The Mix by Inizio Evoke Media
With paid search as a foundational channel included within almost every media campaign managed by Inizio Evoke Media, we have assembled this next issue of The Mix to continue our series of updates for this important medium.
As a reminder, our last article dealt with navigating the changing landscape of search engines and health information.
This edition of The Mix will focus on how AI is rapidly reshaping how people search, engage with content, and even make healthcare decisions. Here’s a breakdown of the current landscape, what’s changing, and how brands can adapt.
AI and the New Healthcare Search Landscape
The emergence of generative AI has begun to transform the way patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) search for and interact with health-related information. Unlike traditional search engines that surface a list of links, AI-powered platforms such as ChatGPT, Google SGE (Search Generative Experience), Bing Copilot, and Open Evidence offer direct, synthesized answers to user queries. These platforms, often referred to as Answer Engines, signal a fundamental shift in how information is accessed and trusted in healthcare.
According to Similar Web, as of May 2025 ChatGPT and Gemini command over 85% of global generative AI traffic, with healthcare-related usage growing steadily. Patients increasingly use these tools to understand symptoms, explore treatment options, or prepare for conversations with their HCPs. Meanwhile, HCPs are turning to AI to summarize medical literature, validate diagnoses, and enhance clinical decision-making. This growing reliance on AI in healthcare search signals the need for brands to evolve their SEM strategies.
In fact, AI has become more and more central to many aspects of media including search, optimizations, and audience targeting, a case in point is Inizio Evoke Media's Attentev™ tool to help transform patient outreach through AI-driven precision. Leveraging custom search browsing behavior and a proprietary database of over 40 billion medical claims tagged with ICD-10 codes, Attentev enables highly targeted audience segmentation and personalized engagement strategies, making it a powerful complement to evolving SEM and healthcare media strategies.
Implications for Search and Digital Marketing
Search behavior is undergoing a paradigm shift. Traditional search engines present a set of links to explore, while answer engines generate synthesized responses using large language models (LLMs) trained on vast amounts of data. For example, Google’s AI Overviews now appear above both paid and organic results, giving users immediate answers – often eliminating the need for users to click.
These zero-click interactions are reshaping the search landscape for both paid/SEM and organic/SEO.
For healthcare specifically, the implications are profound: AI-generated answers may draw from sources such as WebMD, PubMed, Open Evidence, or even user forums – some of which may not accurately reflect your brand. Without careful content planning and structured SEO strategies, healthcare brands risk losing visibility in these new formats. AI is also streamlining marketing operations, from automating optimizations to supporting creative development. Tools like Attentev™ (by Inizio Evoke) already use claims and search data to create highly targeted patient audiences for programmatic media.
Key Healthcare Considerations in AI-Powered Search
Compliance + Accuracy: AI platforms can sometimes “hallucinate” (generating outputs that are factually incorrect or misleading, even if they seem plausible to the user - leading to inaccurate or fabricated responses), surface outdated studies, or misinterpret nuanced regulatory language. For pharma, the risk of off-label promotion or inaccurate health guidance is significant.
Visibility Challenges: Answer engines prioritize concise, credible summaries over traditional metadata or backlinks. Your brand must adapt to be included.
SEO Readiness: Conversational content, structured data, and expert-reviewed pages will be critical in maintaining a presence within AI responses.
SEM Strategy in an AI-Dominant World
While direct advertising opportunities in leading tools like ChatGPT remain unavailable, Google has begun experimenting with AI-assisted ad placements, especially in retail contexts. For healthcare, the shift means greater emphasis on:
Intent-based keyword planning that aligns with how patients/HCPs phrase questions.
Isolated campaigns for competitor terms to manage CPC volatility and budget pacing.
Dedicated RSAs (responsive search ads) that reflect brand positioning within AI-informed searches.
AI Adoption Among Patients and HCPs
Patients:
A Newsweek report shows that 40% of patients trust AI for healthcare information, with over half believing AI may eventually outperform doctors in diagnosing conditions. Patients are turning to AI not only for general questions but also for health-related advice.
HCPs:
A Fierce Pharma/Sermo study found that 76% of HCPs use AI for clinical support, research, and diagnosis. Of those, 98% cross-reference results with trusted sources. The AMA also reports growing interest among HCPs in AI tools tailored to their daily workflows.
Looking Ahead: Media Strategy in an AI-Driven World
As AI's role grows, media planning must keep regulatory oversight and content integrity in sharp focus. The automation of insights, audiences, and messaging introduces efficiencies, but also new compliance challenges.
Inizio Evoke Media’s 7 Ways to Prepare Your Content for AI Visibility
Develop AI-readable, Accurate Content. Write in natural, question-based language to align with how users engage AI.
Address the Full User Journey. Create content that speaks to awareness, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing support stages.
Prioritize Trust and Authority. AI rewards reputable content—ensure medical reviews, author bylines, and citations from credible sources.
Be Present Where AI Pulls Data. AI Engines often pull information from publicly available, high-authority sources to construct their answers, so optimizing your presence on platforms like WebMD, Wikipedia, PubMed, and LinkedIn can increase the likelihood that AI models will reference your content accurately and favorably.
Use Conversational SEO. Integrate FAQs and Q&A formats and regularly monitor how AI platforms surface your content.
Regularly Review and Refresh Content. Even with MLR in place, proactively reviewing content ensures it reflects the latest clinical data and audience needs. AI platforms prioritize timely, authoritative information—so maintaining content freshness is key to staying visible.
Explore Emerging Paid AI Opportunities. Keep an eye on pilot programs and sponsored integrations on AI platforms as they evolve.
To future-proof your brand visibility, Inizio Evoke Media recommends a robust AI-friendly SEO strategy as key. We believe that SEO aligned with SEM is important to boost the effectiveness of both, and is a service we are proud to offer our clients. Your account lead, along with our SEO specialist, will be reaching out soon to schedule a time to discuss what these connected services can mean for your brand(s).
In Summary...
As AI continues to redefine the search experience, healthcare brands must adapt quickly. By understanding how HCPs and patients use these platforms, and adjusting content and SEM strategies accordingly, organizations can maintain visibility, trust, and impact in an evolving digital landscape.
Interested in hearing more? Connect with us here.