06/26/2026
At Google I/O this year, Google announced what it's calling the biggest change to search in 25 years. AI Mode has already passed one billion monthly users, and queries are more than doubling every quarter.
For aesthetic practices, this isn't just a tech story.
Two terms every practice owner needs to understand right now:
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): structuring your content so AI platforms can answer patient questions using your practice's name. When someone asks "who offers the best non-surgical facelift in Denver?" AEO is what determines whether your practice gets named.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): making your practice visible and trustworthy in AI-generated results across Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others.
SEO helps you rank. AEO and GEO help AI recommend you.
The patient journey has shifted. It used to be: search, click, browse, decide. Now it increasingly looks like: ask AI, get a recommendation, book.
Growth99 has already built AEO and GEO into our platform and content strategy. We've written a full breakdown for practice owners on what changed, what it means, and what to do about it.