Choosing help
AI visibility for clinics: your options compared
An Australian practice has five realistic ways to get named in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Google AI Overviews: a healthcare-specialist AI visibility agency, a generalist SEO agency, a full-service healthcare marketing agency, its own staff, or self-serve software. The right one depends on how regulated you are, how many locations you have, and whether you need the work proven against a benchmark.
We are one of the options in this table, so read it with that in mind. It compares types of provider, not named businesses, and it is written to be useful whichever you choose. Updated 28 September 2026.
Side by side
The five options
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Healthcare-specialist AI visibility agency
Where MaxConnex sits
- What you get
- Benchmarks the practice across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Google AI Overviews, then changes how the practice, its practitioners, services and locations are published so engines can read and cite them. Often builds or refreshes the website too.
- AHPRA and TGA knowledge
- Should be built in: section 133 of the National Law, the AHPRA advertising guidelines and the TGA rules are daily working knowledge. Ask to see the process.
- How results are measured
- The same patient questions re-run monthly against a recorded benchmark, per engine, ideally joined to real bookings.
- Commitment
- Setup plus a monthly retainer, quoted after an audit.
- Best for
- Regulated practices that want to be named in AI answers and want proof, especially multi-location groups and specialists.
- Watch out for
- A narrow focus. If you also need broad brand marketing or large ad budgets managed, check what is in scope.
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Generalist SEO agency that has added AI search
- What you get
- Traditional SEO (rankings, technical fixes, links, content) with AI search folded in, often under names such as GEO or AI SEO. Serves many industries.
- AHPRA and TGA knowledge
- Varies. Health advertising rules are not part of most generalist agencies’ daily work, so ask how they handle testimonials, outcome claims and prescription medicine names.
- How results are measured
- Usually Google rankings and organic traffic; AI visibility reporting varies widely. Ask whether each AI engine is reported separately.
- Commitment
- Monthly retainer, often with a minimum term.
- Best for
- Practices whose main need is traditional Google rankings, or groups that already have a strong SEO relationship.
- Watch out for
- Healthcare pages built from templates written for other industries, and AI reporting that is a single blended score.
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Full-service healthcare marketing agency
- What you get
- Websites, social media, paid ads, brand and sometimes SEO for health businesses. AI visibility may be offered as an add-on.
- AHPRA and TGA knowledge
- Usually familiar with the AHPRA advertising rules from ads and social work.
- How results are measured
- Campaign metrics: ad spend, leads, cost per enquiry, social reach. AI answer tracking is less common.
- Commitment
- Project fees plus retainers across several services.
- Best for
- Practices that want one agency for brand, social and ads, with AI search as one part of a larger programme.
- Watch out for
- AI visibility treated as a line item rather than measured work. Ask for a before and after benchmark.
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In-house: practice manager or marketing staff
- What you get
- Your own team works through the fundamentals: accurate Google Business Profile, consistent listings, clear service and practitioner pages, and asking patients for reviews.
- AHPRA and TGA knowledge
- Depends on the person. Practitioners carry the responsibility for their advertising either way.
- How results are measured
- Manual: asking the engines your patients’ questions each month and recording who is named.
- Commitment
- Staff time, every month.
- Best for
- Single practices with a capable manager, a limited budget and time to be consistent.
- Watch out for
- The structured, machine-readable layer (structured data, crawler access, llms.txt) usually needs a developer, and monthly measurement is easy to let slide.
-
Self-serve AI visibility software
- What you get
- Subscription tools that track how often a brand is mentioned in AI answers and suggest fixes. You or your web developer make the changes.
- AHPRA and TGA knowledge
- Not built in. The tool reports; people decide what to publish.
- How results are measured
- Automated tracking of mentions and citations across engines, usually the software’s strongest feature.
- Commitment
- A monthly subscription plus the time to act on it.
- Best for
- Practices with a web developer on hand who mainly need the tracking.
- Watch out for
- Tracking is not fixing. Most tools are built for brands, not local health practices, so check they can run location-specific patient questions.
A quick way to choose
Start from your situation
Regulated practice, several locations, wants proof
A healthcare-specialist AI visibility agency. Insist on a recorded benchmark and per-engine reporting.
You already have an SEO agency you trust
Ask them the eight questions in our buyer's guide before adding anyone new.
You want one agency for brand, social and ads
A full-service healthcare marketing agency, with a before and after AI benchmark written into the scope.
Single practice, tight budget, a capable manager
In-house. Start with the free instant check and our AEO checklist, and keep every page inside the advertising rules.
Answers
Options, answered
What is the best way for a clinic to get recommended by ChatGPT?
Make the practice easy to verify: an accurate, well-reviewed Google Business Profile, consistent listings, one clear page per service and practitioner, structured data, and AI crawlers allowed in. A healthcare-specialist agency, a generalist SEO agency, a healthcare marketing agency, in-house staff or self-serve software can all do parts of this; the right choice depends on your size, budget and how much compliance support you need.
Should a medical practice use a specialist or a generalist agency for AI visibility?
Use a specialist if you are a regulated practice that wants AI visibility measured against a benchmark and handled within the AHPRA and TGA rules. A generalist SEO agency can suit practices whose main goal is traditional Google rankings, provided it can show how it handles health advertising rules and reports each AI engine separately.
Can a practice manager do AI visibility in-house?
Partly. A capable practice manager can keep the Google Business Profile and listings accurate, ask for reviews and check the engines monthly. The machine-readable layer, such as structured data and crawler access, usually needs a web developer or a specialist.
Is AI visibility software enough on its own?
Usually not. Software is good at tracking how often you are named, but tracking is not fixing: someone still has to change the website and listings, and do it within the health advertising rules.
Where does MaxConnex fit?
MaxConnex is a healthcare-specialist AI visibility and website agency based in Sydney. It benchmarks every engine before changing anything, reports monthly through a live dashboard, and writes within the AHPRA and TGA rules. Its published results are in general practice, fertility, specialist surgery and skin clinics.
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