AEO for therapists: SEO with a new invoice attached?
Someone is going to try to sell you Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), or AI search optimization. New acronym, new package, new monthly line item, and the suggestion that the SEO work you already paid for has stopped counting.
For Google Search, that suggestion does not match Google's current guidance. AI Overviews and AI Mode use Google's core Search systems to retrieve pages, then generate answers with links to supporting sources. A page still has to qualify for regular Search, and the site has to be included in Search generative AI features in Search Console. That control is on by default, but site owners can turn it off. Google says no special schema is needed just for these AI features. Google's guide to generative AI in Search and the Search generative AI control documentation explain the details.
What changed is the result you are trying to measure
In a traditional search result, a person sees a list of links. In an AI search result, the system may summarize information and show links to some of the pages it used. The systems differ, and so do the ways they find and display sources.
That changes what visibility can look like. A page can be cited in an answer, but a citation is not a site visit or a booked call. Bing's AI Performance report, for example, tracks citations and cited pages across supported AI experiences. Microsoft says those citation counts do not show a page's ranking or role in an individual answer. Bing's announcement of AI Performance describes what the report measures.
I would track referrals and inquiries separately from citations. They are different.
The fundamentals still overlap
The useful overlap is not mysterious: publish accurate, helpful information; make important pages crawlable; connect them clearly through your site; keep your business details current. Google lists those as ongoing SEO fundamentals for its AI search features, too.
For a therapy practice, that starts with a clear description of who you work with, what you help with, where you work, and how someone can contact you. Put that information on pages you control, then check that your Google Business Profile and other professional listings agree.
I would not claim to know exactly how every AI system resolves conflicting profiles. I do know that inconsistent details give a prospective client two versions of the practice to sort through. Keeping those details current is sensible local SEO and good communication, whether or not an AI system ever cites your site.
Four things I would do for a business before buying a new AEO service
Give each major service you provide a clear page.
Explain who it is for, what it covers, and how someone takes the next step. A prospective client should not have to piece together your services from a directory listing, a dated blog post, and three lines on your homepage.
This is not a request to publish a page for every keyword variation. It is a reason to make the information someone needs easy to find and easy to understand.
Bring your practice details up to date
Check the practice name, location, service area, specialties, clinician profiles, and contact details on your site and the listings you manage. Fix old descriptions that no longer match the practice. Keep the same facts consistent wherever a client may find you.
No one needs to publish more just to create “surface area.” Publish the information that helps a person make a clear decision.
Use questions as headings when they help the reader
If people regularly ask, “Do you offer online therapy in New Jersey?” or “Do you work with trauma?”, those can be useful headings on the right page. Put the answer near the question so a person scanning on a phone can find it.
I would use question headings for clarity, not promise that they make an AI system cite the page. Google's current guide says there is no special markup required for its AI features and cautions against unsupported optimization tricks. The same standard applies to any advice that promises a shortcut without showing what it changes.
Check whether search services can read your pages
Your website has a small file called robots.txt. It tells automated visitors which pages they may read. Your website host or security service can block them, too. To view the file, add /robots.txt to the end of your website address. These controls are separate, so blocking one visitor may not block another.
If you want a page to be considered by a particular AI search service, ask your web person to check that service's search setting and explain what each rule does. You do not need to allow every visitor. Allowing one only makes your page eligible to be considered; it does not guarantee that the service will show it.
What structured data can and cannot do
Structured data, often added as JSON-LD, gives search systems explicit, machine-readable information about a page. Google says there is no special schema markup required for its AI search features. It still supports structured data for certain Search features and recommends JSON-LD when a site's setup allows it. Google's structured data guide explains its role.
I would keep accurate structured data when it supports the broader SEO setup, but it is not a way to guarantee AI citations. Google does not make that promise, and the time and cost depend on how the site is built.
What I would ask before approving a separate AEO fee
Ask for the work in plain language:
What will you audit or change?
Which search products does the work cover?
Which tasks are already part of my SEO scope?
How will you report citations, site visits, and inquiries separately?
What will I have when the work is done?
There can be distinct work here: checking platform-specific crawl access, setting up citation monitoring, or showing how AI referrals behave in analytics. Those are concrete deliverables. If the proposal is the same page updates, profile cleanup, and technical SEO with a new label, ask why it needs a second line item.
If you want a second set of eyes on your website and current SEO scope, book a free introductory call. I will help you identify the work in front of you and where to start.
Let's get found.
