Dentists: Apple Just Confirmed They're Building Google's Biggest Rival

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What's up! Kyle, back again after a week off.

And just like that, big news.

Earlier this week, Apple quietly confirmed something that is highly relevant to every vertical that relies on the internet to generate revenue, especially dentists.

They're building their own search engine.

Not partnering with someone else like ChatGPT anymore. Not licensing technology from someone else. They are building it themselves, with a team called Answers, Knowledge and Information, which they are dubbing AKI.

Why This Matters For Your Practice

For 15 years, Google has paid Apple $20 BILLION annually to be the default search on iPhones. That deal has kept Google the gatekeeper for how your patients find you.

Now Apple wants to control that experience directly.

Their new ‘answer engine’ will crawl the web and respond to questions, just like Google and ChatGPT, but built into the iPhone itself.

Translation: Your patients will soon have multiple ways to search for dentists, and Google won't control all of them. In fact, Google may not have the first crack at it.

What Is Apple Really building?

✅ A Standalone Search App: This will compete directly with Google and ChatGPT.

✅ AI-Powered Search WITH Siri: This removes a step for the user. No opening up Safari or any other app, they just ask their phone.

✅ Enhanced Spotlight Search: This is the big deal. This is how they’ll recommend local businesses. Like, for example, a dental practice.

✅ Smart Safari Search: If they do open up and use Safari? Google will no longer be the default, it’ll be the Apple Search Experience.

I hope you are starting to believe me when I say that we are stepping into a reality that is far, far different than the last couple decades. Your past success is going to be irrelevant to your future success.

If you are a practice that feels like there is a lot of growth available, this is exciting! You are in perfect position to take advantage and grow very, very quickly.

If you are a practice that has been dominating for some time now, this can be pretty scary news. Part of the playbook you’ve been using is likely trending toward extinction, you’ll need to adapt sooner rather than later.

Why Is Apple Doing This Now?

There are three main reasons that they are going in this direction.

1. The Google Became Risky: The DOJ is expected to force changes that could cost Apple billions and entangle them into a legal battle that they don’t want.

2. AI Search Is Exploding: People are using ChatGPT for search in ways that bypass Google entirely and it’s proven to not be a fad, rather a shift in behavior.

3. Apple Is Behind: Siri is "frustratingly inconsistent" (their own words) compared to ChatGPT and Gemini right now.

So they are going to build it themselves, instead of depending on others.

While Apple builds their search engine, the smart practices are doing the below.

✅ Optimizing for AI Search across all platforms, consistently.

✅ Building authority that works regardless of search engine.

✅ Using Google Ads as much as they possibly can, while it’s still King.

The Bottom Line

I’ll be honest with you. For our agency, this is great news. We have 1000% confidence in our ability to showcase our practices in this new landscape and the pace at which these changes are happening puts our clients in a very advantageous position.

We made a big bet a couple years ago on AI playing out in exactly this way, and it’s happening.

My advice?

Make sure your employees or the agency you work with is fully capable and knowledgable when it comes to AI Search and AI Discovery. It will be the deciding factor in the success of your practice in a year, two years, five years, ten years.

This is like the dawn before Google became a household name.

Imagine a time traveler coming to you and saying: “Google is coming. You are probably confused as to what that means and what it will do but you need to go all-in on it immediately.”

While there is no immediate answer as to which experience will win out, it’s no longer up for debate that AI Search itself will win out.

And it’s not a rumor anymore. Apple is building Google's biggest rival. The question is, will your practice be ready when patients start using it?

-Kyle

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