We’ve entered a new stage in the internet with the introduction of LLMs (Large Language Models) which AI models trained to compile, interpret and generate “human-like” language responses.

ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Grok are just a few of the LLMs gaining popularity.

How are LLMs changing the landscape of the internet?

Search is shifting from a focus on keywords to conversations. Instead of using a search engine and scrolling through links or map listings, LLMs provide more in-depth summaries for people based on the specifics and context of their searches.

One formula that really highlights this shift is:

 # pages on your website Google crawls / amount of organic traffic

Here is how that trend has fluctuated over the past year:

• Beyond the last 6 months: for every 2 pages crawled you could expect 1 visit to your website. 
• 6 months ago: for every 6 pages crawled you could expect 1 visit to your website. 
• Now: for every 18 pages crawled you can expect 1 visitor to your website.

This is because Google’s summaries in their search results have been effectively answering people’s questions leading to less traffic for content creators.

According to CloudFlare’s CEO Matthew Prince, 90% of Google queries get answered without clicking on a single link! This is because of AI overviews that have been incorporated into search engines.

I don’t expect Google’s search market share to die quickly because they incorporate AI into their results now, but its market share has and will continue to decline as people gravitate to other AI solutions. 

In summary, you can expect your organic traffic to start and continue to fall.

Is There Any Good News?! What Can My Practice Do To Optimize For AI Search? 

Marketing and specifically digital marketing is transforming and while organic website traffic is dropping or will drop, that doesn’t mean the sky is falling!

I believe the most dramatic impacts of this changing landscape will be on content marketers who target broad audiences. Local businesses have some unique advantages 

Here are a few things to focus on that 

1. Social proof: these absolutely impact AI search results…
   1. Online Reviews: Google reviews are key. If you reach a point where you have hundreds of these and a 4.8 or better rating then focus on Yelp reviews, Facebook reviews, and Real Self reviews as well.
   2. Video testimonials/stories from patients: we’ve all heard that stories sell. The more you can capture from patients speaking about their experience from becoming aware of the problem, initial fears, concerns about taking the next step, etc. – as long as you keep them under 20-30 seconds – the more they’ll resonate with your audience. I’ve also seen these videos in AI search results.
2. Social media engagement: you may see that the more promotional you get with social (adding links, for example) the less engagement you get. Diversify what you’re posting about. Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are essentially your “second website” that people are visiting and this does influence AI search results.
3. YouTube content in general: I mentioned in #1 the value of patient stories, but videos from the doctor or expert at the practice about patient FAQs and unique trends also can show in AI search results.These videos work well as social posts 
4. Other online forums/platforms for discussion: Reddit, Quora, and Facebook Mom’s groups, to name a few. Think of this as old school word-of-mouth made digital. We talk about the power of influencers on social media who speak to their audience, but having a few influencers or “brand ambassadors” who get the word out to a broader audience is also important. This also creates “citations” or digital references to your practices that are picked up by AI.
5. Local awards: many of these are popularity contests or pay-to-play. Still, it’s worth getting involved as they add some cache that you can leverage in this next tactic…
6. Press releases: yes, old school press releases are still here and they can in fact influence AI search results. You do need a newsworthy angle, such as a recent award, new technology, or a new staff hire, but you can push the envelope a bit when it comes to what is truly “newsworthy” by discussing recent findings or trends.  

*One additional point I’ll highlight that is not a marketing tactic but so critical to the success of any aesthetic practice is: speed to lead followup.

A Harvard Business Review study found that a 5-minute response time to new leads vs. a 30-minute response time results in 100% better lead-to-sale ratios. Many practices struggle to reply to leads within 1-2 hours or even THAT DAY! 

Think about how much money you’re losing by not following up immediately.

This is tough because you may not have a dedicated salesperson, but there are solutions available to help you with this, including automating texts/followups and 3rd party services that help with outbound lead followup. 

While AI and the tactics to optimize for AI is the shiny new object, do not let it distract you from what I consider low hanging fruit: the lead you’re already getting and how quickly – and effectively – you’re following up with them.

Get Started Today – Don’t Delay

These are just a handful of ideas but all can impact how your brand is perceived online, particularly with AI search.

It’s not all doom and gloom! If your aesthetic or cash-pay practice is leveraging even just some of the tactics mentioned above then you’re ahead of the competition. 

The key is consistency.

Does Your Practice Need Help Dialing In Its Marketing Strategy and Tactics in This New AI World?

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