The changing search landscape: how pharma can optimise for AI and social media

Sep 4
The way people search for information is changing, with more queries taking place on AI tools and within social media platforms. We've seen this firsthand at Frankly Pharma, with a noticeable increase in referrals from sources like ChatGPT and Perplexity AI. So, what does this mean for the pharmaceutical industry? Should pharma marketers focus less on optimising for Google?

This article looks at current search trends in health, how HCPs are using AI, and the actions pharma marketers need to take now.

What are the current search trends in health?

Google continues to dominate overall search volume. According to Search Engine Land, Google handled around 14 billion searches per day in 2024, giving it a 93.57% market share. By comparison, ChatGPT recorded roughly 37.5 million search-like prompts per day, just 0.25% market share, less than Bing (4.1%) and Yahoo (1.35%).

However, these numbers don't tell the whole story. As new research shows, search is becoming more specialised, with age, intent, and platform choice increasingly determining where users go for information. Claneo’s State of Search research highlights this behaviour:
“Search preferences vary significantly based on information complexity. For simple queries, traditional search engines dominate at 47%, followed by AI chatbots at 28%, AI search engines at 23%, and Reddit at 21%. For complex queries, the landscape is more competitive. Search engines still lead at 36%, AI chatbots are used by 27%, AI search engines 21%, and Reddit 20%-showing users are exploring alternatives for sophisticated searches.” In healthcare, where queries often involve nuanced scenarios or complex conditions, this is well-suited for the functionality of AI tools and chatbots. 

Are people using AI to search for health information?
You've heard of "Doctor Google," but what about "Doctor ChatGPT"? For years, people have been turning to Google to search for their symptoms and find health information, but now, a new and more complex trend is emerging.

A survey conducted by researchers at the University of Sydney in June 2024 found that nearly 10% of Australians (9.9% of the surveyed population) had used ChatGPT to get health-related information in the preceding six months. So, what are they asking? The most common questions they ask are about specific health conditions (48% of users), what their symptoms mean (37%), and what actions to take (36%). A significant number of users, 61%, are asking higher-risk questions that would typically require a doctor's advice.

Why are people using AI for health information?
For many, the appeal is clear: AI offers a direct, conversational, and seemingly immediate answer to a symptom or a condition, bypassing the need to sift through multiple websites. It can help improve health literacy, allowing people to learn more about their condition, feel empowered about their health, and all with anonymity if it's something they don't feel comfortable discussing with a healthcare professional. There are also reports of people finding a diagnosis for their symptoms that have been missed by their doctors. However, it's not without risks or concerns from the medical community. AI chatbots have been known to have inaccuracies and hallucinations. AI chatbots lack access to a person's specific medical history, pre-existing conditions, or current medications, meaning advice is generic. They lack the critical thinking, empathy, and diagnostic skills of a human healthcare provider. 

A study by Stanford University found 'therapist' chatbots to be encouraging users' schizophrenic delusions and suicidal thoughts, as the AI chatbots struggle to distinguish between delusions and reality. A recent article from the Wall Street Journal highlights the story of a patient whose mental health was worsened after interactions with ChatGPT. 
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Are doctors using AI search engines?

Whilst we don't have data on HCP searches taking place in AI tools, we do know that doctors are increasingly seeing the value of AI tools in supporting patient care, with uptake already growing.

A survey, published in the BMJ Health and Care Informatics journal, spoke to 1,006 GPs in the UK about their use of AI chatbots and found that:
  • One in five of the UK GPs surveyed reported using AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, to assist with tasks in clinical practice.
  • Of those using AI tools, 29% reported using these tools to generate documentation after patient appointments and 28% to suggest a differential diagnosis.

 
A survey conducted by the American Medical Association of 1,183 doctors in the US reported even higher uptake:
  • 66% report using AI tools in their practice, with the most common use cases being documentation of billing codes and medical charts, creation of discharge notes and care plans, translation services, and summaries of medical research.
  • 68% believe AI gives them an advantage in delivering patient care.

    Dr Tim Mercer, a UK GP, explains where he sees the role of AI tools versus clinicians in patient care. 
@drtimmercer Replying to @Stevlynd Great comment, stimulating and a similar experience to what I have when I play similar games. A doctor can only survive by appreciating the nuance and negotiating the management plan. #ai #medicalai #doctor #medicine #chatgpt ♬ original sound - Dr Tim Mercer

How do search trends differ by age?

Claneo’s State of Search reveals that search on YouTube and AI chatbots is popular across age groups, showing that uptake isn't limited only to younger demographics. The chart below breaks down where different age groups look for information.
Whilst social media was becoming a pay-to-play environment, the emergence of TikTok and the rise in popularity of content like Reels on Instagram have turned that on its head and driven a revival of organic content and reach opportunities. In these new spaces, people aren't just here to see what their friends are up to, but they come to watch creators they are not personally connected with.

Social platforms are increasingly adding search features to encourage discovery. When users enter keywords, many platforms now provide suggested searches that guide people to related content. In the case of Meta, Instagram or Facebook, this is powered by Meta AI search. 
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Social media posts now appear in Google results

The link between social and traditional search is tighter than ever. Google now indexes public content from Instagram (professional accounts), Facebook, TikTok, Reddit, and Pinterest, meaning posts from these platforms can surface directly in Google results. Because of this, it's more important than ever for pharma to be thinking about social media as part of their search optimisation strategy.

How does search differ between AI tools, Google search and social media?

AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, Co-pilot
  • Conversational searches with follow-up questions.
  • Direct, summarised answer, often pulling information from various sources and presenting it in a cohesive format. Not everyone will click through to the source links for more information.
Google search
  • People click through multiple results to gather and synthesise information. 
  • Only short titles and descriptions are shown in results. People use this information to review the results and decide which one to click on.
  • New AI summaries at the top of results provide a summary of a range of sources. This means people can get information without visiting any links, so to appear here, you need to optimise your content for AI search. 

Social media
  • People expect to get answers without having to click out of social media. This means short videos, interactive posts and creator-led content outperform links and articles.

How do pharma marketers optimise for search in AI tools?

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) refers to the process of optimising content to improve its visibility in AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, Co-pilot, and Google AI Overviews. Here are some key strategies pharma marketers can start using today.

#1 Ask the AI engines what your audience are searching for

It may sound obvious, but start by asking AI engines what questions your audience is already asking. This gives you insight to shape content that directly answers their needs. Once your content is ready, this is another great opportunity to enter it into an AI tool to ask how to further optimise it for search. 

#2 Create content that answers specific questions, not just keywords

When optimising for Google you focus on keywords, however, AI engines are designed to answer natural language queries. Structure content around the actual questions your audience is asking and place the most direct answer right under the heading, then elaborate. For example, instead of “eczema causes”, phrase it as “What causes eczema to flare up?” Or instead of “type 2 diabetes diet” phrase it as “What foods should I avoid if I have type 2 diabetes?”. Headings in Q&A style make it easier for AI to lift direct answers.

#3 Provide scannable pages with concise answers

AI looks for short, clear definitions or summaries (40–60 words), then expands if needed. Use bulleted lists, numbered lists, and tables to present complex medical information in an easily digestible format. For longer articles, create a summary box at the top with key takeaways. This provides AI with a quick, factual summary to use in its own responses.

#4 Multi-modal optimisation

AI can surface images, video, and even charts as answers, not just text. Use a mix of formats to increase relevance. 

#5 Add citations, quotes and statics

This strengthens your content’s authority. AI models tend to reference high-quality sources when generating responses, so content with credible citations is more likely to be included. Including statistics and quotes shows that your content is backed by data or expert knowledge, boosting trustworthiness. Models like ChatGPT are trained on large datasets of web pages, academic papers, and verified sources, making well-cited pages easier for the AI to recognise as authoritative. AI engines give higher weighting to local context, so you should aim to include locally relevant sources where possible, such as local guidelines, terminology, and statistics.

How do you optimise your social media content to rank in search?

The key to doing this successfully is crafting content that aligns with user demands and optimising your assets so they will be visible on the social platforms when people are searching. We break down how to do this into five steps below. 

#1 Embrace organic channels and content

Organic social media content can be discovered in search, paid ads cannot. Think of your organic channel on TikTok or Instagram as an evergreen hub of information (much like your website is).

#2 Create social content that answers search queries or social trends

Before you start creating content, it's important to understand where there is demand. You want to know what information or questions your audience is searching for so that you can create content that answers these topics. There are a few ways you can research this. 

Trending social media content: Look at your disease area to see what content is already ranking well in social search. Social listening tools can help you identify trending topics and hashtags. Some platforms require manual searching as tools cannot access them. On TikTok, the "People also searched for" feature highlights correlated topics to your search. TikTok trend analysis tool allows you to see trending hashtags, songs, creators and videos in your region. You can also access the TikTok creator search tool, which reveals trending searches as well as searches with a content gap, areas where demand is high but content is limited. If your account has over 1,000 followers, you can see which searches are most popular with your audience.

Google keyword planner: Whilst we are not optimising for Google specifically, looking at search trends in this platform can still help you to understand where there is demand for information on your subject matter. Tools like Answer the Public can help to spur new ideas. This could help with optimising your social media content to appear in Google results. 

Popular content on your website: Popular content on your website indicates that there is likely already some demand for those topics. This can be a great place to start. Translate your website content into social media assets. 

#3 Conduct social listening to understand the language used by your audience

This will help you to be able to incorporate the right keywords in your content. Some language we use in pharma, doesn't hold meaning for our audiences. For example, in pharma we often say 'healthcare professional' in patient educational materials, but people use words like 'doctor' or 'GP'. 

#4 Optimise your post copy or caption

Include relevant search-optimised keywords in your organic social copy.

#5 Don't rely on your website to share information

Some healthcare companies are heavily reliant on their websites to provide detailed information to their audiences, but optimising for social search requires a different approach. To capitalise on social search, you need to create content that lives on social media and answers the question without leaving the platform. 

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