TL;DR
A directory can sell a listing it controls. That does not establish that an AI platform will cite the page, recommend your practice or send suitable inquiries. Evaluate the placement's reader value, factual accuracy and commercial disclosure separately from any claimed AI benefit. Require evidence for the claim you are actually being asked to buy.
GetPatients has a commercial interest in healthcare marketing and AI visibility services. This is a purchasing framework, not an independent ranking of directory sellers.
Identify the product behind the promise
A sales pitch may describe a place on a “recommended clinics” page as an AI visibility opportunity. Before discussing price, identify what payment changes: inclusion in a directory, position in a list, a sponsored profile, a written article, or a link to the practice.
Those are observable deliverables. Future behavior by a separate AI platform is a different claim. An existing screenshot of a directory cited in one answer can support the narrow statement that the directory appeared in that recorded answer. It does not establish that paying for a new listing will cause the practice to appear in later answers.
Ask the seller for the exact proposed page, the current listing format and the wording visitors would see. Review the page as a prospective visitor: can someone identify the practice's actual location, service and contact path? If the paid placement has little reader value without the AI promise, that is important purchasing information.
Separate the two kinds of evidence
Use two columns in the offer review.
Placement evidence covers what the publisher controls: the displayed entry, label, link destination, duration, correction process and any placement changes. A preview can demonstrate the proposed format. A written agreement should state the deliverable; do not assume renewal or cancellation terms.
AI evidence covers the recorded observation: the platform and interface, question, date, relevant answer and exact cited page. Ask whether the practice itself was mentioned or whether the answer merely cited a broad directory. A homepage citation and a recommendation of the paying practice are not interchangeable.
The seller may have persuasive examples, but it should label their limits. Google's AI search guidance says eligibility does not guarantee crawling, indexing or serving. That is a Google-specific limit, not a performance rule for every assistant. Ask for the actual basis of claims about each named platform. Use the AI visibility reporting requirements to examine the sample, questions and limits behind any percentage.
Review disclosure and link treatment separately
For U.S.-directed advertising, the FTC endorsement guides on material connections call for clear, conspicuous disclosure of unexpected connections that might materially affect an endorsement’s credibility. Have a qualified reviewer assess the actual directory presentation and any claim of independence. Payment does not establish an independent assessment of clinical quality.
Google's link-spam policy distinguishes advertising links from links purchased to manipulate rankings. It says paid advertising or sponsorship links should be qualified with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". Ask the technical reviewer to inspect the actual link, not just the publisher's reassurance that the directory is “SEO friendly.”
These are two different checks. A machine-readable link attribute does not tell a visitor that a placement was paid. A visible advertisement label does not establish the technical treatment of its links. Neither check proves a future AI citation.
The FTC guidance is a U.S. reference. Practices advertising to audiences in the UK, Australia or Canada need review of the applicable local advertising and professional requirements; this article does not assess those laws.
Turn the evidence into a purchase decision
Use this worksheet on the actual proposal. Enter the evidence beside each condition rather than assuming a selected screenshot represents the whole offer.
| Offer element | Condition to inspect | Decision if that condition applies |
|---|---|---|
| Profile inclusion | Exact page and preview are supplied | Treat the placement as a reviewable deliverable |
| Practice recommendation in AI answers | No observation names the practice | Keep the claimed recommendation benefit unproven |
| Directory citation frequency | Screenshots have no defined sample | Do not convert them into a percentage or forecast |
| Commercial presentation | Paid entries appear to be independent “top choices” | Return the presentation for clarification and qualified review |
| Link treatment | Attributes are absent from the proposal | Obtain technical verification before acceptance |
| Ongoing accuracy | No correction process is named | Require a process and responsibility in writing |
Request revisions when the listing could be useful but the factual wording, commercial presentation or terms are unresolved. Consider purchase when the placement has defensible reader value and its obligations make sense without assuming an AI recommendation. Decline when the seller insists that payment buys guaranteed AI inclusion or an independent recommendation that the evidence does not support.
An observed practice mention still does not establish that payment caused it or that it will recur. Evaluate the claimed causal benefit separately from the screenshot. These rules do not label all paid directories ineffective; they separate a potentially useful advertising placement from an unsupported future outcome.
Define the review before spending
If the placement is approved, retain the agreed entry and check the published version. Confirm the label, facts, destination and placement match what was purchased. Recheck after material changes.
Agree on what can be measured without inventing precision. Visits from the directory, verified listing views if the publisher defines them, and separately recorded AI observations answer different questions. Any additional tracking needs its own approved data review. Do not report an AI-generated recommendation as a patient outcome or treat a referral URL as proof of why a person chose the practice.
Buy a placement only when its defined value and obligations make sense for the practice. Any additional AI benefit should earn its place in the decision through evidence, rather than being assumed into the price. If an agency bundles the listing with other work, use the agency proposal questions to assign responsibility for the placement, corrections and reporting.
Frequently asked questions
Does a screenshot of a directory citation prove our paid profile will appear?
No. It supports the recorded observation only. Ask what evidence connects the specific offer to the claimed benefit, and evaluate the placement’s own value separately.
Is a sponsored label enough to approve the offer?
It does not settle factual accuracy, claims of independence, link treatment or commercial terms. Review each part of the actual placement before buying.