Does Organic SEO Still Work in the Age of AI?
Since publically available AI tools rolled out in 2023, the internet has been filled with articles outlining the death of organic SEO. Google implemented its AI Overview results tool in order to provide succinct answers to search queries. And since Google owns over 90% of the search market, that’s a big deal. If anything, you’ve probably noticed that search results are a little more cluttered – you’ve got paid ads, videos, SERP suggestions, and now a block of AI suggestions. So businesses and SEOs are asking, “Does organic SEO still work in the Age of AI?” As a functional medicine practice looking to grab the attention of high-quality leads, this question matters. If every search is dominated by a computer-generated text box instead of links to your website, you might be wondering if organic SEO efforts still move the needle. Functional Medicine Marketing is an industry leader when it comes to holistic wellness and SEO. After over a year of monitoring developments in AI and search, our team has concluded that “Organic SEO still matters.” Here’s why! Organic Search is Changing, but it’s Not Leaving Remember when e-books hit the market with the launch of the Nook and Kindle? Too many articles announced the death of the physical book. But what happened? Data suggests that the physical book is stronger than ever! Turns out, people simply got to pick what reading format they liked best. Here’s an example even more relevant to SEO: voice search. When devices like Amazon’s Alexa became available, techies said that most search would happen through a virtual voice assistant like Alexa or Siri. In my experience, that hasn’t happened. Sure, I may ask my phone what the weather will be like, but I still prefer to type in my search queries through a traditional browser. Google also doesn’t tell me, “Sorry, I don’t understand your request.” The numbers say that 20-25% of searches happen over voice. Significant, yes, but they haven’t made Google obsolete. In fact, you could argue that voice search didn’t replace traditional search. It could be that voice enables people to search more – expanding an already massive market. The point here is that AI looks to be a supplemental development in search. It’s useful for some queries and not for others. It likely won’t replace traditional search. Businesses and websites must adapt to these changes, but it would be foolish to abandon organic SEO entirely. The Foundation of Google Authority The question that Google has to answer about AI and user-generated content is this: “What content will feed the algorithm?” For years, Google has been trying to position authentic, expert voices at the top of their rankings. Offering helpful results leads to a good customer experience, which means more views, clicks, and, most importantly, ad revenue. Some early AI mishaps have led to hilarious results, but they underscore the severity of the situation. No, pregnant women should not be smoking. But what happens when someone is served important information about health, finance, and relationships that’s just a little bit off? Forget unhelpful. Unmonitored AI could be dangerous. In the end, Google needs to make sure its results are accurate, safe, and helpful to people’s searches. Whether Google pulls up a traditional search result or an AI-generated snippet, authority still matters. Which is why you need to focus on your SEO. Your health expertise can show up next to AI results because Google will show its AI Overview sources. Check out the result below for “Are keywords dead?” On the right-hand side, you can see where Google is pulling its information. It’s worth noting that metrics and results should be reassessed with the increase in AI Overviews. Many of the worlds top content companies are seeing lower click rates. Check out this blog on Reddit where SEOs discuss Hubspot potentially losing 80% of traffic. That’s a massive drop. However, people are still interacting with the brand. Instead, they’re staying on Google, reading information about SEO and CRMs right there on the Overview. While nobody is sure how AI will play out in the long run, Google is still going to give Hubspot the authority it deserves as an expert in the field. If your clicks are down, don’t worry. You could still be showing up on Google. Search Intent Matters Not all internet content is the same. Informational content has been most impacted by AI Overviews, but that doesn’t mean we need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Let’s break down the four different types of SEO content and see how Organic SEO strategies are still as useful as ever. Informational Informational content is designed to educate and provide answers to users’ questions. This type of content includes blog posts, how-to guides, research articles, FAQs, and tutorials, all of which aim to inform rather than sell. Users searching for informational content are typically in the awareness stage, looking to learn more about a topic. These searches often include phrases like “how to,” “what is,” or “tips for,” and serve as a foundation for building authority and trust in a particular field. For example, a user searching “What is the history of functional medicine?” is seeking knowledge rather than making an immediate purchase. Like we’ve already discussed, informational posts can fuel Google’s AI Overviews. What’s more, traditional links still show up, so users may scroll down to find your blogs if the AI result is not helpful. Transactional Transactional content, on the other hand, is designed to drive conversions, whether that means making a purchase, signing up for a service, or booking an appointment. This content includes product pages, service descriptions, checkout pages, and promotional offers, all targeted at users who are ready to take action. These searches often include terms like “buy,” “subscribe,” or “get a quote,” signaling clear purchase intent. A typical example would be a search query like “Buy organic supplements online,” where the user is looking for a direct purchase option rather than general information. While Commercial
Functional Medicine: What Are People Searching for in 2025?
At Functional Medicine Marketing, we continuously track keyword data for a wide range of health-related terms, giving our clients valuable insights into what potential patients are searching for. By analyzing this data, we help practitioners make informed decisions about their blog topics and service pages, ensuring their content aligns with patient needs and industry trends. Our data-driven approach allows functional and integrative medicine practices to stay competitive, attract the right audience, and grow their online presence effectively. In this blog, we wanted to share a small sample of our 2025 data. Are people actually searching for thyroid issues? How do I choose a blog keyword that will actually rank? Keep reading to learn more about functional medicine SEO trends for 2025. Trends Around Functional Medicine Over the past decade, functional medicine has become more and more popular. We used to see functional medicine show up with a keyword difficulty below 50%. Fewer practices were talking about functional medicine, and if they were, they were using other terms like “holistic” and “integrative.” In 2025, things are different. “Functional Medicine” is gaining traction. It receives almost 3X more monthly searches than “Integrative Medicine.” If you’re wondering how to brand your practice, consider the data below. While some practitioners don’t like to use the term “medicine,” we recommend sticking with it because it is so much more popular than wellness or healing. Of course, you don’t have to choose just one. If alternative health fits your approach or if people know your clinic as an alternative health practice, then just create a secondary page targeting that term. While each page should have its own keyword and topic, there’s no limit to the number of pages you can create. Trends in Conditions People in the USA are sick. While we could talk for days about the causes (broken health system, processed food, sedentary lifestyle, forever chemicals, etc.), the SEO trend is clear: People are researching diseases. Below, we’ve listed eight common conditions that functional medicine practitioners address. While this list is non-exhaustive, it gives you a good idea of just how much search volume is happening around these terms. You’ll notice that most of these terms have 100 keyword difficulty. That’s the maximum number. So, you’ll need to consider unique angles. By posting a blog on “GERD,” you shouldn’t expect to show up on page one of Google. Instead, think about phrases that would resonate with your current patient. Here are some ideas: Low-carb foods for GERD Is GERD hereditary? What does GERD stand for? Can GERD be cured? (“cured” is a complicated term that we tend to stay away from) At Functional Medicine Marketing, our team carefully selects target keywords that balance search volume with keyword difficulty. Ideally, we find untapped blog topics that people want to know about but that other practices haven’t yet addressed. Doctor vs Condition You might also be wondering whether you should go after conditions or “doctor who treats said condition.” There are merits to both SEO approaches, so let’s break it down. For main service pages, we tend toward “doctor who treats said condition.” Why? Although search volume is lower for these niche phrases, they’re more targeted to your ideal patients. This is especially true for local searches. Take a look at the data below. “Thyroid disease” might have 33,000 monthly searches, but “Thyroid doctor in Grand Rapids” will be extremely relevant to your target audience (assuming you’re in Grand Rapids). The “Thyroid disease” search results will be dominated by WebMD and HealthLine. The amount of work it would take to oust these massive websites wouldn’t be worth the cost. Plus, not everyone searching “thyroid disease” will want care. They may be researching for self-care or because their favorite celebrity has hypothyroidism. For these reasons, we recommend “condition + doctor” for service pages. Of course, if you are not a licensed doctor, you cannot say that you are. In that case, you can swap in “practitioner” or even “care” in your location. For example, “Autoimmune care in Miami.” Don’t forget to be creative! Functional Medicine SEO Trends for 2025: Conclusion More people than ever are struggling with chronic health issues that conventional care alone can’t fully resolve. As patients seek alternative solutions for conditions like autoimmune disorders, hormone imbalances, and gut health concerns, they are turning to functional medicine for answers. However, without a strong online presence, even the best practices can go unnoticed. This is where SEO becomes key. By optimizing your website with the right keywords, well-researched blog topics, and compelling service pages, you can ensure that your practice appears in front of those actively searching for functional medicine solutions. With strategic marketing, you not only attract more patients but also position yourself as a trusted leader in the field. Stay tuned for our upcoming article on how AI is revolutionizing functional medicine marketing, helping practitioners reach more people and streamline their approach to patient education and engagement. Don’t want to do SEO on your own? We understand. You’re busy running a practice and helping your patients! Request a demo call and see our proprietary SEO method put into practice. REQUEST A DEMO
Are Google Business Profile Reviews Showing? Feb 2025 Update
The Functional Medicine Marketing team is sharing that we are monitoring the situation with Google Business Profiles Reviews. Google has reported a technical issue displaying customer reviews. However, this does not mean reviews are deleted or removed. The Google team is working to resolve the issue. From our SEO technical partners: We wanted to share a quick update from Google regarding Google Business Profile (GBP) review counts to keep you informed. Some profiles may currently be displaying fewer reviews than usual due to a temporary display issue, but Google has confirmed that no reviews have been removed. What You Need to Know: This is just a display issue—your reviews are still there. Google is already working on a fix to restore the correct review counts. If any reviews are missing, it’s always a good idea to check Google’s Review Policy Guidelines here to ensure they comply with Google’s policies. There’s nothing you need to do at this time—Google will be resolving this automatically. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! If you have any questions, please reach out to your account manager.
