Healthcare marketing is entering a new era.

Patient behavior is shifting. Social platforms are reshaping discovery. AI is transforming search. And competition for attention, locally and nationally, is intensifying. 

The question for marketers isn’t whether change is happening. It’s whether your strategy is evolving fast enough.

In this two-part webinar series, originally delivered to members of the Cancer Marketing & Communications Association, our experts unpack the forces shaping digital marketing in 2026. While the examples are presented in the context of cancer care, the content is relevant across service lines. 

Part 1:

winning attention across social, search, and creative

As digital behavior evolves, attention is fragmenting across platforms, formats, and moments in the patient journey.

In part 1, we explore how shifting media investment, rising social search behavior, and AI-driven content saturation are changing the way cancer programs must show up.

Key themes include:

• The continued rise of social as both influence engine and search platform
• Media mix and spend shifts impacting oncology growth strategies
• Creative approaches that cut through AI-driven content saturation
• Strengthening local SEO and SEM to win in your backyard

If your oncology growth strategy depends on visibility, trust, and performance, this session provides practical clarity on where to focus, and where to recalibrate.

Watch part 1 on demand:

Part 2: 

AI’s impact on the patient journey

One of the most critical moments in cancer care is the decision of where to seek treatment, often made under emotional pressure and time sensitivity.

Increasingly, that decision is shaped by AI-powered search results.

With nearly 90% of health-related Google searches now returning AI-generated summaries, visibility is being redefined. Paid performance, organic discovery, and content strategy must adapt.

In part 2, we examine:

• How AI is changing cancer care visibility across paid and organic search
• Evolving patient and caregiver search behavior throughout the decision journey
• Content and search strategies that influence trust, visibility, and choice in AI-driven environments

For marketing leaders responsible for performance, this session delivers strategic perspective on how to lead search strategy as AI reshapes how cancer care is discovered, evaluated, and chosen.

Watch part 2 on demand:

Q+A

Attendees raised thoughtful questions about how these shifts are impacting cancer marketing strategy today. Below, our experts share perspectives on AI visibility, evolving patient discovery behavior, and where cancer programs should focus next.

Q: As social platforms increasingly function like search engines, what are some tips for creating organic content that actually reaches people and builds trust?

A: Focus on content grounded in real experiences, such as patient stories or highlighting caregivers, to help build credibility and trust. At the same time, many social platforms now offer search-based ad placements. That means marketers should optimize both their creative and targeting so content appears not only in feeds, but also when users search within platforms like Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, and Reddit.

Q: If most cancer marketing spend is focused on paid search, how do you decide when to invest in other channels without losing the benefit of capturing high-intent audiences?

A: The right mix often depends on the market and the level of patient demand. In some markets, the opportunity to acquire patients is strong, while in others you may need to invest more in awareness through channels like social or programmatic. When demand exists, the best approach is typically to maximize lower-funnel channels like paid search first, then expand into other channels to capture additional demand or generate new interest.

Q: For health systems that serve multiple markets, how should SEO and SEM strategies be structured to capture as much opportunity as possible?

A: Start with a strong site and content structure for your location pages. Each page should clearly outline where you’re located, what services are offered, directions, and supporting elements like testimonials, while also ensuring technical SEO elements like structured data are properly implemented. In addition, service-line pages should highlight where specific services are available and guide patients through their care journey, which helps both search engines and AI-driven results better understand and rank your content.

Q: As KPIs and performance metrics evolve beyond impressions and clicks, how should marketers frame conversations with leadership about measuring success?

A: Start by aligning marketing metrics with the organization’s broader business goals. Whether the objective is patient acquisition, increased appointment volume, or strengthening brand perception, success should be defined by the outcomes leadership cares about most. From there, marketers can identify leading indicators—such as impressions, clicks, and engagement—that signal progress and ultimately connect those metrics back to measurable business impact.

Q: As AI and search engines increasingly summarize content instead of sending traffic to websites, how should social media managers adapt their strategy to stay visible and valuable?

A: Social media can help fill the visibility gap as fewer users click through to websites. Marketers should focus on delivering value directly within the platform, using formats like carousels or video to tell a story without requiring users to leave the app. At the same time, social teams should prioritize original insights, expert perspectives, and credible content that strengthens authority and builds direct relationships with their audience.

Q: Should marketers adapt social media content specifically for AI, and can AI pull information from social platforms?

A: Currently, AI tools tend to pull more information from websites than from social platforms. Because of that, your most important content should live on your website and be properly structured and optimized for AI. Social media still plays an important role by amplifying that content, sharing insights, and reinforcing your brand’s authority and visibility.

Q: What are two or three changes cancer centers can make to their oncology pages today to improve their chances of being included in AI-generated summaries?

A: Start by adding an FAQ section to key service-line pages, as AI tools often reward content that directly answers common questions. It’s also helpful to structure content around the patient journey—covering topics like symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, survival rates, and when to see a doctor. Finally, make it easy for patients to take the next step by clearly linking to location pages and directions for where they can receive care.

Q: For smaller cancer marketing teams, where should you prioritize content efforts to stay competitive in an AI-first search environment?

A: Start by optimizing the content you already have rather than creating large volumes of new material. Focus on key service line and treatment pages, ensuring they clearly cover topics like symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options with strong headings and structured content. Adding FAQs and highlighting differentiators (such as outcomes or physician expertise) can also help strengthen these pages for both AI visibility and patient engagement.

Q: Since healthcare ads are not currently appearing in AI-generated search experiences, how should marketers prepare now for the shift that’s likely coming?

A: Start by analyzing your current performance and identifying the highest-intent keywords that drive meaningful results. As AI changes search behavior, competition for those terms will likely increase and available opportunities may shrink. Marketers should prioritize optimizing ads and landing pages around those high-value queries now to ensure they’re well positioned as AI-driven search experiences continue to evolve.

Q: Is there a benefit to phrasing website headings as questions, such as “What are the symptoms of lung cancer?” instead of “Lung cancer symptoms”?

A: Question-based headings can be helpful because they often match how patients search and how AI systems interpret queries. They may also improve visibility in features like “People Also Ask.” However, there’s no strict rule, content should first be written for clarity and readability, and teams may benefit from testing different heading styles to see what performs best.

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