Who does Google AI Overview cite for healthcare searches?
In our 50-query US study, AI Overviews appeared on 43 of 50 healthcare searches (86%) and drew on 168 citation slots. Federal agencies took 28.0%, medical societies 23.2% and journals and universities 18.5%. Practice websites took 16.1%, usually in the second or third slot, and 19 of those 27 citations went to one- or two-location practices.
- AI Overviews showed on 86% of 50 tested healthcare searches; only 50% in mental health.
- Practice websites earned 27 of 168 citation slots (16.1%), mostly in slots 2 and 3.
- Dental and IVF searches cited practices most (26–27% of slots); orthopedics least (8%).
- Small practices can win: 19 of 27 practice citations went to one- or two-location practices.
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Five kinds of source share every citation
Our US Healthcare AI Overview Citation Study 2026 tracked 50 unbranded healthcare searches from five US metros between February and August 2026, recording every source each AI Overview cited and in what order. Across 43 AI Overviews, five types of source took all 168 citation slots.
Share of 168 citation slots across 43 AI Overviews, 50 US healthcare searches, February to August 2026.
Just over half the slots (51.2%) went to federal agencies and medical societies. A practice will not push the CDC or a specialty college out of the first position on a clinical question, and it should not try. The real contest is for the second, third and fourth slots, where practice sites compete with journals and media.
Practices are cited, just rarely first
Practice websites earned 27 citations. Only 5 of them held the first slot; 14 sat in slot two and 8 in slot three. That is better news than it sounds. More than one in six citation slots reached into a practice website, and 19 of the 27 went to single- or two-location practices, not hospital systems. Size was not the barrier. Content was.
Some specialties leave far more room for practices
| Cluster | Searches | AI Overview shown | Practice citations | Practice share of citations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental | 6 | 6 (100%) | 6 | 26% |
| Medical dermatology | 6 | 6 (100%) | 4 | 16% |
| Aesthetic dermatology / med spa | 6 | 5 (83%) | 2 | 12% |
| Plastic surgery | 6 | 5 (83%) | 2 | 9% |
| IVF / fertility | 6 | 6 (100%) | 7 | 27% |
| Primary care / DPC | 7 | 6 (86%) | 3 | 14% |
| Orthopedic surgery | 7 | 6 (86%) | 2 | 8% |
| Psychiatry / mental health | 6 | 3 (50%) | 1 | 10% |
| All clusters | 50 | 43 (86%) | 27 | 16% |
5–7 searches per cluster, so treat cluster figures as directional. Source: AI Overview Citation Study 2026.
Fertility and dental searches cited practices most often. In both, patients ask many detailed questions (cost, procedure, recovery, coverage) that authority sources cover broadly but not deeply, which leaves room for a well-written practice page. Plastic surgery and orthopedics cited practices least, because safety and approval questions route to regulators, societies and journals. Mental health is a special case: AI Overviews appeared on only half of those searches, and crisis and safety resources dominate the rest.
The authority slots are stable; the practice slot rotates
For 41 of 50 searches the primary citation was identical in all five metros. The practice slot moved far more: roughly one in three tracked searches showed a different practice website in Los Angeles than in Boston over the window. In practice, a Dallas practice competes for its local slot with other Dallas-area practices, not with the whole country.
What this means for your practice
- Aim for slot two, not slot one. Write the depth that agencies and societies leave out: cost, recovery, coverage and the local "what to expect".
- Prioritize your specialty's open ground. Dental, fertility and medical dermatology pages have the best odds in our data.
- Cite the authorities you sit beside. Linking to HHS, CDC or your specialty college is a common feature of cited practice pages.
- Track citations weekly in your own metro. The practice slot rotates.
- Read the content features cited pages shared in our length and structure analysis and the full study.
How we know: source, sample, date and limits
Source: US Healthcare AI Overview Citation Study 2026 (Ichelon Consulting US). Sample: 50 unbranded healthcare searches across eight clusters (6–7 each), run from five metros (Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Boston), each observed at least three times between February and August 2026. Up to eight citation slots recorded per AI Overview; 168 slots in total.
- A probe, not a census: the searches were chosen by us and lean commercial and clinical.
- Personalization (signed-in accounts, history, device) was reduced with fresh sessions but not fully controlled.
- Small cluster counts (5–7 searches each) mean cluster percentages are directional.
- No click data: being cited is not the same as receiving traffic.
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Related research and services
US Healthcare AI Overview Citation Study 2026
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Common questions
What sources does Google AI Overview cite for health questions?
In our 50-query US study, federal agencies such as HHS, CDC, NIH and FDA took 28.0% of 168 citation slots, medical societies 23.2%, peer-reviewed journals and universities 18.5%, practice websites 16.1% and media and patient-education platforms 14.3%.
How often do AI Overviews appear on healthcare searches?
On 43 of the 50 US healthcare searches we tracked (86%), observed from five metros between February and August 2026. Dental, medical dermatology and IVF searches showed one every time; mental health searches only half the time, and emergency-style symptom searches did not show one.
Can a private practice website be cited in an AI Overview?
Yes. Practice websites earned 27 of 168 citation slots in our study, and 19 of those went to single- or two-location practices. Most sat in the second or third slot; the first slot usually went to a federal agency or medical society.
Do AI Overview citations differ by city?
The authority citations barely moved: the primary citation was identical across all five metros for 41 of 50 queries. The practice-website slot moved more, with roughly one in three tracked queries showing a different practice in Los Angeles than in Boston over the window.
How do I find out if my practice is cited in AI Overviews?
Run your ten most important patient questions from a clean browser in your own metro, note whether an AI Overview appears and which sources it cites, and repeat weekly. Citations rotate, so one check is not enough.
A note on this article: it reports aggregate research and explains marketing practice. It is not legal advice, and cost figures are planning estimates, not guarantees of results.
Find out where AI Overviews cite your competitors instead of you
A free 30-minute call with the US team. We run your top patient questions, record who gets cited, and list the pages most likely to earn a slot.