The way people search for information has changed radically. There are two choices: either understand the new game, or lose visibility.
Table of contents
In this article you will learn how online search shiftedfrom short keyword phrases to in-depth, personal conversations with AI tools. You’ll discover how social media is reshaping search behavior and why tools like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity now offer opportunities you shouldn’t ignore.
From short keywords to real conversations
Before: The keyword era
Remember how searches used to look?
- "Migraine home remedy"
- "Sleep disorder therapy"
- "Back pain exercises"
Back then, having the right keywords on your site meant ranking well, reaching patients through searches like “alternative practitioner Munich” or “acupuncture treatment.”
Today: Search as a conversation
Back then, someone with back pain typed “back pain help” into Google and got a list of sites.
Now they write in ChatGPT:
“I sit at a computer for 8 hours a day and have had lower back pain radiating down my leg for weeks. It’s worst in the morning. What could it be—and what can I do before going to the doctor?”
That is not only longer, but also more emotional, more personal and contains much more context. Today, people share their whole story because they know that AI tools can interpret it.
This shift is not just a technical advance, it is also a fundamental change how people search. Because they can do it now.
Fewer clicks, higher quality
Some current facts:
- 65% of all health questions in Google searches are now answered directly by Google AI Overviews (Study as of October 2024)
- There are few to no links to external sites in Google AI Overviews. Users are usually satisfied with the answer. The click-through rate has therefore fallen since the introduction of AI Overviews decreased by approx. 35%.
- ChatGPT is increasingly being used and currently dominating the AI search market with approx. 80% of the AI search volume. The total share of web searches is still very low at 0.25% (as of March 2025), but the trend is rising. This platform only shows links when you start an explicit web search.
- Perplexity displays a small number of selected links from high-quality, trustworthy sources. The company emphasizes this again and again and would like to stand out from the competition in terms of answer reliability.
What does the new search mean for your company in concrete terms?
- Your potential customers are searching more and more answers directly in AI search.
- The famous "ten blue links" on Google are becoming less and less important and are getting fewer clicks. In Google AI Mode, which has already been rolled out in the USA and India, there are no longer any normal search results below the search field (similar to the user experience with Chat GPT & Co.).
Yes, it's true: the modern search ecosystem already answers many questions sufficiently (in the eyes of the user) in the search results. This results in fewer visitors to your own website.
BUT: who clicks and visits your site is seriously interested. The chances are higher that the visitor will actually become a customer.
Hence, the new search means: Fewer clicks, but pre-qualified visitors.
In order to measure your site's success in search, clicks are no longer good indicators. Instead, the focus is now more on leads and conversions than on the old metrics such as clicks and rankings.
AI tools as digital first advisors: health issues and therapy are leading topics
This is where things get particularly interesting for healthcare professionals:
AI tools such as ChatGPT are currently used intensively in two areas in particular: As a search engine for health issues and as a kind of digital psychotherapy. People ask ChatGPT, for example:
- "I've had stomach pains and nausea for weeks. What could it be?"
- "I feel empty and listless. How can I get out of this?"
- "My child doesn't sleep through the night. What can I do?"
- "I'm scared about the interview tomorrow. Can you help me?"
Many people now use AI tools as a substitute for professional advice. They get medical assessments or psychological support from a tool that has no training, no experience and no responsibility.
What can you do?
We cannot stop this development. But doctors have the chance to influence the answersby acting as trustworthy source and cited or linked where appropriate.
Properties of the most common AI search tools
Google AI Overviews
- Several sources flow into one answer
- There are fewer links to further sources or the sources of the generated answer
- The answers are personalized (depending on search behavior, location, etc.)
- Google AI Overviews go far beyond the classic top 10 rankings to generate answers:
- They take into account content from the top 100 results, not just the top ten.
- About 75 % of the sources used come from rank 12 or abovewhich confirms the broad source base.
Perplexity
Perplexity is a hybrid between a classic search engine and LLM:
- Chat function like ChatGPT
- Current web search like Google
- Visible references (usually 4-5 per answer)
- Search can be personalized by:
- Precise profile setting
- Definition options for response styles, search depth and source basis
- There are Specific search modeswhich you can use to narrow down the source base: Academic, Social, Web, Video, et al.
There are comparatively better chances of being visibly cited here.
Perplexity uses Chat GPT for its "think" function, and for internet searches mostly Bing instead of Google, but also goes searching on its own.
ChatGPT
By default, it only works with its training data, which was last expanded in 2024. So the state of knowledge is 2024. Were you already active online then?
- People can use the web search function or the deep research function and then also get link sources.
- When Chat GPT searches, it now searches with Google (before it seemed to be Bing).
- Visitors only come to your website if they have actively started a web search and clicked on your link.
Social media platforms as alternative search engines
Today, people no longer just search on Google, Chat GPT or in specialist portals, but also use the search function of social media platforms.
One Forbes study from the year 2024 proves the following:
- On average, 24% of respondents state that they primarily use social media for searches
- The younger the users, the higher this figure is: In Gen-Z (born 1997-2006), the figure is 46%!
TikTok stands out in particular.
TikTok with its well-developed search function is Particularly popular with Generation Z.
What does that mean for your business?
It makes perfect sense to be active there too. Choose a few platforms that are important for your target group.
How should you adapt to the AI search?
1. learn to deal with the new logic of AI
The search is changing, but in a sense not for the worse. It is rewarding the real experts, and you could also see this as an opportunity. You can find out exactly how you can increase your chances of more visibility with your content in my article "How do I write to be found in the AI search?„.
2. build authority
Authority is not created through self-assertion, but through visible expertise:
- Work on being perceived as a unique "entity" - a concrete sign for Google that you are a trustworthy source. You can read more about this very important topic in the article "From entity to Knowledge Graph".
- Publish well-founded content on a regular basis. Not only on your website and on your social media profiles, but also in specialist journals, specialist online portals, etc. if possible.
- Supplement your content with your own experiences, studies, statistics or similar. Content that ONLY you can add.
3. think beyond Google
Online visibility is a combination of several possible channels:
- Google Business + Bing Places Profile for local visibility
- Social Media - recommended choice of platform depending on the target group, e.g. TikTok for the younger generation, Meta for the older generation, etc.
- Email Marketing is one of the most important and personal communication channels today, and it is one of the "owned media". This means: it is a communication channel that nobody can turn off for you!
What's the saying? Never put all your eggs in one basket! This golden rule also applies to online presence.
4. be patient
Visibility in AI-supported search does not happen overnight, especially if you are just starting out with your online presence. It takes time for you to be perceived as a trustworthy source. But if you start now, you'll have a huge head start in a year's time. What's more, while your authority in AI-supported searches grows slowly but steadily, your visibility on your other channels may grow faster. Everything complements each other and works in symbiosis.
Frequently asked questions about the new AI search
Does classic SEO still work?
SEO is still important and still a basic requirement for your own online visibility. However, it is no longer enough and must be expanded, for example through unique content with more structure and quality, as well as by working on your own authority and trustworthiness. This means that PR should not be left out of the equation.
How can I appear in Google AI Overviews?
High-quality, structured content and being perceived as a trustworthy source help to appear in Google AI Overviews. There is no guarantee, but the chances increase with the quality of the content and the expertise of the author.
Do I have to be present on all platforms to be visible online?
It makes little sense to want to be present everywhere. It is better to select specific channels depending on the target group and start there.
How important is social media presence for healthcare professionals?
Social media platforms are strategically very interesting for healthcare professionals, as people search there specifically for health information. The choice of platform depends on the question of which target group you want to reach.
How important is your own authority in the age of AI?
Google and other search engines prefer to rely on content from real experts. For example, Google has its own evaluation criteria, the so-called "E-E-A-T", which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness stands. The less space there is in the new search results, the more important it becomes to be one of the experts consulted.
My conclusion: seize the opportunity before others do
The change in online search is unstoppable, but it is not a threat either.
If you start strategically building your online presence now, you will be where others would like to be in a year's time. AI-supported search favors quality and expertise, and that's exactly what you and your company probably stand out for.
