Swaay.Health sat down with Lacey Reichwald, Director of Marketing at Aha Media Group to find out if SEO is still a worthwhile strategy for healthcare marketers and if it is, how to best approach it now that AI has changed the landscape.

Check out her insights.

Key Takeaways

Focus on intent instead of chasing high-volume keywords. Search success now depends on matching user intent, not keyword volume. Target “zero-volume” keywords if they reflect real, actionable search behavior from patients or prospects in your market. AI search overviews are stealing your clicks. With answers now surfaced directly in search results, it’s harder to earn traffic from top-of-funnel queries. Instead, double down on middle- and bottom-funnel content where intent to act is clear. Content quantity won’t save you, but quality and relevance will. Healthcare marketers need to stop churning out “empty calorie” content and instead invest in thought leadership and subject-matter-driven pieces that build trust and authority in an AI-flooded landscape. Search Intent Beats Volume

For years, SEO success was about one thing: traffic. But volume-based strategies are losing steam. Today’s wins come from targeting intent-rich keywords, even if they show “zero” search volume.

Why?

Because “zero” doesn’t mean nobody’s searching. According to Reichwald: “It might mean only 15 people in your region are Googling “pediatric sleep specialist near me”. If those 15 are ready to act, that’s worth chasing.

Focus your strategy on what your audience is actually trying to do or solve, not what ranks highest on a SEO tool.

Top-of-Funnel Traffic Is Drying Up

AI overviews and rich snippets are making it harder to earn coveted click-throughs.

“All of those AI overviews at the top of the search results, is where Google is delivering answers,” said Reihwald. “This is creating an environment where people don’t have to click through.”

That means your homepage and blog isn’t competing for attention against other trust sites anymore, it’s competing with Google itself.

Reichwald recommends prioritize mid- and bottom-funnel content in order to remain visible. Patients and decision-makers still click when they’re looking for a specific doctor, service line, or solution. Show up where intent meets action.

Stop the Content Treadmill and start Building Trust

In a world flooded with AI-generated fluff, the bar for quality content has never been higher.

“People got into a rhythm of churning out x number of blogs every month to stay relevant,” stated Reichwald. “There is glut of content on the internet right now. It is now all about quality over quantity.”

Healthcare audiences, especially patients, are looking for answers they can trust. That’s why content that’s created (or informed) by real clinicians, staff, or subject matter experts matters more than ever. Reihwald warns that it is time to hit pause if you are still pushing out a blog a week that has little strategic value to your audience. Instead, invest in content that builds authority, improves conversion, and supports your reputation.

Healthcare Marketing Has a New Playbook

So is SEO still worthwhile? The answer is YES…but only if you adapt to the new reality. Keyword volume alone won’t deliver patient loyalty, service line growth, or lead generation anymore. Today, SEO success is built on intention, visibility at the point of action, and trust.

Want to stay ahead? Start by identifying one high-intent, low-volume search query your ideal audience is typing into Google and optimize a landing page for it within the next 90 days. You might be surprised how quickly relevance turns into results.

For more on this topic and to get a step-by-step strategy guide to search, check out The B2B Healthcare Marketer’s Playbook for Search-Driven Growth co-authored by Aha Media Group and Swaay.Health

Learn more about Aha Media Group at https://ahamediagroup.com/

Aha Media Group is a sponsor of Healthcare Scene