Medical aesthetics · AI search
How medical aesthetics clinics get recommended by ChatGPT and other AI search
AI recommends a clinic when three things line up: the website answers patients’ specific questions, the clinic’s details match everywhere, and trusted places mention it. The advertising rules still apply in full: in BC, clinic websites fall under the CPSBC standard on advertising.
Updated 2026-10-27 · NextAgent · Markdown version (same text)
How do patients use AI to find a clinic now?
Many patients no longer just type keywords into Google. They ask ChatGPT: "Which clinic in Richmond is good for Ultherapy?" or "What is the difference between Thermage and Ultherapy?" The AI searches the web, picks a few sources, writes one answer and names a few clinics.
The clinic data we have looked at shares one pattern: patients rarely search "medical spa". They search the treatment, the device, the doctor’s name, or their own question. The clinics AI names are usually the ones that answer those specific questions clearly.
What does AI look at when it recommends a clinic?
No AI company has published the full rules. From the answers and sources in our own tests, it comes down to:
- Specific answers on the website: who each treatment suits, how long it takes, recovery, risks, how pricing works
- Consistent clinic details: name, address, phone and hours match on the website, the Google Business Profile and directories
- Trusted mentions: local directories, media, community discussions
- Being indexed: ChatGPT search uses third-party search providers, reportedly including Bing, so the site needs to be in both Google and Bing
Should each device and treatment have its own page?
Yes. Patients search and ask by treatment and device name, and one treatment per page lets AI match a specific question to your page. Each page should cover what the treatment is, who it suits, how long it takes, recovery, possible side effects, the price or how it is quoted, and a line that results vary and depend on a physician’s assessment.
One rule to watch: prescription drugs (botulinum toxin, for example) cannot be promoted by brand name. Use the generic name or the category.
What rules does a clinic website have to follow?
The CPSBC practice standard "Advertising and Communication with the Public" matters most for websites:
- Advertising names at least one responsible physician by legal name
- No claims of being better than other physicians or clinics, no "best" or "number one"
- No promised results
- No incentives such as discounts, gift cards or points for medical services
- Patient testimonials and before-and-after photos need the patient’s written consent
- The physician stays fully responsible for advertising done by an agency
Health Canada adds one more: advertising of prescription drugs to the public is limited to the name, price and quantity.
How do Chinese-speaking patients find a clinic?
Chinese-speaking patients often search and ask with Chinese everyday names for treatments (超声刀 for Ultherapy, 热玛吉 for Thermage). Chinese pages should be written in those words rather than translated line by line, and keep the formal names so both match.
AI also cites discussions on Xiaohongshu and Zhihu. In our October 2026 tests, Zhihu was among the most-cited sites.
Do Google reviews help, and can a clinic ask for them?
You can ask, but not in exchange for anything: Google Maps policy does not allow discounts or gifts for reviews. To use patient reviews in your own advertising, CPSBC also requires the patient’s written consent.
The safe way: after treatment, send a review link with no conditions attached, and reply to good and bad reviews alike.
What should a clinic ask an agency that offers AI search work?
- Do they know the CPSBC and Health Canada rules, and who reviews what they write?
- Which questions do they test, on which AI engines, how often, and will they show you the answers as they are?
- What did they change and why, with numbers you can check every month?
- Do they promise rankings or "guaranteed recommendations"? Nobody can guarantee that.
How long does it take, and how do I know whether AI recommends me?
New pages usually take a few weeks to be indexed, and AI answers change with what the AI finds, so look month by month. The practical way: keep a fixed set of questions your patients really ask, ask the AI on the same day each month, and record whether you appear and which page it cites. That is how we measure our own site; the method and our own numbers are in the guide on measuring AI visibility.
Want to see how AI answers your customers today?
We ask AI the questions your customers actually ask and show you the answers and sources as they are.