The Competitive Advantage of Using Medical Reviews for Health Content

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people than ever are looking to the internet for answers on their health and health-related topics. During the pandemic, online searches for health-related content increased by a third. Google receives more than 70,000 health-related search inquiries every minute. That's more than a billion health-related questions every day.

Currently, 59% of adults in the United States use the internet to search for health and medical information. People are inquisitive, but want accurate information. GoodRx found that 87% of people had concerns over the spread of medical misinformation. Not surprisingly, this is likely due to 70% of them reporting exposure to either health or medical misinformation. More than ever, the accuracy of health information is essential.

As a health writer, I know to always approach health content online with a skeptical eye. Misinformation, whether intentional or not, floods the internet and muddies the science. This is evident with persistent ideas, like vaccines causing autism, which have no merit and have been disproved. To quote Shakespeare, "These instruments of darkness tell us the truth and oftentimes lead us to our harm."

Who Is a Medical Reviewer

How can an organization or health practice take a website that is full of valuable health information and make it stand out as trustworthy? In an ideal world, the health content would come from someone with a background in healthcare who understands the science behind the information. There are plenty of health professionals, like myself, who are also writers. Medical reviewers can be:

• Nurses or nurse practitioners

• Doctors

• Physical therapists

• Clinical social workers

• Or other allied health professionals

However, we know many organizations use writers with various backgrounds who do a great job of communicating health information. They just lack the credentials of a healthcare background that bring a sense of trust and authority.

The alternative to directly tapping the knowledge of a health professional is to utilize them for medical reviews. Savvy editors know adding a medical review to health content demonstrates a level of authority and expertise for the work. Medically reviewed content indicates to your audience that a qualified health professional has verified the quality of the information. It's a seal of approval recognized by both audiences and Google.

Reducing Algorithm Penalties

Google has long understood the value of a medical review. Their E-E-A-T framework of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness historically rewards content that utilizes this framework. Within this framework, Google views trust as the most important. This is especially true with content they refer to as Your Money or Your Life (YMYL). YMYL content impacts health, finances, stability, and safety, as well as the welfare of society. Google takes this seriously. In 2021, due to misinformation spreading during the pandemic, Google launched a program designed to reduce the spread of illegal and harmful content with established rules to moderate harmful content and behaviors.

For health organizations just trying to establish a presence on the web, this may not seem like it applies to them. However, the Google algorithm not only weeds out misinformation, but it also highlights information it sees as high-quality. The more effort made to demonstrate to the algorithm that the content is authoritative and trustworthy, the better it will rank. If it doesn't pass muster, the page will get lost in the billion daily searches.

Improved User Engagement

But you aren't just creating content for the massive search engine. Likely, you have an actual audience you are trying to reach and engage with. That audience wants to know they can trust the information they are reading. When the audience is confident in the content, they reward the site with:

• Increased time spent on the pages

• Lower bounce rates

• Loyal readership

Cost vs Benefit

The costs of hiring health professionals to review content may scare some. But you have to weigh the cost against the benefits. When a health professional reviews your content, they aren't just putting their name alongside the writer. Medical reviewers can fact-check information, make suggestions, and provide insight that someone outside their field of expertise may not have. Also, by ensuring the most medically accurate and easily understood information, the review helps reduce legal concerns.

By offering a level of transparency, medically reviewed content lets your audience understand how seriously you take the information you are sharing. It ensures viewers know the information is reliable and up-to-date. Make your organization's pages stand out from the plethora of health content by prioritizing medical reviews.