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The Future of Search in Healthcare Marketing

Summary

  • With AI dramatically shifting search behavior, adapt your SEO strategy to a broader concept of search.
  • Focus on AI optimization, structured data, and unique, in-depth content to engage more qualified audiences and improve discoverability.
  • Creating authentic, trustworthy content will always be important.

Is SEO still relevant?

If you’ve been around the marketing block, the “SEO is dead” articles probably don’t concern you. SEO predictions are just that — predictions — and the morbid ones haven’t come to fruition yet.

But something feels different now. Your friends are seeing real declines in traffic (maybe you are, too), and even some SEO giants have experienced dry spells.

SEO is still a crucial marketing channel, but not in the way it used to be — your strategy (and results) will be different.

Zoom out: How is search changing?

Read about how AI is changing the way people search.

Adjust your marketing strategy for the future of search

The old SEO had its day in the sun, and the sand in the timer has inevitably run out. The future of search is here. And it will wait for no one.

What should you do about it? See what top marketers are doing to pivot.

1. Broaden your understanding of search

The future of search looks different from the traditional SERPs (search engine results pages) we’re all used to.

Search happens in many places now, from AI chatbots to social media platforms. The SEO best practices of yesteryear aren’t as relevant in this new landscape. Shift your focus from SEO (a set of tactics) to a cohesive strategy for search (a broader channel that spans a variety of platforms).

 

John Davey quote about SEO quote about seo
Online marketing increasingly involves content being found on a larger variety of platforms, including generative AI apps, AI-powered search engines, social media, and user forums and communities. Conceptually, this means that content should be optimized for both human and AI audiences, particularly large language models. Practically, it means that optimally structured data is essential both for search visibility and enhancing AI-driven customer experiences.
John Davey
Vice President Marketing Technology at Mount Sinai Health System

2. Optimize for the future of search with AI

Marry your shift in perspective with modern, AI-focused search tactics. Pay attention to where your pages are landing on platforms like Perplexity, SearchGPT, and AI Overviews.

The effort is worth it, as these platforms send referral traffic to websites through citations. And people who click through to your website from AI search citations represent more qualified traffic (more on that later).

Basically, don’t give up on SEO. Just add AI search optimization tactics to your strategy.

Bonus: Meet GEO, generative search optimization, and learn even more new search tactics. 

Georgiana Masgras on SEO quote about seo
Traditional search engine optimization continues to be key, but we’re starting to pay more attention to how our content performs in AI-driven results. The fact that AI search prioritizes organic pages — Google’s AI insights display above paid search results, and Perplexity doesn’t surface paid content today — makes it more important than ever to update your strategy and produce content that enhances discoverability on these emerging platforms.
Georgiana Masgras
Director of Digital Engagement at UCLA Health

3. Accommodate a more qualified audience on your website

Why are websites losing traffic to AI platforms and AI Overviews? Searchers can get answers to top-of-funnel queries (like “what is hypothyroidism” or “leukemia recurrence rate”) from AI-generated results. They don’t need to click through to your webpage — the answer is right there for them.

Don’t fight this reality — adapt to it. Invest in creating content around the information that people want to dig into. And make sure your website is ready to engage, connect with, and convert the qualified traffic that’s coming in.

Read how Johns Hopkins Medicine is approaching this:

Aaron Watkins quote about search quote about seo
While generative search decreases traffic to websites, it also creates opportunities to think more deeply about the digital experience and how to support customer needs. We expect that people coming to our website are more informed than ever before and that they arrive with greater intent to engage with us. We’re focusing on deeper content, connecting the dots between our clinicians and services, guiding people to the next best step, and supporting online scheduling or other opportunities to engage our services.
Aaron Watkins
Executive Director of Digital Strategy at Johns Hopkins Medicine

4. Work on schema and structured data

Support that middle- and bottom-of-funnel content by using schema markup (aka structured data) on the backend of your website. Schema markup isn’t a new concept, but it’s becoming more important as we step into the future of search.

This behind-the-scenes work helps search engines (including AI) understand your content, improving your discoverability in all the places where people search. Learn more about schema markup.

Chris Pace quote about schema quote about seo
From a technical standpoint, getting really focused on schema will help improve your content’s visibility. Remove all the technical roadblocks to ensure that schema is properly formatted and aligned with current best practices. Audit what you have, build what you don’t.
Chris Pace
Senior Director of Digital Marketing at Banner Health

5. Invest in unique, in-depth content

Remember, AI has the high-level, top-of-funnel queries covered — so savvy marketers like you will focus on richer information that people can’t get from AI-generated results.

Create unique content that addresses niche topics and questions that align with your audience’s needs. Aside from bringing in more qualified traffic, this can also boost your brand’s authority in a crowded space.

Martha van Berkel quote about SEO
As the search landscape changes and AI is everywhere, rest assured that content is at the center of it all. AI needs content to learn and infer, and that content comes from you, the content marketer. So focus on unique content that gets into the details about specific topics.
Martha van Berkel
CEO at Schema App

6. Leverage the data, but write for humans

AI tools have made it easier than ever to collect data that can guide your search strategy. This is a great thing. But don’t overinflate the importance of the metrics.

You already know this, but it can’t be overstated: Effective marketing doesn’t just drive traffic — it connects and engages real people. Produce content that resonates with humans.

Cathy McPhillips quote about SEO
Find the sweet spot between data-driven precision and human connection. AI tools can help refine keyword research, uncover content gaps, and optimize strategies — but that’s just the starting point. To truly connect, you need content that feels personal, empathetic, and trustworthy. At the end of the day, it’s about (and has always been about) creating meaningful experiences that build trust and inspire action. Focus on inclusive, accessible, and conversational content that meets patients and caregivers where they are in their decision-making journey.
Cathy McPhillips
Chief Growth Officer at Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute

 7. Keep up the authentic, high-quality content

With AI-generated content flooding search results, people are craving authenticity, originality, and, above all, a voice they can trust. Be that for your patients.

Authentic content stands out on SERPs and sets you apart from brands with a plug-and-chug attitude about content marketing. Prioritize the kind of content that makes your brand a trusted source for health information.

Chris Pace on standing out in the future of search with AI quote about seo
Focus on authentic content that is clear, concise, and consistent with your brand voice, which will be more important than ever. Standing out in an AI-generated content world means building trust with the audience.
Chris Pace
Senior Director of Digital Marketing at Banner Health

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