Why Google Is Ignoring Your Medical Content and How to Fix It
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Episode Summary
You’ve invested heavily in clinical resources and HCP engagement initiatives. Your content is scientifically rigorous, expertly reviewed, and strategically valuable. Yet when HCPs search for answers, your platform doesn’t appear on the first page, or maybe not at all.
In this episode of Transforming Medical Communications, Wesley Portegies is joined by Janna Crabb, Director of Digital Communications Strategy at MedComms Experts, to unpack the real strategy behind SEO in Medical Affairs and actionable insights for turning your HCP engagement platform into a search engine favorite.
We’ll talk about:
- How to conduct keyword research that aligns your content language with actual HCP search behavior
- The three pillars of SEO strategy
- Why Google prioritizes content authority
- How to structure your HCP engagement platform so search engine crawlers can easily navigate and index your content
- The role of content syndication
Guest at a Glance
Janna Crabb is the Director of Digital Communications Strategy at MedComms Experts, specializing in digital engagement strategies for HCPs. With vast expertise in email marketing and multichannel communication, she guides pharma companies in developing effective digital outreach programs. Janna’s work in digital strategy has helped Medical Affairs teams optimize their communication channels and achieve better engagement rates with healthcare professionals.
- Connect with Janna Crabb on LinkedIn
Host at a Glance
Wesley Portegies is the Chief Strategy Officer and Founder of MedComms Experts, an agency specializing in effective Medical Communications strategies for pharmaceutical companies. An experienced entrepreneur, Wesley started his first company at 19 and has built multiple successful companies. With over 20 years in the Medical Industry, both on the agency and industry side, he is driven by a passion for Medical Communications.
- Connect with Wesley Portegies on LinkedIn
Hot Takes and Key Highlights
- [02:31] The First Page Goal
If you want your content to be seen, focus on getting it onto the first page of Google. That means optimizing it so Google sees it as relevant and trustworthy. Aim for one of the top 10 spots, because that’s where your audience is actually looking.
“You really want to be on the first page of results. That’s the goal.”
- [03:20] The Three SEO Buckets
To rank well on Google, you need more than just good content. You need to build trust and structure your content strategically. That means doing your keyword research to match how people search, organizing your pages so they’re easy for both users and search engines to understand, getting credible websites to link back to yours, and making sure your site loads quickly and works smoothly on mobile.
“I think it’s important to understand that Google cares about the authority of your content. It needs to believe your content is real.”
- [08:50] On-Page Deep Dive
Before you create content for your HCP engagement platform, do your keyword research. Don’t just guess what your audience is searching for. Make sure the words and phrases you’re using align with what HCPs are actually typing into search engines. Then, structure your content for a smooth user experience: use clear headings, break things up visually, and tag everything properly so both your audience and search engines can easily understand and navigate it.
“Don’t assume the language you’re using in the piece of content is actually going to resonate with your audience in terms of what they’re searching for and the words they’re using to find your content. You need to do keyword research.”
YouTube Chapters
- [00:00] Intro
- [01:09] What Is SEO, Really?
- [02:31] The First Page Goal
- [03:20] The Three SEO Buckets
- [08:50] On-Page Deep Dive
- [10:02] Off-Page SEO Explained
- [12:48] Crawlers vs. PDFs
- [15:16] Tools of the Trade