Somebody, somewhere, is typing "who's a good functional medicine doctor near Providence" or "best Reiki practitioner for anxiety in Boston" into ChatGPT right now. They're reading a paragraph that names a few practices and maybe links to them.
So a question that keeps coming up is some version of "how do I get in that paragraph?" Here's what we know, including the parts the people selling "AI SEO packages" tend to leave out.
what is AI search, and why does it matter for a wellness practice?
AI search is any time a person gets a written answer from an AI tool instead of (or on top of) a list of websites. That includes Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, ChatGPT's search feature, Perplexity, and the AI answers built into other apps.
It matters because it changes whether people click. Pew Research Center tracked the real browsing of 900 U.S. adults in March 2025 and found that when Google showed an AI summary, people clicked a regular search result in 8% of visits. Without a summary, they clicked in 15% of visits. Clicks on the links inside the summary itself happened in just 1% of visits.
That means more people are getting their answer without ever reaching your website. If your practice is named or cited in that answer, you're in the conversation. If not, you might not exist to that person.
is "AI SEO" different from regular SEO?
Mostly, no. Google's own documentation on AI features says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and no special optimizations necessary. To show up as a supporting link, a page just has to be indexed and eligible to appear in regular Google Search with a snippet.
Google also says you don't need to create new machine-readable files, AI text files, or special markup. So if someone is charging you extra for an "llms.txt" file as the key to AI visibility, Google's own docs say that's not what gets you into its AI results.
What Google does recommend is the stuff good SEO has always been about: letting search engines crawl your site, linking your pages to each other, making the page pleasant to use, putting your important information in text (not only inside images), and making sure any structured data matches what's visible on the page.
what about ChatGPT?
ChatGPT's search feature finds websites using a crawler called OAI-SearchBot. OpenAI's documentation says OAI-SearchBot is used to surface websites in ChatGPT's search results, and it recommends that site owners who want to show up allow it in their robots.txt file.
On most Squarespace and Wix sites, you don't have to do anything for this. But some platforms and some web developers added settings in the last couple of years to block AI crawlers, and sometimes that switch was flipped without anyone thinking about search. If you're not sure, check your site's settings. Blocking the crawler that trains AI models and blocking the one that shows you in search results are two different decisions.
so what gets a practice mentioned?
Nobody outside these companies knows the exact recipe, and anyone who claims to is guessing. But based on what Google and OpenAI do publish, and what we see working, these are the things worth your time.
Answer real questions in plain words. AI tools are answering questions, so pages that clearly answer questions are easy to use. A page titled "What to expect at your first acupuncture appointment" that explains what happens is far more useful than a page that says "Begin your journey."
Say what you do, who you do it for, and where. "Trauma-informed massage therapy in New Bedford, MA, for people with chronic pain" gives an AI tool (and a human) everything it needs. If that's your website, our free Messaging Worksheet is a good place to start.
Keep your Google Business Profile complete. For "near me" questions, your business listing is a big part of how Google understands who you are and where you are. We wrote a full guide to Google Business Profile for wellness practices. If you’d rather work from a list, our free Google Business Profile Checklist fits it all on two pages.
Get mentioned in other places. Reviews, local directories, interviews, guest posts, your professional association's directory. When other trustworthy sites talk about you, it's easier for any search tool to trust that you are who you say you are.
Keep your claims honest. Health content gets extra scrutiny everywhere, and exaggerated promises are bad for trust and bad for compliance. Our free Marketing Claims Guide shows what to say instead.
should I stop worrying about Google and focus on ChatGPT?
No. Google is still where most local searches happen, and Google's AI answers are built on Google Search. Plus, both Google and OpenAI are pointing back at the same basics: crawlable pages, clear content, and a business that's easy to verify. Do those well and you're set up for regular search and AI search at the same time.
AI tools are changing month to month, so building your marketing plan around one tool's current behavior is risky. The fundamentals stay the same.
frequently asked questions
How do I get my practice recommended by ChatGPT?
There's no way to guarantee it. You can improve your chances by making sure ChatGPT's search crawler (OAI-SearchBot) isn't blocked on your site, writing clear pages that answer the questions your clients ask, and building a consistent presence on Google and other trusted sites.
Do I need special code or an llms.txt file to show up in AI search?
Not for Google. Google's documentation says you don't need new machine-readable files, AI text files, or special markup to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Regular SEO best practices are what it recommends.
Are AI Overviews hurting traffic to small business websites?
Pew Research Center found that people were less likely to click on search results when an AI summary appeared (8% of visits versus 15% without one). That makes being cited in the answer, and being memorable when someone does click, more important.
Is AI search optimization a scam?
Not all of it, but be skeptical of anyone selling secret tricks. The legitimate version is good SEO: clear content, solid site structure, an accurate business listing, and a real reputation.
Does my website platform matter for AI search?
Less than you'd think. Squarespace, Wix and WordPress sites can all be found. What matters more is whether your pages can be crawled and whether they clearly say what you do.
want help being the practice that gets named?
If you want to see where you stand, start with our free SEO Checklist for Wellness Brands. It covers the basics that both regular and AI search depend on. For more on the search side, read SEO for medical practices.
And if you'd rather hand it off, search and website content are the core of what we do for wellness practices every month. Here's how we work and what it costs.
