How the Google Medic algorithm update could affect your healthcare website
You may have heard that Google’s latest update is affecting the ranking of healthcare websites. If so, you are probably wondering what this means for your site. How can you avoid being penalised under the new algorithm’s rules? Healthcare SEO specialist’s Medico Digital are here to guide you through the new update, and help you stay on the right side of Google’s latest search system.
What is Google Medic Update and what does it do?
The Google ‘Medic’ algorithm update is a core search update applied to the search engine in early August 2018. Google often updates its search algorithm, in order to keep delivering relevant results to its customers. However, those updates often cause upheaval in the search rankings. Sites may find that their rankings drop significantly after any major update – as with the so-called ‘Medic’ update.
The ‘Medic’ update has been named as such by web users because it has greatly affected the ranks of web content in the healthcare sector in particular. This includes medical businesses and services, and also the wellness, fitness and veterinary sectors.
What this update means for healthcare websites
Healthcare SEO took a real hit after the update was applied. Many medical and health domains found themselves impacted by the algorithm changes. Some SEO analysts have suggested that Google has targeted the healthcare sector specifically with this update. The sheer number of domains affected suggests it is more than just a coincidence.
The Google update puts into practice its new Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness (E-A-T) philosophy. This requires that certain information on the internet be created by experts in that field, so that the content can be trusted by the reader – Google’s customers. The medical sector is one area that Google has focused on in this latest update.
How to avoid Google penalties
Whether your healthcare site has been affected by the Google ‘Medic’ algorithm update or you just want to avoid penalties should you change your content in the future, there are steps to take which can help you retain your ranking.
Start by sourcing content written by trusted professionals for your site. Web content written by an expert and filled with helpful advice will perform far better in the search rankings than generalised information from a faceless website. Make use of dedicated SEO and content agencies like Medico Digital, who have the expertise to source or create trusted content for you. Our content team consists of medical professional including ex and current doctors in a variety of specialties.
Publish guest posts from professionals in your field, as this will build trust with your site visitors – and also with Google. When you publish guest content, include links back to the author and a detailed bio. This verifies the authority of the writer, and boosts your own in the process.
You can also increase trust by making it easy for users to verify you and your brand. Use genuine testimonials, real case studies, and images or videos of your facilities and services. It is also essential that you create offsite authority through backlinks, reviews and recommendations.
Like all Google updates, there is no way to guarantee that these changes will ward off the effects of the Medic update. However, you can certainly improve your chance of avoiding penalties – and keeping your customers or service users happy – if you work to build trust in your medical content.
