How Generative Engine Optimization Is Redefining Digital Search in Pharma
Authored by Sharon Virtue
What you’ll learn:
Generative AI search platforms expand source diversity by incorporating a broader array of references, highlighting the need for pharma marketers to optimize content across a wider range of authoritative sources.
As generative AI redefines “authority” and ‘trust,” pharma marketers must adapt by enhancing collaborations between SEO and corporate communications.
Despite technological changes in search, the essential focus on producing high-quality, user-centric content and maintaining an excellent website user-experience remains crucial for effective digital strategy in the evolving search landscape.
Understanding GenAI Search and Its Impact on Pharma Marketing: Starting with Unbranded Content
Search is quickly evolving, and with the introduction of generative AI into Google and other search engines, the landscape is changing for everyone, including pharma marketers. Additionally, new GenAI search platforms (think Perplexity, Liner, Andi, You) are offering a more conversational, less keyword querying, approach to finding information, and are challenging the SEO industry to adjust to what will be the new norm: generative engine optimization (GEO). What happens when the response you get from one of these new tools does not necessitate a website visit?
To help you understand what these changes will mean for the future of your brand’s online presence, Klick has conducted an experiment. This experiment focuses on unbranded content relating to medical conditions because it plays a crucial role in patient education and awareness.
Is Generative AI Search Different?
In this experiment, we aimed to analyze how different generative AI search platforms select and present information compared to traditional search engines like Google. To what degree do the tactics of search engine optimization (SEO) still apply and how should brand managers adjust their strategies to include generative engine optimization (GEO) as part of an overarching digital strategy?
Our goal was to answer the following questions to inform future recommendations:
Where do AI search tools get their responses?
To what degree does AI Search value the current position of Google’s 1–3 organic rankings?
Do these tools define “authority” and “trust” differently than Google? If so, what can we learn and how would it change SEO/GEO search strategy?
What are the essentials for brands that want to bridge the gap between their current SEO strategy while future-proofing for a GEO strategy?
Are there any new opportunities to explore?
Our Methodology
Our investigation analyzed unbranded search queries related to various medical conditions. Here’s how we approached it:
Search Platforms: We compared popular generative AI search tools like Andi, You, and Liner with traditional Google search.
Search Queries: We selected a range of unbranded, high-volume search queries related to diverse medical conditions, focusing on informational intent rather than navigational queries.
Query Format: We translated traditional keyword searches into question-based prompts to align with the conversational nature of AI search. For example, “ADHD test” became “Is there an at-home test for ADHD?”.
Data Collection: We documented and analyzed the responses from each platform, including cited sources and unique features.
Data Analysis: We categorized the cited domains into types (e.g., government, news media, health portals) and compared them across platforms.
Key Discoveries: A New Landscape Emerges
Our experiment revealed several significant findings:
Diversity of Sources and Beyond the Top 3 Organic Results: Although all generative AI platforms pulled responses from one or more of the top three organic search results in Google, they also included a more comprehensive range of sources. Many cited content from sources beyond the first page of Google results.
For instance, a query on “new Alzheimer’s drug” surfaced results from general and health media websites that weren’t necessarily current—but were relevant to the question.
Evolving Definition of Authority: AI platforms seem to assess authority and trust differently than Google, and we can assume this will continue to evolve as they learn. Google often references the traditional high-authority government websites (e.g., FDA and CDC), while GenAI search leans on news sources more frequently. This range presents more opportunities for visibility if your SEO and corporate communications teams join forces to amplify important messages.
Content Quality and Helpfulness Matter: Both Google and AI platforms favor comprehensive, user-focused content that demonstrates expertise and provides valuable information. This finding reinforces the importance of creating content beyond basic definitions and exploring various aspects of a medical condition, including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and management.
Implications: Adapting to the Changing Search Environment
Our findings suggest that while traditional SEO principles remain relevant, pharma marketers need to monitor this evolving search landscape and, going forward, focus energies on the following:
Prioritizing Content Quality: Creating informative, comprehensive, and user-friendly content remains crucial.
Diversifying Content Formats: Exploring various formats like video and infographics can enhance visibility and engagement.
Building Topical Authority: Establishing expertise in specific medical conditions by incorporating insights from KOLs and reliable data.
Optimizing for AI Understanding: Utilizing schema markup, a code that helps both search engine and AI bots understand website content better, to help AI platforms better understand and interpret content.
Focusing on User Experience: Ensuring a positive website experience remains important, even if traffic from search engines decreases.
A detailed evaluation of Klick’s experiment will be available in the coming months. Reach out to your Client Service partner if you’d like to receive this document once it becomes available.
As we continue monitoring the generative AI search platform space, experimenting and analyzing responses, we will continue to provide guidance to illustrate any opportunities or challenges that arise. To evaluate your brand’s current visibility within GenAI search tools (for both branded and unbranded content) and understand what content and website strategy adjustments might be warranted at this time, please connect with us.
Author
Sharon Virtue
Vice President, SEO
Sharon brings over 20 years of search-marketing expertise to Klick and, in the last decade, has focused on best-practice SEO for life sciences clients. Her holistic approach integrates SEO and SEM, maximizing efficiencies and insights. As VP of SEO, Klick Health, Sharon oversees all SEO deliverables, and led her team in the global launch of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, providing content and technical support in 50 countries and 29 languages. She integrates her team into website-build processes and collaborates across departments to ensure best-practice solutions. Sharon is dedicated to providing ongoing education for internal teams and thought leadership to clients.
Ready to Drive Life Sciences Forward?
Experience the transformative power of Klick Health, where deep industry expertise meets cutting-edge AI-driven wisdom.
As your trusted partners in life sciences commercialization, we combine a storied history in healthcare with the latest technologies to elevate every facet of your omnichannel strategy. From crafting engaging narratives to enabling data-driven decision-making, our integrated capabilities ensure you lead the way in transforming patient outcomes through digital health innovation.
Let’s create something transformative together.
