Don’t have time to read the article? Listen instead:
What is the difference between Traditional SEO and AI-Search SEO?
Let’s start with understanding the basics – SEO, AI-Search SEO and AI Snippets:
- Traditional SEO emphasises improving your website and content to rank more prominently in search engine results pages (SERPs). Key components include keyword research and optimisation, on-page optimisation, and technical SEO.
- AI-Search Optimisation focuses on creating content that aligns with AI’s understanding of information. Key aspects include natural language and semantic SEO, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), and content fluidity.
- An AI Search Snippet is a summary or description of a web page that appears in a search result. Snippets are generated from a page’s content, metadata, and the search term used. If you have used Google any time recently, chances are you have already been using them.
The image shows a Google AI search snippet for the search “who are Iguazu limited and what do they do?” with a summary and additional links.
Why SEO Matters in the Pharma and Healthcare Industry
SEO is essential in digital marketing, especially in the pharmaceutical industry, where it ensures the delivery of accurate and credible medical information. For instance, when an oncologist searches for the latest cancer research, a well-optimised site uses relevant keywords and links to trusted journals. The aim is to rank well while establishing credibility, which is vital for an industry where accurate information can save lives.
In a previous article, The Importance of SEO When Trying to Target Healthcare Professionals, we covered the importance of SEO when targeting healthcare professionals (HCPs). However, innovation never stands still, and digital strategies must evolve to keep pace. AI is no longer just a tool for day-to-day tasks—it is transforming how we search for information.
How AI Is Transforming Pharma SEO and Digital Visibility
AI-driven search has transformed pharmaceutical SEO by emphasising authoritative, patient-centric content. With AI-generated summaries, search engines like Google and Bing provide direct answers, reducing reliance on traditional website clicks. This evolution means pharmaceutical companies must optimise for featured snippets, structured data, and compliance with regulatory standards to remain visible.
Additionally, AI can interpret complex medical queries, making long-tail keywords and natural language optimisation essential. Real-time personalisation ensures that search results are tailored to HCPs, patients, and researchers, reinforcing the importance of accurate and regularly updated content.
AI-powered search creates challenges for pharma, especially regarding accuracy and legal compliance.
Unlike conventional SEO, healthcare and pharma SEO must align with regulatory guidelines while addressing the needs of both patients and professionals. AI snippets can present information out of context, and pharma companies lack full control over these summaries. Optimising your website for AI search is crucial. By ensuring your site is easily crawlable and contains comprehensive, up-to-date information, you increase the likelihood that your accurate content is used. This is vital for patient-focused marketing, as patients may rely on these summaries. Prioritising AI-first SEO helps maintain control over your brand narrative.
While medical-legal regulations are still evolving as to how to tackle this, optimising your website for AI search is essential to improve the likelihood that accurate and compliant information is used in summaries.
Adapting your Pharma Website for AI-Search Results
To ensure your website continues attracting organic search traffic, businesses must move beyond traditional SEO. AI search engines use sophisticated algorithms that prioritise user intent, relevance, and structured data over keyword stuffing. For example, Google’s AI Overviews provide direct answers by analysing authoritative medical sources, making it crucial for pharmaceutical companies to optimise their content for AI-driven search results. Success in this new AI-driven ecosystem hinges on understanding how AI interprets content, predicts user needs, and ranks credibility.
How to optimise your pharma website snippets?
Enhance your search engine results by adding a meta description to your web page or by using structured data to provide additional context about your products and services. These enhancements can improve the quality of the snippet displayed in search results, providing users with more relevant and informative previews of your content.
To remain competitive, pharmaceutical companies must prioritise E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness). Google ranks credible, evidence-based sources higher, emphasising peer-reviewed research, regulatory compliance, and expert-authored content. As AI-search expands into visual and multimodal capabilities—analysing images, voice searches, and interactive tools—companies must adapt their SEO strategies accordingly.
No idea what this means? Don’t worry, Iguazu understands and can manage the complexities involved. Contact us for assistance, allowing you to concentrate on your core objectives.
SEO is not a one-time effort. Regularly updating content and SEO strategies ensures ongoing relevance and visibility.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about AI and SEO
AI-powered SEO uses artificial intelligence tools to enhance search engine optimisation strategies. For pharmaceutical websites, this means leveraging AI to:
- Analyse user intent more accurately
- Automate keyword research and content optimisation
- Improve website structure and metadata for better visibility
- Personalise content for different audiences, such as healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients
AI-driven SEO helps pharma companies stay compliant with industry regulations while boosting organic search traffic and engagement.
Traditional SEO focuses on optimising content for keyword-based algorithms, while AI-powered search (e.g., Google’s AI Overviews or Perplexity AI) analyses content based on context, user intent, and semantics.
Key differences include:
- Traditional SEO: Prioritises keywords, backlinks, and basic metadata.
- AI Search: Focuses on content quality, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness), and how well content answers user queries in a natural language format.
For pharma marketers, adapting to AI search means creating patient-centric, authoritative content that AI can easily interpret and prioritise.
AI-powered search is revolutionising how healthcare professionals and patients find information online. In 2025 and beyond, pharma companies must adapt because:
- 64% of searches now involve AI-generated summaries, reducing traditional website clicks.
- Organic clicks have decreased by nearly 30%, making it harder to rely on traditional SEO.
- AI interprets complex medical queries, meaning pharma content must be accurate, regularly updated, and easily understood.
Optimising for AI-search ensures that accurate, compliant information from your brand appears in search summaries and snippets.
To stay competitive, pharma companies should focus on these AI SEO strategies:
- Enhance E-E-A-T: Publish expert-authored, evidence-based content.
- Use structured data (schema markup): Helps AI better understand your site’s content.
- Optimise for featured snippets: Use concise answers, bullet points, and headings that align with common search queries.
- Regularly update content: AI favours fresh, accurate information—especially in regulated industries like pharma.
- Prioritise mobile optimisation and page speed: AI algorithms consider user experience heavily in rankings.
Need help implementing these strategies? Contact us for a free consultation
AI-generated snippets are brief summaries that AI-powered search engines pull from websites to directly answer user queries. To increase the chances of appearing in these snippets:
- Use clear headings and concise paragraphs (40-60 words) to answer common questions.
- Include structured data to make content machine-readable.
- Focus on long-tail keywords relevant to pharmaceutical products, treatments, and research.
- Ensure content is medically accurate and aligned with compliance regulations.
Pro Tip: Including an FAQ section like this one improves your chances of securing snippet placements.
AI-powered search platforms prioritise accuracy but don’t always understand the legal context behind medical information. This can lead to out-of-context or non-compliant snippets. To mitigate risks:
- Publish clear disclaimers and ensure medical claims are evidence-backed.
- Use structured data to guide AI towards the most compliant content.
- Regularly audit your website for content that might be used in AI-generated snippets.
Compliance Tip: Collaborate with your medical-legal team when updating content for AI SEO to avoid regulatory issues.
AI search provides instant answers, changing how patients and healthcare professionals engage with online content. For pharma brands:
- Patients rely on AI-generated summaries for treatment options, making patient education content crucial.
- HCPs use AI search tools to quickly access drug information and clinical research.
- Personalised content tailored for different audiences boosts engagement metrics.
Solution: Develop separate content streams for patients and HCPs to meet their unique informational needs.
AI will continue to reshape digital marketing strategies in pharma. Expected trends include:
- Voice and visual search optimisation becoming essential for patient accessibility.
- Predictive analytics to anticipate search trends and user needs.
- Stricter compliance integration, with AI tools helping maintain regulatory standards.
Bottom line: Early adopters of AI-powered SEO in pharma will gain a competitive edge in search visibility and patient engagement.
About Iguazu:Â We are a digital agency specialising in delivering tactical marketing solutions to the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry.
Author:
Katie Gracova
Social Media Manager
Author:
Diana Real-Lage
Design Manager
