SEO & GEO: How to Keep Your Practice Visible in an AI-Driven Search World

The evolution of search is here—and your orthodontic practice needs to keep up.

It wasn’t long ago that search engine optimization (SEO) was primarily about inserting the right keywords in the right places. But in 2025, that’s only part of the picture. With the rise of AI-powered platforms like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), ChatGPT, and Perplexity, the way potential patients discover your practice is changing—fast.

At Onboard Marketing Group, we help orthodontic practices not only keep up with this evolution, but stay ahead of it. Enter GEO—Generative Engine Optimization.

Let’s break down what this means, why it matters, and what your practice needs to do to stay visible in this new era of search.

What Is SEO Today—and Why Is It Evolving?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the ongoing process of optimizing your website and content so that it ranks higher in search engine results. When someone in your area searches “Invisalign for teens near me” or “braces cost in [your city],” your practice should be showing up.

But modern SEO involves more than keywords. Google uses over 200 ranking factors, including:

• Site speed and mobile-friendliness
  
  
• Quality of content
  
  
• Backlinks and domain authority
  
  
• User experience (bounce rates, page navigation)
  
  
• Location signals and reviews

The goal? To provide users with the most relevant, helpful, and trustworthy answers to their questions.

Now, with the introduction of AI-powered search engines, how search results are delivered is undergoing a massive shift.

Enter GEO: Generative Engine Optimization

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the next evolution of SEO—designed to help your content surface within AI-generated responses, not just traditional search results.

Think of it this way:

When someone asks Google SGE or ChatGPT a question like, “What’s the best age to get braces?”—those platforms aren’t showing a list of links. They’re generating an instant, written answer. And where is that answer pulled from? The most well-structured, authoritative content on the internet—including websites like yours.

If your content isn’t clear, accurate, and structured for AI interpretation, it won’t be included. That means fewer eyes on your site and fewer potential patients walking through your doors.

The GEO Checklist: What Your Website Needs Now

To optimize for AI-driven search, your content needs to be:

• Well-structured – Organized with clear headings, subheadings, and semantic HTML tags
  
  
• Authoritative – Showcasing expertise, trust, and credibility (real doctor bios, testimonials, accreditations)
  
  
• Patient-Centered – Written in a way that speaks directly to your ideal patient, not just to search bots
  
  
• Up-to-Date – Outdated blogs, broken links, or stale service pages hurt your credibility with both humans and algorithms
  
  
• Educational – Content that answers questions thoroughly will be favored by AI systems trained to detect relevance and value

At Onboard, we’re not just writing for Google—we’re writing for the algorithms that write for Google.

How GEO and Traditional SEO Work Together

GEO isn’t replacing SEO—it’s expanding it.

Think of SEO as the foundation: site speed, mobile usability, internal linking, keyword strategy, and on-page optimization. Without these basics in place, your site won’t perform.

GEO builds on that by layering in content quality and context, making sure your site is recognized by AI engines as a reliable source of information. If SEO helps you rank in search results, GEO helps you appear in the answers.

For example:

• A blog on “Invisalign vs. Braces: Which Is Better for Teens?” should not only contain keywords, but also provide a clear, well-organized answer that an AI system can pull from directly.
  
  
• Your “About the Doctor” page shouldn’t just list credentials—it should build authority through personal experience, education, and community involvement.
  
  

The Impact of GEO on Orthodontic Practices

Orthodontic practices that ignore GEO may soon find themselves buried in search results—even if they previously ranked well with traditional SEO strategies. On the other hand, practices that adapt early are likely to see meaningful benefits, including increased visibility in AI-generated responses, higher quality website traffic from patients actively seeking answers, stronger engagement with their content, and improved brand trust and recognition online. In a market where many practices offer similar services, being featured in AI-generated answers could become the key to standing out and achieving local dominance.

Is Your Practice Ready for GEO?

If you’re not sure whether your current website and content are optimized for AI-driven search, you’re not alone. Many orthodontic practices are still catching up—but that’s where we come in.

At Onboard Marketing Group, our SEO and content strategies are built with both traditional and generative search in mind.

We optimize your site to:

• Rank higher in Google
  
  
• Appear in AI-generated answers
  
  
• Speak to real patients and increase conversions

Whether it’s a full SEO audit, blog content strategy, or website restructuring, we’ll help your practice stay ahead of the curve—and in front of the patients who are searching for you.

Let’s Future-Proof Your SEO Strategy

If your current SEO efforts are stuck in 2018, it’s time to evolve. GEO isn’t the future—it’s the now. And your patients are already asking questions that AI is answering.

Make sure it’s your practice they find.

Schedule a free discovery call with our team today and let’s talk about how to make your content work smarter—for both humans and algorithms.