As patients increasingly use AI search and chatbots to find health information, health system marketers told Becker’s they’re focusing on cultivating credibility and connectivity over chasing clicks.
Sixteen percent of Americans now turn to chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini for medical advice, according to a recent Gallup poll. At the same time, Google’s AI Overviews, which provide an AI-generated summary above the customary website links, have upended the search business.
“The traditional model where consumers ask Google a question and navigate multiple websites for answers is becoming obsolete. Equally outdated is the notion that a single website serves as the central hub for information,” said Ashley Pollard, vice president of marketing at St. Louis-based SSM Health. “As AI evaluates every digital touchpoint, a holistic focus on the quality, credibility and structure of our content across the entire digital ecosystem is no longer optional — it is essential.”
So the 23-hospital system’s marketing team is changing the way it writes and distributes content to optimize “patient and consumer understanding and AI interpretation” while connecting audiences back to its owned platforms, Ms. Pollard said.
“Our focus has shifted from traffic volume alone to high-intent visibility and conversion,” said Don Stanziano, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Phoenix-based Banner Health. “By investing in clarity, authority, and structured content across our digital ecosystem, we are positioning the Banner brand to remain discoverable and credible wherever patients seek care decisions.”
At the 33-hospital system, that includes “auditing and modernizing legacy content, using performance data and external search optimization tools to identify gaps and emerging patient intent,” Mr. Stanziano said. Banner is also restructuring content to answer natural-language queries more directly, shoring up physician attribution, and better signaling clinical review.
In an age of “zero-click search,” where people often just read the AI summaries, Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health no longer relies on maintaining or growing web traffic as a performance benchmark, said Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Megan Mahncke.
“Instead, our goal is to be a reliable source that AI tools reference in their search results,” she said. “Success is measured by consumer conversion after that first discovery, meaning a patient could find our system through a chatbot and then be able to book an appointment or consult a provider right away.”
The 34-hospital system is “trading pageviews for high-intent engagement,” Ms. Mahncke added. That means making its website “more transactional,” where visitors can quickly schedule an appointment, triage virtually or clearly view “click-to-care options.”
AI chatbots typically don’t cite sponsored copy as a source, while AI search favors trusted, authoritative sources. So Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health is leaning into nonpaid, credible content, said Adam Rice, chief marketing officer of the 138-hospital system.
“Building on a strong SEO foundation, we are restructuring content for AI readability and implementing technical standards that improve how large language models interpret and accurately cite our trusted health information,” Mr. Rice said. “To accelerate sustainable growth and ensure our trusted content reaches consumers earlier in their health journey, we are pursuing strategic partnerships that extend our digital front door beyond our own channels.”
New York City-based NYU Langone Health is also “laser-focused on showing up as a trusted and authoritative source” within AI platforms, said Elizabeth Golden, executive vice president for communications, marketing, government and community relations at the seven-hospital academic system.
“By ensuring that AI tools recognize NYU Langone Health as a leading clinical authority and source of truth, our goal is not just maintaining online traffic, but ensuring we remain a leading destination that patients trust and choose when making their healthcare decisions,” Ms. Golden added.
Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth uses AI tools within its marketing department to ensure that when a consumer is seeking answers to a health system, the 57-hospital system is “offering not just answers, but a clear and reassuring next step toward care,” said Anthony Cadieux, vice president of performance marketing.
“Our SEO strategies are focused on making trusted and relevant health information easy to find, easy to understand and easy to act on,” Mr. Cadieux said. “That means strengthening our digital foundation with structured data, local relevance and clear, consumer-first content so AI tools and search engines can accurately surface AdventHealth as a credible resource.”
