Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) for Medical & Aesthetic Practices

Gain Visibility Everywhere Patients Search

Etna Interactive’s leading answer engine optimization (AEO) strategies position practices to be the cited, recommended, and trusted source in AI-driven search.

What Are Answer Engines?

Answer engines are AI systems that interpret, synthesize, and recommend information. They value authority, clarity, consistency, and extractability, as opposed to search engines that value keywords, rankings, and backlinks.

AI Powers Many Search Tools

• AI chat tools and assistants, which include ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude 
• AI-powered search overviews like Google’s AI Overview 
• Voice and in-platform search, such as Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, YouTube, and TikTok search 

What AEO Means for Healthcare

The goal of AEO is to make your providers, procedures, locations, and reputation unmistakably clear to the AI systems that influence patient choice. AEO, sometimes called generative engine optimization (GEO), focuses on natural language, conversation, and search.

AEO is not the latest name for SEO. It’s authority engineering for a new decision layer that requires a healthcare-specific strategy. Answer engines seek information that is complete, concise, accurate, and trustworthy, and that can be easily summarized or extracted as a cohesive unit of information.

• Practices need both strategies to stay competitive. Etna has the expertise to help you succeed. 

Why Elective Healthcare Can’t Ignore AEO

Elective care is especially vulnerable to the changes in patient search because:

• Patients research extensively before choosing a provider.
• Local search is key and competitive.
• Reputation supports premium pricing.

When AI becomes the primary research layer, practices without strong authority disappear from consideration.

With our expert-led AEO, patients receive clear answers and develop confidence in your brand without confusion. A better patient experience drives better business outcomes.

Etna’s Proven AEO Strategy for Healthcare and Aesthetics

Our AEO strategy relies on proven methods and measurable results. We strategically align your brand, digital presence, and authority signals to transform your practice into an AI-preferred authority.

How We Do It

1. Define what sets you apart

We help you define the procedures and expertise that set your brand apart. We find where your practice excels and remove anything that weakens your authority. While you may be trained in 40+ procedures, we guide you to a focused set that enables you to truly stand out—giving AI a strong, clear brand promise. Together, we will:

• Select priority procedures
• Articulate clear differentiators
• Curate a focused brand promise AI can trust

2. Audit how AI sees you

We assess how answer engines currently interpret your brand and identify where they go wrong. Our team will:

• Review existing AI citations
• Identify brand gaps and inconsistencies
• Create a clear optimization roadmap

3. Align your entire online presence

AI doesn’t rely only on your website to decide if you’re worth citing. We ensure your identity is consistent throughout your online presence, including:

• Off-site business profiles
• Third-party ratings and review sites
• Professional society sites
• News and media appearances and quotes
• Social media such as Facebook and Instagram
• Community forums like RealSelf and Reddit 

If this information is incomplete, inconsistent, or outdated, your authority weakens. We ensure mentions of you and your practice are relevant, recent, and consistent everywhere.

4. Build authority that earns citations

Quality content and authority earn citations. Our strategy includes:

• Aligning your website copy, blog, site’s structured data (schema), and photo gallery (where applicable)
• Publishing answer-worthy, AI-referenceable content
• Optimizing patient reviews strategy for authority impact
• Integrating credentials, media, and thought leadership strategically

5. Monitor, report, and refine

We track AI visibility by procedure, market, and competitors, deliver reports, and refine content to increase citation growth. You will understand:

• Exactly where you stand against key competitors
• AEO’s impact on patient leads and demand
• Which brand citations drive actual patient inquiries

• You receive a roadmap aligned with growth priorities, clear deliverables and timelines, and a partner who measures AEO success by patient inquiries and booked procedures—not just citations.

Why Elective Healthcare Leaders Choose Etna

With over 20 years’ experience in elective healthcare marketing and a rigorously tested approach to answer engine optimization, Etna Interactive is a smart choice for your integrated AEO strategy.

Our Difference

• Healthcare focused: Elective medicine is all we do.
• Hundreds of practices across North America: Our strategies are tested in real markets.
• Integrated approach: AEO strengthens SEO, paid, content, and reputation.
• Decision-ready reporting: AI citation share is tied to inquiries and growth.
• Compliance-aware execution: We are well-versed in medical advertising rules, board compliance, reputation sensitivity, and privacy expectations.
• Proven across specialties: We have clients in plastic surgery, dermatology, nonsurgical aesthetics, ophthalmology, and more.

We build authority that lasts, rather than chasing the latest algorithm.

We Serve Clients of All Sizes in the U.S. and Canada

How AEO Fits Your Marketing Strategy

AEO doesn’t replace your marketing; it’s the foundation that improves everything else.

AEO amplifies your existing marketing channels, including:

• SEO by making existing SEO investments more valuable.
• Paid and social media by improving conversion through pre-built trust.
• Content strategy by giving it the unified purpose of building authority and creating extractable information.
• Reputation management by turning reviews into authority signals that drive AI citations, instead of simply providing social proof.

• AEO uses your current assets to build sustainable advantages. Your marketing channels work together, compounding results. 

Real Outcomes We’re Seeing

Practices investing early are already seeing impact, which includes:

• Increased AI citations in competitive markets
• Stronger brand presence in high-intent searches
• Better-qualified patient inquiries
• Improved efficiency across paid and organic channels

Patients are arriving at our clients’ practices already convinced.

Answer Engine Optimization FAQ

Is this just SEO with a new name?

No. SEO optimizes search engine rankings. AEO optimizes citations and recommendations in AI-generated answers.

How long does it take to see results?

Initial gains often appear within 3 to 4 months. Compounding authority develops over a period of 6 to 12 months.

How do you measure AI visibility?

We track the presence, prominence, and competitive share of citations across AI systems and queries.

Can Etna work alongside our current agency?

Yes. While we typically serve our clients independently, we are open to collaborating with their current agencies.

Ready To See Where You Stand?

Request a complimentary AEO Visibility Snapshot and learn:

• How AI answers patient questions in your market
• Which competitors are being cited—and why
• Where your brand is visible (and invisible) today
• Specific opportunities to improve visibility in 90 days

The Etna Reality Check

Practices that establish authority with AI now will control regional visibility for years.

Those who wait will compete harder for less.

If you want clarity, momentum, and protection as search evolves, Etna will show you the path forward.