The verdict in three sentences
For a fertility clinic in London, SEO remains the core investment: it captures the treatment, price and consultation searches that lead to a booking. AEO/GEO, meaning visibility in the answers of AI assistants like ChatGPT, becomes a priority as soon as patients ask those assistants to compare clinics, because an inaccurate or outdated description of your fees and treatments costs consultations. The right split is decided after a dated diagnostic of the answers, and Kolonell prices this work on quote.
What patients now ask AI assistants
People considering IVF or egg freezing in London prepare their decision long before the first call. They ask assistants long, often personal questions they would not type into Google in that form.
| Question asked to an AI assistant | What the patient wants | What the answer must be able to find on your site |
|---|---|---|
| Which London fertility clinic for IVF after 40? | A shortlist | Clear treatment page, clinician profiles, link to HFEA data |
| How much does private IVF really cost in London? | Total cost, extras included | Public price list, breakdown of paid add-ons |
| Egg freezing in London: what age, what price? | A decision window | Dedicated page with price range and legal storage period explained |
| How do I compare clinic success rates in the UK? | A reliable yardstick | Honest explanation of official HFEA data |
| Which London clinic runs an egg donation programme? | Availability | Donor programme page, indicative waiting times |
| Can I pay for IVF in instalments in London? | A payment option | Finance page compliant with financial promotion rules |
If the assistant cannot find this information in a clear form, it relies on directories, forums or old articles. It may then quote a 2023 price or omit a treatment you offer.
SEO or AEO/GEO: what are you actually paying for?
| Criterion | SEO | AEO/GEO (AI visibility) |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Google queries: IVF clinic London, egg freezing cost London | Questions asked to AI assistants like ChatGPT and the summaries they produce |
| Time to effect | 4 to 12 months depending on competition | Variable, often a few weeks to a few months after sources are corrected |
| Market budget (2026 ballpark) | 2,000 to 8,000 GBP a month with a specialist healthcare agency | One-off diagnostic 1,500 to 5,000 GBP, monitoring 1,000 to 4,000 GBP a month |
| Metrics | Search Console impressions and clicks, consultation requests | Presence and accuracy of the clinic in a dated record of answers |
| Main risk | Investing for months in queries that are too generic | Anecdotal measurement with no repeatable record |
| Regulatory constraint | Healthcare advertising, HFEA data presented honestly | Same: AI assistants repeat your claims, including overstated ones |
These ranges reflect typical quotes from London healthcare agencies and public agency rate pages. They vary widely with the number of sites and treatments.
Which situation calls for which priority?
| Clinic situation | Suggested priority | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New clinic, recent domain | SEO first, light AI diagnostic | Without solid pages, AI assistants have nothing reliable to draw on |
| Established brand, strong Google presence | AEO/GEO as a complement | The issue becomes how accurately assistants describe you |
| Fees or services recently changed | Quick AI diagnostic | Answers can quote old prices for months |
| Sensitive medical content (age, donors, outcomes) | Compliance review first | An overstated claim will be repeated by AI assistants |
| Limited budget, under 2,000 GBP a month | Local SEO and pricing pages | Best ratio between cost and consultation requests |
Constraints specific to fertility in the UK
Clinics are licensed by the HFEA, which publishes treatment data and sets expectations on how outcomes are presented. Showing a success rate without context, or comparing it flatteringly, is risky: point to the official data and explain its limits. Never promise a pregnancy. Advertising falls under the ASA and the CAP Code, health data falls under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 overseen by the ICO, and cookies and marketing emails fall under PECR. A finance offer may be a financial promotion regulated by the FCA. Target WCAG 2.2 AA in light of the Equality Act 2010. This is not legal advice.
How to measure without fooling yourself
SEO is measured with Search Console, consultation requests and their source. AEO is measured with a dated record: the same questions, asked to AI assistants at regular intervals, logging what is said about the clinic, which competitors are named and which sources are visible. A serious diagnostic covers patients' real questions, the accuracy of the information repeated, the sources answers rely on and the gaps with your site. No one can promise an AI assistant will recommend you: you can only make the information accurate, accessible and verifiable.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Marlow Fertility Centre, an independent clinic in Marylebone. It has 3,000 GBP a month, 36,000 GBP a year, and is torn between the two options. Its dated record of 30 questions shows AI assistants quoting a two-year-old IVF price in 11 answers out of 30. The clinic therefore puts 2,000 GBP into SEO and 1,000 GBP into correcting sources. With average revenue of 7,000 GBP per treatment journey (ballpark), about 5.1 new patients a year (36,000 / 7,000) cover the spend.
FAQ
Can AEO replace SEO for a fertility clinic?
In most cases, no: AI assistants rely heavily on well-indexed pages. A clinic without solid treatment pages is unlikely to be described accurately, even with 3,000 GBP a month spent elsewhere.
How much does an AI visibility diagnostic cost in London?
2026 ballpark: 1,500 to 5,000 GBP for a one-off diagnostic depending on the number of questions and sites. Kolonell prices this work on quote.
Can we publish our success rates to be cited by AI assistants?
Only in line with HFEA data and rules, with their context. An isolated figure, repeated by an AI assistant, may be read as a promise.
How often should the record of answers be repeated?
Monthly or quarterly is usually enough, across 20 to 40 identical questions. What matters is keeping the same questions so you can compare over time.
Will an AI assistant recommend our clinic after this work?
No one can promise that. You can correct false information, make your pages verifiable and track how answers change over 6 to 12 months.
Find out how AI assistants describe your firm. We record what assistants say today about your clinic and your treatments, then price the priorities between SEO and AEO. Request a diagnostic quote: reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.