A patient with knee pain at 10 p.m. doesn't open ten tabs any more. They ask an AI assistant, or they read Google's AI overview at the top of the results page. If your clinic doesn't come up in that first answer, you may not get the call.
What "being recommended by AI" actually means
There's no special submission form, no separate account to set up. AI assistants draw on the same public information search engines already use:
- Your Google Business Profile: name, address, phone, hours, services, photos.
- Your reviews: how many, how recent, and what they say.
- Your website: whether it clearly states what you treat, where you are, and how to book.
When those three are complete, consistent and easy to read, both a human scanning Google and an AI assistant summarising an answer can use them with more confidence.
The most common reason clinics are missed
It's rarely a technical problem. It's inconsistency: a phone number on your website that doesn't match the one on Google, hours that say "9–6" on one listing and "10–8" on another, or a Business Profile that was claimed once in 2021 and never touched again.
An AI assistant, like a cautious patient, is more likely to recommend the clinic it can confirm with confidence. Confusing signals can get left out of the answer.
What to fix first
-
Your Google Business Profile. Make sure every field is filled in and matches your website exactly: name, address, phone, hours, and the specific services you offer. Where a profile names a doctor, show their qualifications and registration number (cl. 3.2 Expl. III, IV). Choose photographs of the premises, equipment and facilities over promotional photographs of the doctor: the notice restricts using a doctor's photograph for self-advertisement or promotional publicity (cl. 9.2).
-
Keep your online information accurate, and handle reviews carefully. AI assistants may use publicly available information to understand a clinic, its services and its professional details. Keep your website, doctor profiles, address, opening hours, qualifications and service descriptions accurate and consistent. Do not buy reviews, create fake engagement or use misleading claims to influence visibility.
The NMC's guidelines dated 6 October 2026 prohibit fake, paid or misleading reviews and testimonials for doctors and hospitals (cl. 3.2 Expl. V). Doctors must not request or share patient testimonials or reviews for promotion on social media (cl. 3.2 Expl. V).
Google reviews require particular care. The notice does not clearly resolve how it applies to review platforms. Do not assume that requesting or reposting Google reviews is permitted. Seek medical-law advice before adopting a review-request or review-sharing process. Our guide to the NMC's guidelines has the detail.
-
A clear, answer-first website. State plainly what you treat and where, near the top of your homepage, in the words a patient would actually use.
None of this requires new technology. It requires the basics done properly, and kept current.