An update on AI-assisted search
October 12, 2026 - David Hall
Category: Artificial Intelligence/GEO
There are two dimensions to mastering the new world of AI-assisted search, what we call Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). One is learning what AI-engines, what are called Large Language Models (LLMs), are looking for. We learn how to code the website to make it AI-friendly, and on the website we provide the answers LLMs are looking for.
The other dimension is understanding the changes in consumer behavior, changes driven by what they understand the questions AI-engines such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude, can answer for them, and also rate at which they are using AI to get these answers.
At Infinity Dental Web, besides tuning in to webinars and researching ourselves how to make our websites AI-friendly, we have been carefully monitoring consumer behavior since February. One of the things we are watching is how frequently prospective dental patients are using AI to help in their searches for a new dentist. We published some preliminary results in May. Since then we have updated our data collection methods and have added new data. Here is a graph showing the frequency up through today, October 12:
You can see that the growth isn’t steady, but occurs in jumps. But the most significant take-away is that the frequency of dental patients using AI-assisted search has nearly tripled in the past 8 months. We anticipate this to keep on growing.
What Are Patients Asking LLMs?
What are patients asking these LLMs? The questions vary from simple to involved, from general to very specific. Here’s a sampling of what they have been asking so far in October:
Am looking for someone that takes a conservative approach to full mouth reconstruction
dentist near me
natural looking teeth
Flippers
Best dentist in New Orleans composite bonding
cincinnati dentist full mouth reconstruction
Make big teeth smaller
sedation dentistry in lake county
Best denture Nashville
Best dentist in Rocky Hill CT
Dentist in Agua prieta, Sonora Mexico
Pediatric dentist
Best absolutely best whitening options near me
GEO-Enhanced Social Media
One more item. We have been learning that LLMs are getting a lot of their material from social media. So in August we launched a new service: GEO-Enhanced Social Media. We had a client who agreed to be a pilot case, Dr. David Wickness in Nashville. We decided to try to help him score for two search terms: Best cosmetic dentist in Nashville, and Best dentist in Nashville. When we asked ChatGPT to answer these questions in August, he didn’t show up in its answer. But today, ChatGPT listed him second when we asked to tell us the best cosmetic dentist in Nashville, and listed him third for Best dentist in Nashville.