Claim + FILL OUT your Google Business Profile. all of it.
Same name / address / phone EVERYWHERE. no typos.
Get real reviews — the AI reads the vibe, not just stars.
Write pages like patients TALK ("why does my big toe hurt??")
Get listed: APMA, Healthgrades, Zocdoc.
IF YOU ARE THE DOCTOR
being the one it quotes
ONE name. "Jane Doe, DPM." every single time.
Put your expertise where a machine can QUOTE it.
Get mentioned by sources AI trusts: journals, APMA, press.
One identity across every profile + your NPI record.
THE FINE PRINT THE HEADLINE SKIPPED
SEO isn't actually dead. For "podiatrist near me," the old playbook still does most of the heavy lifting — AI Overviews hit only ~7% of local searches. GEO is a NEW LAYER, not a teardown. And the punchline: the same boring foundation — complete listings, consistent facts, real reviews, clear answers — is what BOTH the ranked list and the robot's answer read. Build it once. Works on both.
If you do ONE thing
Be consistent & well-reviewed everywhere. that's the only input both Google and the bot actually read.
THE GUIDEWIRE // AI TUTORIAL — a warning about machine-made answers. GEO vs SEO, and the loophole hiding in local search.