Debunking Myths About Healthcare and Pharma SEO

Why Healthcare Marketers Should Think Beyond Title Tags and URLs

// By Melanie Graham //

Kyle Mills, manager of online marketing at Practis

For some healthcare marketers, search engine optimization (SEO) is a big, scary unknown. There seems to be a lot of mystery around how it works, what changes are being made, and what you should do to get your web content in front of the right people.

“In the big picture of digital marketing, SEO is truly the most misunderstood portion,” says Kyle Mills, manager of online marketing at Practis, a North Carolina-based healthcare digital marketing agency.

One of the biggest myths around SEO is that websites can be optimized once and have long-term success. The fact is that SEO is not a “set it and forget it” tool. As technology evolves, people search for content in different ways, and search engines adapt their algorithms to better serve users.

“Your brand’s presence on the internet is a living and breathing animal,” says Justin Freid, senior vice president for search and emerging media at CMI Media, a pharmaceutical marketing agency. “You need to continue to optimize it throughout its life cycle.”

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard ‘I did SEO once, so I don’t really need it again,’” Mills adds. “Algorithms are constantly changing, so it’s better to stay informed of these changes and make the necessary adjustments.” 

Unfortunately, healthcare and pharmaceutical marketers incorporate many more SEO misconceptions into their digital strategies. Some myths evolve from pure misinformation or lack of education, while others stem from changing technology and strategy.

Here we explore and debunk several SEO myths that influence healthcare marketers. Plus, we offer proactive guidance on where to focus for better SEO results.

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