How can optometry practices own AI recommendation spots?
Estimated reading time: 6 mins
- AI search now delivers direct answers, not links—optometry clinics must provide clear, structured, and locally relevant content to earn citations.
- Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) prioritises concise, compliant, and answer-oriented information that AI can confidently reference and attribute.
- Authority compounds quickly at a local level; practices owning key patient questions are indexed for even broader coverage.
- Structuring eligibility, Medicare rules, referral pathways, and local specifics as short, factual answers attracts AI trust and citations.
- Compliance with Australian contexts and AHPRA advertising guidelines is critical for AI-generated visibility and patient trust.
- Boardroom Snacks
- Why AI Search Hits Different
- GEO: The Clear Path to Being the Cited Answer
- Australia-specific proof: local trust earns AI citations
Clarity is your craft. Patients trust you to turn a blur into a plan. The same principle now applies to being found. As ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overview shape how Australians discover care, you cannot rely on old SEO signals or hope that a homepage will win the day. You need structured, compliant answers that AI can see, understand and cite with confidence. The good news is you can earn that position with focused, local content. The better news is you can do it without becoming a publisher of endless blogs. Probably Genius.
Boardroom Snacks
You do not need more content. You need the right answers, structured the right way, in the right place. Own three questions that matter, and AI will recognise you for thirty more. The good news is authority compounds. The better news is it compounds locally, fast.
What changed: AI now delivers answers, not a list of links. It can blend clinical guidance with local availability in a single response.
Why it matters: If you are the cited source, you are the trusted option. That is AI search visibility for optometrists Australia.
What to do first: Ask a real question your patients ask, then see if ChatGPT or Perplexity cites you. If not, plan the answer they should.
Why AI Search Hits Different
AI platforms produce a direct answer to the patient’s question. The model may synthesise several sources, then cite one or two it trusts. That cited mention is the new click. When your clinic is named or linked as the source, you inherit the credibility of the answer, and you intercept intent earlier.
ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity reward clear structure, consistent terminology and compliant claims. They prefer content that reads like an answer, not a brochure. Your scope of practice, clinic location, modalities offered and referral pathways should be explicit and consistent across your site and profiles. AHPRA-aligned language protects you while signalling reliability to models trained to downrank promotional claims.
Google’s AI Overview blends summary guidance with local context. A patient might search “is eye test covered by Medicare near me” and receive an AI overview with practical steps plus nearby options. If your eligibility rules, billing notes and booking intent signals are clean and machine-readable, you enter that consideration set. If not, the model fills the gap with someone else.
This is not traditional SEO. You still need technical basics, but the prize has shifted from ranking positions to answer ownership. You earn that by publishing the clearest, most compliant short answers to the questions your local patients ask, and by reinforcing them with structured data that tells AI exactly who you are and where you practise.
- Audit your web presence for AI-readiness. Check that service pages are clear, that your locations and hours use consistent NAP data, and that you have schema for Organisation, LocalBusiness and Service where appropriate.
- Check if your practice gets cited in ChatGPT or Perplexity today. Ask 5 real questions, including a branded one and a localised one. Record if your brand appears, and what is missing from the cited answers.
GEO: The Clear Path to Being the Cited Answer
GEO, or Generative Engine Optimisation, is content designed for how LLMs read, not just how search engines crawl. It prioritises compact, accurate answers with structured context that a model can lift into a response. Think of it as writing for a diligent assistant who wants the safest, most specific line it can attribute.
For optometry, that means medically correct language, scope-accurate detail, and local pathways woven in. A question about diabetic eye exams should result in a 100 to 200 word answer that names the condition, outlines what you assess, clarifies referrals to ophthalmology when needed, and notes relevant Medicare items without promises that breach AHPRA advertising rules.
Short, structured content clusters tend to perform best. Each cluster targets one intent, such as “kids’ eye tests,” “contact lens fitting,” or “dry eye clinic.” Within each, you publish a primary answer and a set of related short answers that anticipate follow-ups. This suits chat interfaces that ask, then ask again.
When clinics adopt GEO, they often see compounding results. Clear, local, compliant answers help LLMs cite you more often across related prompts. Practices using this approach commonly see more AI-generated mentions within 90 days across key platforms, because once a model trusts a source on a topic, it will reuse it.
- Develop short-answer content clusters for common eye health questions. Keep answers concise, structured with subheadings, and include a brief “When to seek urgent care” note.
- Include compliant, citation-worthy detail about Medicare rebates, bulk billing policies and your treatment scope in Australia. Avoid testimonials, price claims and guarantees. Cite guidelines or refer to local pathways where relevant.
Australia-specific proof: local trust earns AI citations
LLMs are trained on global data. In health contexts, they prefer region-specific authority to avoid giving the wrong advice. If your content demonstrates Australian scope, billing rules and referral norms, it becomes safer to cite. That safety signal wins citations.
Medicare-funded services and our ageing population create practical questions patients ask daily. “Am I eligible for a bulk billed eye exam?” “How often can I claim?” “What happens if you find diabetic retinopathy?” When your answers explain eligibility, frequency and escalation steps in plain language, you align with how AI wants to answer those same questions.
Naming Australian terms increases trust. Mention Medicare, AHPRA, PBS where relevant, and state-based care pathways. Include suburbs you serve and the hospitals or ophthalmology partners you refer to. This binds your authority to a place, which matters when AI blends clinical advice with local options.
Keep compliance central. Use factual descriptions of services and avoid claims about outcomes or superiority. Where care is limited by scope, say so. Where emergencies require hospital care, direct people accordingly. AI systems notice these safety cues and prefer content that reflects them.
- Explicitly explain your eligibility for Medicare eye exams and what that entails. Outline who is covered, how often, and how bulk billing works at your clinic.
- Localise every care pathway. Tie your answers to Australian guidelines, state-based referral steps and the local services you coordinate with, from GPs to ophthalmologists.
https://probablygenius.com/the-ai-visibility-engine/
By Team Genius
October 8, 2025
