Your provider profile pages are the content AI engines use to match individual providers to these specific patient queries. Thin, templated provider bios give AI engines nothing to work with. Rich, detailed profiles give AI multiple angles from which to recommend your providers.

Every provider profile page should include:

• Full credentials and board certifications — List every relevant board certification, fellowship training, medical school, and residency. AI engines use credentials as a primary authority signal. "Board-certified in dermatology with fellowship training in Mohs micrographic surgery" is far more compelling to an AI engine than "Dr. Smith is a dermatologist."
• Specific areas of expertise — Go beyond listing your medical specialty. Detail the specific conditions you treat and procedures you perform. "Dr. Patel specializes in adult ADHD, anxiety disorders, OCD, and treatment-resistant depression using a combination of CBT and medication management" matches far more AI queries than "Dr. Patel is a psychiatrist."
• Treatment philosophy and approach — Patients searching via AI often ask about approach, not just credentials. "Therapist who uses EMDR for trauma" or "dentist who is good with anxious patients." Describing your approach and philosophy helps AI engines match you with patients seeking specific care styles.
• Languages spoken — A significant number of healthcare AI queries include language requirements. "Spanish-speaking therapist near me" and "Korean-speaking dentist in Los Angeles" are common query patterns. List every language your providers speak.
• Professional affiliations and hospital privileges — Affiliations with recognized hospitals and medical organizations serve as trust signals. AI engines use these affiliations to validate provider authority.
• A professional photo — While AI engines do not evaluate photos directly, provider pages with professional photos signal completeness and professionalism. Pages with photos also earn more clicks and engagement, which are indirect quality signals.

Add Physician schema to each provider profile page. This gives AI engines structured data about each provider's credentials, specialties, and affiliations separate from the practice-level MedicalOrganization schema.

Pillar 3: Patient Education Content

Patient education content is the healthcare equivalent of e-commerce comparison content — it is the material that directly answers the questions patients ask AI engines. When someone asks "What are the symptoms of endometriosis?" or "How long does recovery from knee replacement take?" the AI pulls from sources that provide clear, authoritative, well-structured answers. If your practice publishes that content, you become both the source the AI cites and the provider it recommends for treatment.

The three types of patient education content that drive the most AI citations:

Condition Explainer Pages

Create dedicated pages for every condition you treat. Each page should cover symptoms, causes, risk factors, diagnosis process, treatment options, and when to see a doctor. Structure the content with clear headings that match patient questions: "What causes [condition]?" "What are the symptoms of [condition]?" "How is [condition] treated?" This heading structure directly maps to how patients phrase AI queries. A dermatology practice should have individual pages for acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, skin cancer screening, and every other condition they treat.

Treatment Guide Pages

For every major procedure or treatment you offer, create a detailed guide that covers what the treatment involves, how to prepare, what to expect during the procedure, recovery timeline and aftercare, risks and benefits, cost ranges and insurance coverage, and alternatives. "What to expect during a root canal" and "How long does Invisalign take?" are among the most common healthcare AI queries. The practice whose content answers these questions earns both the citation and the patient recommendation.

FAQ Sections

Add FAQ sections to your condition and treatment pages. Pull questions directly from patient inquiries, Google's "People Also Ask" section, and the questions patients commonly ask during consultations. Mark these up with FAQPage schema so AI engines can directly match patient questions to your answers. Effective FAQ patterns for healthcare include "Does [treatment] hurt?" "How much does [treatment] cost?" "Is [treatment] covered by insurance?" and "How long does [treatment] take?"

Pillar 4: Review & Trust Signals

Reviews are one of the most powerful signals AI engines use when recommending healthcare providers. When a patient asks "best orthopedic surgeon near me," AI engines evaluate review volume, average rating, recency, platform diversity, and review content specificity. A practice with 300 Google reviews averaging 4.7 stars and 150 Healthgrades reviews is a much stronger signal than a practice with 20 reviews on a single platform. Your review strategy needs to be systematic and multi-platform.

Google Business Profile Reviews

Google reviews are the single most important review platform for healthcare AEO because they directly feed into Google AI Overviews. Optimize your Google Business Profile with accurate practice information, photos, and service categories. Encourage post-visit reviews through follow-up emails or text messages. Make it easy — send a direct link to your Google review page. Respond to every review within 48 hours, especially negative ones. Professional, empathetic responses to negative reviews demonstrate care quality and are parsed by AI engines as a positive signal.

Healthgrades and Zocdoc

Healthgrades and Zocdoc are healthcare-specific review platforms that AI engines weight heavily for medical provider recommendations. Claim and fully complete your profiles on both platforms. Healthgrades is particularly important because it includes provider credentials, hospital affiliations, and patient satisfaction scores that AI engines use alongside Google data. Zocdoc adds appointment availability and verified patient reviews, both of which strengthen AI recommendations.

Specialty-Specific Platforms

Depending on your specialty, additional review platforms matter. Dentists should maintain profiles on Yelp and the ADA Find-a-Dentist directory. Therapists should be on Psychology Today, GoodTherapy, and TherapyDen. Veterinarians should claim profiles on Yelp and Google. The more platforms where your practice has consistent, positive reviews, the more confident AI engines are in recommending you.

Review Response Strategy

Respond to every review professionally. For positive reviews, thank the patient and acknowledge the specific aspect they appreciated. For negative reviews, express empathy, take responsibility where appropriate, and offer to resolve the issue offline. Never disclose patient information in a review response — even confirming that someone is a patient can be a HIPAA violation. Keep responses general: "We appreciate your feedback and take all concerns seriously. Please contact our office directly so we can address this." AI engines parse response patterns and a practice that consistently responds with professionalism signals quality care.

Pillar 5: Appointment Accessibility

When an AI engine recommends a healthcare provider, the patient's natural next step is to book an appointment. If that process is easy, transparent, and well-documented on your website, AI engines are more likely to recommend you because the patient experience from recommendation to action is seamless. Appointment accessibility signals tell AI engines that your practice is not just qualified — it is accessible and ready to serve new patients.

Online Booking Schema

If you offer online appointment scheduling, add structured data that tells AI engines about it. Include an Action property in your schema with a "Schedule Appointment" target URL. This helps AI engines provide a direct booking link alongside their recommendation. Platforms like Zocdoc, Calendly, and practice-specific EHR booking portals can be referenced in your schema.

Insurance Information

Insurance is one of the most common filters patients apply when searching for healthcare providers through AI. "Doctor near me that takes Aetna" and "therapist who accepts Medicaid" are high-volume AI queries. List every insurance plan you accept prominently on your website and include them in your MedicalOrganization schema using the healthPlanNetworkId property. Be specific — listing "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is less useful than listing "BCBS PPO," "BCBS HMO," and "BCBS Federal Employee Plan" separately.

New Patient Information

Create a dedicated "New Patients" page that covers what to bring to a first visit, what to expect during the initial consultation, accepted insurance plans, financial policies, office hours and location, parking and accessibility information, and intake form downloads or online form links. This page serves double duty — it provides the practical information new patients need, and it signals to AI engines that your practice is organized, transparent, and welcoming to new patients. Include isAcceptingNewPatients: true in your schema.

Wait Times and Availability

If your practice has short wait times or same-day availability, promote it. "Urgent care near me open now" and "dermatologist with quick appointments" are growing AI query patterns. If you can see patients within a week for non-urgent visits or offer same-day appointments for urgent needs, make this clear on your website and in your schema. AI engines increasingly factor availability into their recommendations.

Pillar 6: Compliance-Safe Content Strategies

Healthcare is a regulated industry, and some practice owners worry that aggressive content marketing could create compliance risks. The reality is that all effective healthcare AEO strategies are fully HIPAA-compliant because they focus on general medical information and public practice details — not patient data. Understanding the boundaries lets you optimize confidently.

What You Can Freely Publish

• General information about conditions, symptoms, and treatments
• Provider credentials, bios, board certifications, and education
• Practice information: services, specialties, insurance, hours, location
• Patient education materials explaining procedures and what to expect
• Aggregate practice statistics (e.g., "We have performed over 5,000 Invisalign treatments")
• General testimonials where the patient has provided written consent to share

What to Avoid

• Before-and-after photos without explicit written patient consent and HIPAA authorization
• Any content that identifies a specific patient or their condition without authorization
• Responding to reviews in a way that confirms someone is a patient or discloses treatment details
• Making specific health outcome guarantees ("We will cure your back pain")
• Sharing patient data in schema markup or structured data

The key principle: optimize with public information and general medical knowledge. Your schema should describe your practice and providers, not your patients. Your content should educate about conditions and treatments in general terms. Your reviews are generated by patients voluntarily on third-party platforms. Nothing in this framework requires you to expose, use, or reference protected health information.

Healthcare Content AI Engines Love

AI engines have specific content preferences when generating healthcare recommendations and medical information responses. Understanding what types of content perform best helps you prioritize your content creation efforts. The following content types consistently earn the most AI citations and provider recommendations.

Condition Explainers

Comprehensive, medically accurate pages that explain a condition from symptoms through treatment. Structure each page with clear headings: Overview, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment Options, Prevention, and When to See a Doctor. Use plain language that patients understand while maintaining medical accuracy. Link to authoritative sources like the Mayo Clinic, NIH, or CDC where appropriate. End each condition page with a clear call to action connecting patients to your practice's relevant services.

Treatment Comparison Guides

Patients frequently ask AI engines to compare treatment options: "Invisalign vs. braces — which is better?" "Medication vs. therapy for depression — which should I try first?" "Laser hair removal vs. electrolysis — what lasts longer?" Create comparison guides that objectively evaluate treatment options with a structured format: how each treatment works, pros and cons, cost ranges, recovery time, expected results, and who each option is best for. These guides earn AI citations because they directly match comparison query patterns.

"What to Expect" Guides

"What to expect during [procedure]" is one of the most common healthcare AI query patterns. Create detailed guides for every major procedure your practice performs. Cover preparation, the day of the procedure, the procedure itself step by step, immediate aftercare, recovery timeline, potential side effects, and follow-up schedule. These guides reduce patient anxiety, demonstrate expertise, and earn AI citations for procedural queries.

Symptom Checker Content

While you should not build an interactive symptom checker (liability concerns), you can create content that helps patients understand when symptoms warrant a doctor visit. "When to see a doctor for a headache," "Is my mole dangerous? Signs to watch for," and "When is a sore throat serious?" are high-volume AI queries. Create content that clearly distinguishes between normal, watch-and- wait, and urgent situations, always erring on the side of recommending professional evaluation.

Specialty-Specific AEO Tips

While the 6-pillar framework applies to every healthcare provider, each specialty has unique AEO opportunities based on how patients search for that type of care. Here are targeted strategies for the specialties where AI search is growing fastest.

Dentists

Dental searches are among the most common healthcare AI queries. Patients frequently ask for provider recommendations ("best dentist near me"), procedure information ("how much do veneers cost?"), and comparisons ("Invisalign vs. braces for adults"). To optimize:

• Use Dentist schema — The Dentist schema type is specifically designed for dental practices and provides properties for dental specialties and procedures that MedicalOrganization does not.
• Create procedure-specific pages — Dedicated pages for cleanings, fillings, crowns, root canals, implants, Invisalign, veneers, teeth whitening, and every other procedure you offer. Each page should cover what the procedure involves, cost ranges, insurance coverage, and recovery.
• Publish cost transparency content — Dental cost queries ("how much does a crown cost?") are high-volume AI questions. Create content that provides realistic cost ranges for your area, explains what affects pricing, and details insurance coverage.
• Target "dental anxiety" queries — "Dentist good with anxious patients" and "sedation dentistry near me" are growing search patterns. If you offer sedation options or specialize in anxious patients, make this prominent on your website and in your provider bios.

Therapists & Mental Health Providers

Mental health is one of the fastest-growing categories in healthcare AI search. Patients are increasingly comfortable asking AI engines for therapist recommendations, and the queries tend to be highly specific about specialty, approach, and logistics.

• Detail therapeutic modalities — List every modality you practice: CBT, DBT, EMDR, psychodynamic, ACT, mindfulness-based, etc. Patients frequently search for "EMDR therapist near me" or "therapist who does DBT for BPD." If these modalities are in your content and schema, AI engines can match you to these queries.
• Specify populations served — "Therapist for teens," "couples counselor," "LGBTQ+ affirming therapist," and "therapist for first responders" are all specific query patterns. Clearly state the populations you specialize in serving.
• Create condition-specific content — Publish detailed pages on anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, OCD, grief, relationship issues, and every condition you treat. These pages serve as both patient education and AI engine bait for condition-specific queries.
• Highlight telehealth availability — Virtual therapy is a major differentiator. If you offer telehealth, make it prominent. "Online therapist in Texas" and "virtual psychiatrist who takes insurance" are high-volume queries.
• Maintain Psychology Today and directory profiles — Psychology Today is a primary data source AI engines use for therapist recommendations. Ensure your profile is complete with specialties, modalities, insurance, fees, and a detailed personal statement.

Dermatologists

Dermatology AI queries split between cosmetic and medical concerns. Patients search for providers ("best dermatologist for acne near me"), conditions ("what does eczema look like?"), and procedures ("how does Botox work?"). To optimize:

• Separate medical and cosmetic content — Create distinct sections for medical dermatology (acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin cancer screening) and cosmetic dermatology (Botox, fillers, laser treatments, chemical peels). AI engines match these to very different query patterns.
• Create visual condition guides — While AI does not analyze images, condition pages with detailed descriptive text alongside clinical photos earn higher engagement and more citations. Describe what each condition looks like in plain language.
• Publish before-and-after content carefully — With proper patient consent and HIPAA authorization, before-and-after galleries with detailed treatment descriptions demonstrate expertise. Always include written descriptions of the treatment performed, as AI engines parse text rather than images.
• Target skin cancer screening queries — "Skin cancer screening near me" and "what does melanoma look like?" are high-intent queries. Create comprehensive content about skin cancer types, warning signs, the screening process, and why annual screenings matter.

Pediatricians

Parents are heavy users of AI for healthcare questions, from provider selection to symptom evaluation. Pediatric AI queries are often asked by anxious parents seeking reassurance and guidance.

• Create age-specific content — Organize patient education by age group: newborn, infant, toddler, school-age, and adolescent. "What vaccines does a 2-year-old need?" and "when to worry about a fever in a baby" are age-specific queries that your content should answer.
• Publish well-child visit guides — Create content for every well-child visit milestone. "What happens at a 4-year-old checkup?" is a common AI query from first-time parents. Detail what the visit involves, developmental milestones assessed, and vaccinations given.
• Address common parent concerns — "When to take a child to the ER," "is my baby sleeping enough?" and "toddler not eating — when to worry" are high-volume AI queries. Create content that provides clear, reassuring guidance with specific thresholds for when professional evaluation is needed.
• Highlight same-day sick visits — Parents searching "pediatrician near me open today" have high intent. If you offer same-day sick visit appointments, make this prominent on your website and in your schema.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy AI queries are typically injury- or condition-specific and often include a geographic component. Patients search for providers ("best PT for knee rehab near me") and information ("exercises for lower back pain").

• Create injury-specific landing pages — Dedicate pages to ACL rehab, rotator cuff recovery, lower back pain, post-surgical rehab, sports injuries, and every condition you commonly treat. Detail your treatment approach, typical timeline, and expected outcomes.
• Publish exercise guides — Create content showing exercises and stretches for common conditions. "Best exercises for plantar fasciitis" and "stretches for IT band syndrome" are high-volume AI queries. Include written descriptions, rep counts, frequency recommendations, and precautions.
• Highlight specialized programs — If you offer specialized programs like sports performance, dry needling, vestibular rehab, or pelvic floor therapy, create dedicated content for each. These specializations match specific, high-intent AI queries.
• Detail insurance and referral requirements — "Do I need a referral for physical therapy?" and "does insurance cover PT?" are common AI queries. Create content that explains direct access laws in your state, insurance coverage norms, and how the referral process works.

Free Tools to Get Started with Healthcare AEO

You do not need a large budget to start optimizing your practice for AI search. Here are free tools — including tools we have built specifically for AEO — that can help you assess and improve your healthcare AI visibility today:

• Vida AEO Audit — Run a free AI readiness audit on your practice website. Checks your MedicalOrganization schema, content structure, technical access, and 31 other AEO scoring factors. Takes 30 seconds and gives you a prioritized action plan specific to healthcare.
• Schema Generator — Build MedicalOrganization, Physician, and other schema types without writing code. Enter your practice details and copy the generated JSON-LD.
• FAQ Schema Generator — Create FAQPage schema for your patient FAQ sections. Generates both the visible HTML and the JSON-LD schema.
• Google Rich Results Test — Validate your MedicalOrganization and Physician schema. Enter any page URL and see exactly what structured data Google detects.
• Google Business Profile — If you have not already claimed and optimized your Google Business Profile, do it immediately. It is free, and your profile data directly powers Google AI Overviews for local healthcare queries.