Answer engine optimization for a med spa means making your business complete, consistent, and current on the sources AI trusts — Google Business Profile, recent treatment-specific reviews, RealSelf, consistent listings, and local “best of” roundups. Work the checklist below by source; the top groups carry the most weight.
For the why behind each item, see how med spas get named by AI in 2026 and why ChatGPT recommends other med spas, not yours. For the plain-English foundation, see what answer engine optimization is.
Google Business Profile (the AI's first source)
- ☐ Profile is claimed and verified
- ☐ Every treatment is tagged as a service (Botox, dermal filler, microneedling, laser, etc.)
- ☐ Real before/after photos are uploaded and recent
- ☐ Provider names and credentials are listed
- ☐ Hours, address, and phone are accurate and current
- ☐ The business category is set to 'Medical spa' (not a generic 'Spa')
Reviews (recency and specificity beat raw count)
- ☐ You have reviews from the last 90 days
- ☐ Recent reviews name specific treatments by name
- ☐ You have a repeatable routine for asking happy clients for a review
- ☐ You respond to reviews, including any critical ones
RealSelf & aesthetics-specific platforms
- ☐ Your RealSelf provider profile is claimed and complete
- ☐ Before/after photos and treatment list are on RealSelf
- ☐ You answer client questions on the platform
- ☐ Any other aesthetics directories in your area list you correctly
Listing consistency (NAP)
- ☐ Business name is identical on Google, Yelp, RealSelf, and directories
- ☐ Address is identical everywhere (same suite/unit format)
- ☐ Phone number is identical everywhere
- ☐ Duplicate or outdated listings have been merged or removed
Local 'best of' presence
- ☐ You're named in at least one local 'best med spa in [city]' roundup
- ☐ You've pitched local lifestyle blogs or city magazines for inclusion
- ☐ Any roundup mention uses your correct name and current details
Your own pages (confirm and clarify)
- ☐ Each treatment page answers what it is, cost range, and what to expect
- ☐ Common client questions are answered in plain, extractable language
- ☐ Your name, address, and phone on your site match your listings
Measure and re-check
- ☐ You've asked 'best med spa in [city]' across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI
- ☐ You noted who's named instead of you and the sources cited
- ☐ You re-check after each fix to see what moved
Don't guess — see where you stand
Run the free med-spa AI-visibility audit
Recommd checks ChatGPT, Perplexity, and grounded AI search at once, scores your practice 0–100, shows which med spas are recommended instead, and lists the sources each engine cited — so you know which checklist items to prioritize first.
Check your med spa's AI visibility →Find your city
Frequently asked questions
- What is AEO for a med spa?
AEO (answer engine optimization) for a med spa is the practice of making your business complete, consistent, and current on the sources AI assistants trust — Google Business Profile, recent treatment-specific reviews, RealSelf, consistent listings, and local 'best of' roundups — so that when a client asks ChatGPT or Google AI for the best med spa near them, your practice is named. It is SEO's successor for the AI-recommendation era. - How is AEO different from SEO for med spas?
SEO aims to rank your pages in a list of blue links. AEO aims to get your practice named inside the AI's single recommendation. SEO optimizes your own website; AEO optimizes the third-party sources AI assembles its answer from — because AI rarely recommends a med spa based on its own homepage. The two overlap, but AEO weights profile completeness, review recency, and listing consistency over keywords and backlinks. - How often should I run this checklist?
Audit the full checklist quarterly, and keep the review and listing items going continuously. Reviews age and listings drift, so the practices that stay named are the ones that maintain freshness rather than fixing everything once. Re-check your AI visibility across engines after any significant change. - Can I just run an audit instead of doing this manually?
A pre-set med-spa audit (recommd.com/med-spas) checks ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI at once, scores your visibility, shows who's recommended instead, and lists the sources each engine cited — which tells you which checklist items to prioritize. The checklist is the fix work; the audit tells you where to point it first.