SEO and GEO for healthcare
Healthcare SEO That Wins Google and the AI Answer.
LLMReach is an SEO and GEO agency for practices, clinics and hospitals. We build medical SEO that ranks in Google and maps, then gets you named by ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini.
By the numbers
The numbers behind how patients choose.
- of patients have used AI to research healthcare providers, up from 31% in 2025.
- 47%
- of patients have used AI to research healthcare providers, up from 31% in 2025.
- rater8 2026 Patient Choice Report
The searches that decide the booking
Patients search Google before they call anyone.
- Dermatology: “best dermatologist in Houston for acne treatment”. Google shows a map pack, then Yelp, Healthgrades and Zocdoc. The practice with the stronger profile gets the call.
- Hospital: “best hospital in New York for heart surgery”. Rankings lists and directories fill the page. A hospital needs clear service pages to stand out from them.
- Therapy: “best physical therapy clinic in Chicago for sports injuries”. Maps and review sites lead. Reviews and a page per injury type decide who gets clicked.
- Pediatrics: “best pediatrician in San Antonio accepting new patients”. Parents want proof of availability. Directories and map listings with current details win the click.
Most practice sites say they offer caring, quality service, which gives Google and AI little to rank or quote. So directories and map listings fill the results instead.
The basics
Healthcare SEO, now that AI answers.
Healthcare SEO puts your practice in Google's map pack and results when patients search for care. GEO gets you named inside AI answers. You need both.
In our Google test of 10 patient questions, every search showed a local pack, and AI Overviews appeared on 4. Directories filled much of the rest of the page.
For medical SEO marketing, that means two jobs. Build specific pages and profiles that rank. Then keep them accurate so assistants can quote them. We handle both.
GEO and SEO
SEO vs GEO for healthcare providers.
Patients search Google and ask AI before they choose a provider. Each one weighs trust differently. Here is the difference for a practice or clinic.
| SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you show up | The map pack, which appeared on all 10 patient searches we ran | The few providers an assistant names for a condition and city |
| What each one rewards | Specialty pages, reviews and a complete Business Profile | Credentials, insurance and reviews it can confirm on several sites |
| Who you compete with | Yelp, Zocdoc, Healthgrades and hospital systems | The same directories, which assistants quote before naming a provider |
| What to fix first | One page for every specialty, missing provider bios | Provider facts that differ between your site and directories |
| What we report | Map position, rankings and appointment requests | AI citations on agreed patient prompts, and AI referral visits |
Our own results
We do this for our own brand first.
Gemini · Named
“best agency for getting cited in LLMs”
ChatGPT · Named
“agency that gets you cited in AI models”
ChatGPT · Named
“best agency for getting cited in LLMs”
AI answers vary by platform and moment, so these show the method working on those days, not a promise of identical answers.
See all resultsReal Google results
The sites Google ranks when patients search.
We searched Google for the same 10 questions your patients ask AI. 4 of the 10 results pages opened with an AI Overview and 10 with a map of local businesses. Only 30% of the sites ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity cite for the same questions rank in that top 10: ranking in Google and getting named by AI are two jobs.
- 01yelp.comDirectoryHOUSTON ACNE SPECIALISTS - Updated September 2026top 10 in 5 of 10 searches
- 02=top 10 in 4 of 10 searches
- 02=zocdoc.comDirectoryBest Aetna Orthopedic Surgeons Near Me in Phoenix, AZtop 10 in 4 of 10 searches
Google
- 04=healthgrades.comDirectory20 Best Orthopedic Surgeons Near Scottsdale, AZtop 10 in 3 of 10 searches
- 04=reddit.comForumAny pediatrician recommendations? : r/sanantoniotop 10 in 3 of 10 searches
- 04=top 10 in 3 of 10 searches
Google organic top 10, US, desktop, searched on 8 October 2026. Each site counts once per search; subdomains count with their site.
Search presence
What wins in healthcare search, part by part.
Specialty and procedure pages
Patients search by condition and treatment. A page per service, with clear answers and clinician review, gives Google and assistants something to rank and quote.
Provider pages
Named providers with credentials and specialties build trust. Each profile should be complete, current and consistent with your directory listings.
Google Business Profile
Every search we tested showed a local pack. Accurate categories, hours, services and fresh reviews decide who appears. See Google Business Profile.
Location and city pages
Patients search by neighborhood and city. Each location needs its own page with real local detail, not copied text. See local SEO.
Directories and reviews
Yelp, Zocdoc and Healthgrades rank for many patient searches. Complete, consistent profiles and steady reviews help you show up where patients already look.
Technical and content foundation
Fast, crawlable pages with schema and sourced content support everything else. See technical SEO and on-page SEO.
What's included
Healthcare SEO services, plus the AI answer.
A 90-day engagement built around how patients search for care, in Google and in AI, in your cities and specialties.
- Patient keyword and prompt research by specialty, condition and city
- Specialty, procedure and provider pages built to rank in Google and be quoted
- Google Business Profile setup and review strategy for each location
- Technical SEO fixes plus Physician, MedicalClinic and FAQPage schema
- Consistent profiles on Zocdoc, Healthgrades, Yelp and other directories Google shows
- Content reviewed by named clinicians, with sources, in line with E-E-A-T
- Crawler access checked for Googlebot, GPTBot and the other AI crawlers
- Research into the forums and community threads patients read before choosing
- A baseline of your Google rankings and AI citations, taken before work begins
- Weekly updates on your Google and AI visibility
How it works
How healthcare SEO works: the Citation Stack.
We map what patients type into Google and ask AI, from "best fertility clinic" to "pediatrician accepting new patients". Then we agree the keywords and prompts that matter.
Explore AI Prompt ResearchGoogle and AI crawlers can reach and read every provider, specialty and location page. Site speed, local data and medical schema are in place.
Explore technical SEOAnswer-first pages state your services, providers and locations in the first sentence. Clinicians review every page, and claims stay factual.
Explore on-page SEOResearch into the forum and community threads patients read before they book. Participation only where community rules allow it.
Explore Reddit MarketingWe track Google rankings and map position, and count AI citations across the agreed prompts, against a baseline taken before work begins. You get weekly updates.
Explore AI Visibility Tracking
You approve every page. We do the rest: about an hour a week from you. See all our SEO services
Who this is for
Built for providers that win patients on trust.
Not for you
If any of these are you.
- You want page one within a month
- You can't give us site access or sign off on pages
- You want outcome promises or medical claims
- Your patients all come from referrals
For you
If this is you.
- Patients compare several providers before booking
- Your clinicians can review pages and be named
- You want an agency that does the work, not one more report
- You can give the work a full 90 days
- The work pays off where patients compare providers before they call.
- It also works where you can back every claim with credentials, reviews and clinician review.
FAQ
Healthcare SEO: questions practices ask us.
What does a healthcare SEO company do now that AI answers?
It still earns rankings in Google: provider and specialty pages, technical fixes, Google Business Profile and reviews. Now it also gets your practice named by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. We do both in one engagement. See how SEO and GEO differ.
What do your healthcare SEO services include?
Patient keyword and prompt research, specialty and provider pages, Google Business Profile, technical SEO and schema, and consistent directory profiles. It also covers forum research and weekly tracking against a baseline. It starts with the free SEO audit.
How does medical SEO differ from other local SEO?
Health is a sensitive topic, so Google expects expertise and trust. That means clinician-reviewed content and verifiable credentials, in line with E-E-A-T. The map pack and directories also matter more. See our local SEO work.
How long does SEO for medical practices take?
Usually months, not weeks. Location and specialty pages tend to move first. Competitive terms in big metros take longer. AI citations can move sooner, because directory profiles update fast. We report weekly against a baseline, so you see what moves.
Why do directories and review sites outrank a practice's own website?
Because they hold structured, comparable provider details that most practice sites lack. In our Google test, Yelp ranked in 5 of 10 searches, Zocdoc in 4 and Healthgrades in 3. Your site must become specific, and your profiles complete.
How much does a healthcare SEO agency cost?
It depends on scope: the number of providers, locations and specialties, and how competitive your city is. We do not quote a flat price up front. The free audit shows where you stand and gives you a plan to price against.
Can an independent practice outrank large hospital systems?
Often, on specific searches. Patients search by condition, procedure and neighborhood. A practice with complete profiles, strong reviews and a page per service can appear beside a larger system. We promise no rankings, and we show you the gap first.
Does this help with AI search like ChatGPT and AI Overviews?
Yes. AI Overviews and assistants pull from the same pages, profiles and reviews we build for Google. Read the GEO page for healthcare for the AI side. Clear, specific, clinician-reviewed pages help in both.
Do you only work with healthcare providers?
No, but healthcare is one of our focus sectors. We handle practice and provider pages, local SEO for medical practices and provider directories, within advertising and privacy rules. We never give medical advice or promise patient outcomes.
Free AI Audit
Does Google show your practice?
You leave knowing where your provider is missing from AI answers, what is causing it, and which changes would matter first, whether we work together or not.
What to expect
Audit
Before the call, we run the questions your patients ask through ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini.
Map
On the call, we show you where competitors are cited and you are not, and what's causing it.
Decide
An honest read on whether the Citation Stack fits. If it doesn't, you'll hear it on the call.
Don't see a time that works? Email Karim directly: contact@llmreach.ai