More patients now ask an AI assistant before they search Google: “Which clinic in Orchard does pico laser?” or “Is HIFU painful?” The answers come from pages the AI tools can read, understand and trust. Optimising for this is often called generative engine optimisation (GEO) or answer engine optimisation (AEO). The basics are less mysterious than the names suggest.
How AI tools find clinics
ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews combine what their models already know with live search results. When they mention a clinic, they are usually drawing on pages that rank well, directories and maps listings, and content that answers the question directly.
What clinics can do
1. Answer questions directly
Write treatment pages and FAQs that answer one question per section, in the first sentence. “HIFU usually takes 60 to 90 minutes and most people return to work the same day” is easy to quote. A paragraph of marketing language is not.
2. Use structured data
Schema markup tells machines what a page is about: MedicalClinic for your clinic, Physician for your doctors, FAQPage for your questions, and MedicalProcedure for treatments. Every site we build includes it.
3. Keep clinic details consistent
Your clinic name, address, phone number and opening hours should match exactly across your website, Google Business Profile and directories. Inconsistencies make AI tools less confident about recommending you.
4. Publish an llms.txt file
An llms.txt file is a short plain-text summary of your site for AI tools. It is a new convention and not every tool reads it yet, but it is cheap to add and keeps your key facts in one place.
5. Earn mentions
Press coverage, conference talks, professional profiles and links from reputable sites all strengthen the signals AI tools rely on.
We build clinic websites that follow every point in this guide. Book a free 30-minute consult or see our packages.
Compliance still applies
Write as if any sentence could be quoted on its own, because it may be. Avoid superlatives and promised results on your site, since AI tools may repeat them. See our MOH guide.
How to check where you stand
Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity the questions your patients ask, and note which clinics they mention and which pages they cite. Tools such as Ahrefs Brand Radar now track AI mentions over time. We include this in monthly reports on our SEO plans.