The search landscape is evolving and for Healthcare Marketing, the shift is significant.
Google’s AI Overviews are increasingly taking the top spot on search results pages, directly answering patient questions and often pushing traditional paid ads and organic listings further down.
Recent data shows that healthcare has the highest adoption of AI Overviews across all industries, appearing in more than half of all searches for the term “treatment.” This isn’t a minor update, it’s a fundamental change in how patients discover, evaluate, and choose healthcare providers.
So, how do we adapt our PPC strategies in this new environment?
Audit Your Keywords
AI Overviews dominate many long-tail, educational queries, especially “why,” “how,” and “what” questions. Identify the keywords you’re bidding on that are most likely to trigger Overviews, and decide whether to continue investing in them or shift spend to more transactional queries.
Re-Evaluate Ad Copy and Intent
AI Overviews already satisfy many users’ informational needs. Your ad copy now needs to focus on lower-funnel actions: trusted solutions, professional care, and clear calls to action such as Book an appointment or Speak to a specialist.
Optimise for a zero-click world
Zero-click searches are on the rise – users often find what they need without clicking at all. To maintain visibility:
• Build brand authority so patients recognise and trust your name when it appears
• Structure your content for AI readability, increasing the chance of being cited in Overviews.
Differentiate with content & creatives
Make your landing pages and ads stand out by highlighting trust signals (clinical endorsements, data, credentials, etc.) to encourage action when users do click through.
Go beyond click metrics
CTR alone no longer tells the full story. Monitor branded vs non-branded traffic, and track post-click engagement on landing pages to better understand the full patient journey.
AI Overviews are reshaping how patients find healthcare information and how PPC delivers value. For healthcare brands, this is a call to rethink content, keywords, measurement, and messaging to stay competitive in an AI-first search environment.
What’s your take on AI Overviews? How are you adapting your strategy?
