Discover how Google, Bing, and even Chat GPT are transforming how we search online and the resulting organic traffic loss many websites are experiencing. Plus we'll share several strategies to grow your website's authority with Google and other search tools.
Four of our team members attended HubSpot's INBOUND conference this year. We couldn't miss out on all there is to learn about how we search differently, create content differently, and generally consume information in a different way because of AI. Google's AI Overview in search results was of particular interest since it's already affecting just about everyone.
We came home excited and ready to share several key points that everyone can use. Our medical clients, especially, are already seeing the impacts of Google's AI Overview and how that will soon impact their website traffic. Let's have a look at what you can do.
How AI Impacts Search Rankings and Organic Traffic
The rapid advancement in AI technology has brought significant shifts in how search engines operate and how content is ranked. Google introduced its AI Overview in May 2024. One of the first industries they rolled out was the medical industry. Additionally, Bing is highly focused on AI in their results ajnd. ChatGPT is working to bring SearchGPT to market for everyone to use. All of these impact how well you appear in search results and whether someone will get to your website.
The section at the top of the screen in Google will attempt to answer the searched question without sending someone to your website. If it hasn't already happened to you, we're anticipating a drop in organic traffic to websites because of this.
So now what? It's not the end of your website's visibility in search; it may simply shift what you write about.
How Does Google Choose Who Appears in the AI Overview Results?
Google AI Overview is currently focused on answering broad questions that require extensive resources. For example, "What is breast cancer?" will bring up many resources, including national and international organizations. But they're not the only ones. If you address a lot of top-level content on your website, you are likely in competition with these nationally-recognized organizations.
We have seen our clients with established content creation programs appear as the source of the answer in Google's AI Overview for several questions. This is likely because they have established themselves as an authority on that topic with Google previously. In some cases, the exact copy that appears on our client's web page appears AI Overview.
Adapting Your SEO Strategy for AI-Driven Search
Just because other organizations are included in the AI generated search results, this doesn't mean you should give up creating and enhancing content on your website. In fact, NP Digital stated during INBOUND that websites with blogs have 75.29% more organic search traffic than websites without a blog. We can back up that stat with what we see on our own clients' websites.
It's really important that you demonstrate your expertise to website visitors about the various diseases and treatments you offer. This will also bolster your visibility with Google and grow authority. Ifyou haven't started on it yet you might have a bit of work to do to get there,. But it's never too late!
Here are three things you can start doing now to grow your authority with Google for your areas of specialty. You might just find yourself in AI search results next to organizations like Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic.
1. Stay Current
Rewrite old blogs and web page content to keep it up-to-date and relevant, especially compared to the biggest competitors in your area. In the medical field, this can be easy because so much changes so rapidly. A page does not need to be rewritten entirely, but enough to show Google you're paying attention and that it's content you deem important. If you haven't done this in the past three months, we recommend you start there before writing much of anything new.
2. Use Your Subject Matter Experts
Google likes to see that someone who is trained on a particular topic, such as breast cancer, is associated with a page or an article. We have seen these types of articles gain more visibility in search results over something that might have similar content, but no doctor or nurse's name associated with it. Get more physicians and nurses involved in reviewing content. They don't have to write the whole thing! Make it easy on them and give them a first draft for their review and editing. This might require a short interview before you start writing, but it's worth it for the Google credit!
3. Localize Your Content
In the medical field, you need to establish not only your areas of expertise but also a local presence so that someone looking for lung cancer radiation treatment in Norfolk, Virginia, will be given the answers most relevant to them. Here is what we're seeing when someone is looking for a cancer center service near them.
Should You Use AI to Develop Content?
This was the $1,000,000 question at the conference we attended. The overall consensus is that AI has a place in developing content, but it's not usually recommended as your starting point.
There's been an explosion of AI Writing tools, including ChatGPT. And, we were at HubSpot's conference, so of course, we learned about their latest AI tools for content generation. (And they are great! In fact, I used it for this blog which AI will turn into several other pieces of content!) But there is no way the HubSpot AI tool or any other AI content creation tool would know what I experienced at INBOUND and the takeaways for medical clients without me as the starting point. The tool also needs to be trained on how I speak and what I sound like when I write so it can be emulated.
For content creation, we recommend starting with a human, then enhancing and expanding with AI.
If you're not sure what you need to do here, feel free to request a time for us to talk and we'll go over some basics and what you need to get your video to turn into more content!
