AI Visibility Report

Who Google's AI Recommends for Physiotherapy in Ottawa

A citation study of Google AI Overviews across seven Ottawa sub-markets and three patient questions — session cost, OHIP coverage and treatment after a car accident — measuring which clinics AI-generated answers name and cite.

21 patient-intent queries. 311 citations captured. 39 Ottawa clinics named, and 17 Toronto-area clinics taking 67 citations between them. This is the weakest local position of any market in the series.

21 queries7 sub-marketsGoogle AI OverviewsAugust 2, 2026

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The finding in one sentence

On the question of whether OHIP covers physiotherapy, Toronto-area clinics take 38% of Ottawa's citations and Ottawa clinics take just 15%. OHIP is provincial, so there is no local barrier to entry — and Ottawa clinics are being out-published on their own province's public insurance question.

Ottawa clinics cited
39 Ottawa clinics cited
Citations to Ottawa clinics
31% Citations to Ottawa clinics
Citations to Toronto-area clinics
22% Citations to Toronto-area clinics
Citations to Google listings
37% Citations to Google listings

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What did this study measure?

We ran 21 patient-intent queries through Google across seven Ottawa sub-markets — session cost, OHIP coverage, and what treatment costs after a car accident — and recorded every source cited by the AI Overview each one returned.

  • 20 of 21 queries returned an AI Overview; the miss was the OHIP question in Kanata
  • 311 citations captured, de-duplicated so a clinic cited twice in one answer counts once
  • 31% pointed at Ottawa clinic websites, 37% at Google listings, 22% at Toronto-area clinics and 11% at third parties
  • 39 distinct Ottawa clinics were named across the seven sub-markets
  • 17 Toronto-area clinics identified by exact domain match against our July 2026 GTA physiotherapy study
  • Single point in time — captured August 2, 2026, and generated answers vary between runs

This measures Google AI Overviews only. It does not measure ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or Copilot, which use different retrieval systems and require separate tracking.

Four Findings

Ottawa clinics hold a minority of their own market's answers. Just 31% of citations go to an Ottawa clinic's website, against 22% to Toronto-area clinics and 37% to Google Business Profile listings. This is the weakest local position of any market we have measured across four metros.

The OHIP question is being answered by Toronto. On coverage queries, Toronto clinics take 38% of citations and Ottawa clinics 15% — more than two to one. OHIP is province-wide, so a Toronto clinic's coverage page answers an Ottawa patient exactly as well as a local one, and Google cites it. The remainder goes to Champlain Health Line, ontario.ca and Canada Life.

Car-accident rehab is nearly a dead heat. Ottawa clinics take 52% and Toronto clinics 40%. Two Toronto clinics — Gemini Health Group and Whitewater Physiotherapy — were cited in all seven Ottawa sub-markets on this question alone.

Not one clinic covers all three questions. Of the 39 Ottawa clinics cited, only optsc.com appears across session cost, OHIP coverage and car-accident rehab. Every other clinic in the city wins at most two.

The Three Patient questions

Where Ottawa Clinics Hold, and Where They Lose

The gap is not uniform. It is concentrated almost entirely in one question — and that question is the one patients ask before deciding whether they can afford treatment at all.

Share of AI Overview citations going to an Ottawa clinic's own website

Car-accident rehab

52%
Citations
99
Most cited
optsc.com (7), care2curephysiotherapy.com (5), interlinkphysiotherapy.ca (4)

Nearly a dead heat: Toronto clinics take 40% of this question. It is the highest-value referral stream in the field, because treatment is insurer-funded.

Session cost

23%
Citations
173
Most cited
optsc.com (7), ottawahealthgroup.com (5), athletescareottawa.ca (5)

Toronto clinics take only 7% here — but Google Business Profile listings take most of the rest. This is the question where the listing does the work, not the website.

OHIP coverage

15%
Citations
39
Most cited
ottawaphysiotherapy.net (3), maplecarephysiotherapy.com (2), optsc.com (1)

The gap. Toronto clinics take 38% — more than twice the local share — because OHIP rules are provincial and a Toronto clinic's coverage page answers an Ottawa patient just as well. The rest goes to Champlain Health Line, ontario.ca and an insurer.

Based on 311 citations across 20 AI Overviews, captured August 2, 2026.

The Proximity Finding

Toronto Clinics in Ottawa's Answers

Each clinic below was independently identified in our Greater Toronto Area physiotherapy study, then found again in Ottawa AI Overviews. These are the same domains, not similarly-named businesses. 17 clinics, 67 citations — and two of them, Gemini Health Group and Whitewater Physiotherapy, appear in all seven Ottawa sub-markets.

Toronto-area clinic Ottawa citations Ottawa sub-markets Cited for
hhphysiotherapy.ca86OHIP coverage, Session cost
whitewaterphysiotherapy.com77Car-accident rehab
geminihealthgroup.ca77Car-accident rehab
progressiverehab.ca76Car-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
lifemark.ca66Car-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
healthmaxphysio.com55OHIP coverage
physiowell.ca55Car-accident rehab
torontowellnessphysiocenter.ca43OHIP coverage, Session cost
simplyalignrehab.com43Car-accident rehab, Session cost
rcphealth.ca33Car-accident rehab
torontophysiotherapy.ca33Car-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
physiocottage.ca22Session cost
wellmaxphysiotherapy.ca22Car-accident rehab
curocanada.com11Car-accident rehab
stillwatershealing.ca11Session cost
physionow.ca11Car-accident rehab
globalhealthphysiotherapy.ca11Car-accident rehab

OHIP coverage rules are provincial, not municipal. A Toronto clinic that publishes a clear page on what OHIP does and does not cover answers an Ottawa patient's question exactly as well as a local one. There is no local barrier here to defend.

The Citation Leaderboard

Every Ottawa Clinic Cited, Ranked

All 39 Ottawa physiotherapy clinics cited across the 21 queries analysed, ranked by how many generated answers cited the clinic's own website. The missing-questions column is the more useful half: exactly one clinic in the city — optsc.com — is missing none.

Showing all 39 cited clinics

All 39 clinics cited in Google AI Overviews across the queries measured, ranked by citation count.
# Clinic domain Sub-market Citations Sub-mkts Questions won Missing questions
1 optsc.com Hunt Club
15
7 Car-accident rehab, OHIP coverage, Session cost
2 care2curephysiotherapy.com Vanier
7
6 Car-accident rehab, Session costOHIP coverage
3 ottawahealthgroup.com Kanata
7
5 Car-accident rehab, Session costOHIP coverage
4 athletescareottawa.ca Ottawa (Central)
6
5 Car-accident rehab, Session costOHIP coverage
5 glebephysio.com Nepean
5
4 Car-accident rehab, Session costOHIP coverage
6 interlinkphysiotherapy.ca Ottawa (Central)
4
4 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
7 chartierphysio.ca Vanier
4
3 Car-accident rehab, Session costOHIP coverage
8 newlifept.ca Ottawa (Central)
3
3 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
9 ottawaphysiotherapy.net Barrhaven
3
3 OHIP coverageCar-accident rehab, Session cost
10 physiocarephysiotherapy.com Ottawa (Central)
3
3 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
11 maplecarephysiotherapy.com Ottawa (Central)
3
2 Car-accident rehab, OHIP coverageSession cost
12 careinstitute.ca Orléans
2
2 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
13 fxnphysio.com Kanata
2
2 Car-accident rehab, Session costOHIP coverage
14 tonicphysio.com Ottawa (Central)
2
2 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
15 vitalitypt.ca Orléans
2
2 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
16 activehealthinstitute.com Barrhaven
2
1 Car-accident rehab, Session costOHIP coverage
17 myrevivephysio.ca Orléans
2
1 Car-accident rehab, Session costOHIP coverage
18 optimizeottawa.com Barrhaven
2
1 Car-accident rehab, Session costOHIP coverage
19 proactionsportsclinic.com Kanata
2
1 Car-accident rehab, Session costOHIP coverage
20 acpottawa.ca Barrhaven
1
1 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
21 anatomyphysioclinic.com Orléans
1
1 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
22 arrowellness.ca Ottawa (Central)
1
1 Session costCar-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
23 aspirehealthottawa.ca Hunt Club
1
1 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
24 backontrackphysio.com Hunt Club
1
1 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
25 elitephysioottawa.com Kanata
1
1 Session costCar-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
26 elysianwellnesscentre.com Orléans
1
1 Session costCar-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
27 expertphysioplus.com Orléans
1
1 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
28 greenboroclinic.ca Nepean
1
1 Session costCar-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
29 hwphysiotherapy (janeapp) Barrhaven
1
1 Session costCar-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
30 ibalancewell.com Barrhaven
1
1 Session costCar-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
31 lifecarephysio.com Ottawa (Central)
1
1 Session costCar-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
32 orleansphysio.com Orléans
1
1 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
33 ottawahealth.ca Vanier
1
1 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
34 ottawaphysio.clinic Nepean
1
1 Session costCar-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
35 physiovive.com Barrhaven
1
1 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
36 procarephysiotherapy.com Hunt Club
1
1 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost
37 prophysiotherapy.com Vanier
1
1 Session costCar-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
38 stittsvillecarproadphysio.com Nepean
1
1 Session costCar-accident rehab, OHIP coverage
39 xpertphysiotherapy.com Barrhaven
1
1 Car-accident rehabOHIP coverage, Session cost

Bar length is scaled to the highest citation count in the study. Repeat citations of the same domain within a single answer are counted once. Where a clinic's booking page on a third-party scheduler was cited, it was attributed to that clinic. Captured August 2, 2026.

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Sub-Market Detail

Toronto Clinics Are Present in Every Sub-Market

In Nepean, Orléans, Barrhaven and Vanier, Toronto clinics are cited almost as often as local ones. Hunt Club is the only sub-market where local clinics hold a clear lead.

Sub-market Ottawa citations Toronto citations Distinct Ottawa clinics
Ottawa (Central)161013
Kanata1289
Nepean141111
Orléans131111
Barrhaven151112
Vanier141111
Hunt Club12510

Where Else the Citations Go

Government, Insurers and a Law Firm

33 citations (11%) went to something that is not a physiotherapy clinic. The pattern is concentrated on the coverage question, where a government health directory and the province itself answer what clinics have not.

Source What it is Citations
champlainhealthline.caGovernment health directory8
ontario.caGovernment5
canadalife.comInsurer4
healthhives.comBooking directory3
swordhealth.comDigital MSK platform (US)3
settlement.orgGovernment newcomer information2
easyalliedhealth.caMobile-care aggregator1
superprof.caTutoring marketplace1
reddit.comCommunity forum1
painhero.caBooking directory1
law123.caLaw firm1
facebook.comSocial platform1

Method

Proof, Not Promises

  1. STEP 01

    Ran 21 patient-intent queries through Google with city-level location targeting across seven Ottawa sub-markets: Ottawa Central, Kanata, Nepean, Orléans, Barrhaven, Vanier and Hunt Club.

  2. STEP 02

    Tested each sub-market with the same three questions — session cost, OHIP coverage and treatment after a car accident, so every area was asked identical questions.

  3. STEP 03

    Captured the complete search result page for each query, including the AI Overview block, its generated text, and every source it cited.

  4. STEP 04

    De-duplicated citations per answer, so a clinic cited twice within a single AI Overview counts once.

  5. STEP 05

    Identified the Toronto-area clinics by exact domain match against our own July 2026 Greater Toronto Area physiotherapy study, rather than inferring from business names.

  6. STEP 06

    Classified each cited source by hand as a clinic's own website, a Google Business Profile listing, or a third party — government, regulator, insurer, directory or aggregator. Where a clinic's booking page on a third-party scheduler was cited, it was attributed to that clinic.

  7. STEP 07

    Crawled on August 2, 2026 without personalisation, and recorded the crawl window so any figure can be re-checked against the day it was captured.

Limitations

This is a single-point-in-time snapshot. AI Overviews are generated fresh per query and vary between runs, so exact citation lists will differ if re-run; trends require repeated sampling. Clinic identification is by website domain, and where a group operates several sites each is counted separately unless the study states a merge.

One of the 21 queries — OHIP coverage in Kanata — returned no AI Overview and contributes no citations. Only three patient questions were tested; pelvic health, vestibular, concussion and post-surgical rehabilitation may behave differently.

AI Overviews reach the largest audience of any AI answer surface — no login, no app, shown to anyone searching Google — so this is the widest-reach measurement available. It is not the whole picture, and a business performing well here may perform differently elsewhere. Every figure comes from search results captured on the date stated and can be independently checked by running the same queries yourself.

Where Your Clinic Sits

This report shows the market. It does not show your position in it — whether you are cited at all, on which of the three questions, and which clinics are being named in the answers your patients see instead. That analysis is specific to your domain, and we produce it individually.

The most useful thing in this data is how specific the gap is. Ottawa clinics hold their own on car-accident rehab, are thin on session cost, and are almost absent on OHIP coverage — a question with no local barrier at all, currently answered by Toronto clinics, the province and an insurer. Only one of the 39 clinics cited covers all three. For most practices the fastest gain is not general visibility. It is one page.

The work that follows from this report is a fixed-price engagement: the AI Visibility Accelerator. Thirteen weeks, a published price, and three separate measurements against these same queries after publication.

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The full study as a PDF — leaderboard, the three questions, sources, method and limitations.

Questions About This Report

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This report is provided for information. Clinic names and domains appear because they were cited in publicly generated search results on the date stated; inclusion or absence is not an assessment of clinical quality or of any clinic’s standing. Nothing here is medical advice, and nothing here describes what OHIP does or does not cover — check that with the Province of Ontario. Figures describe what Google’s systems returned on August 2, 2026 and may change.

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