Comments on: Pharma Search Engine Rankings Need Fixing http://www.doseofdigital.com/2009/05/pharma-search-engine-rankings-need-fixing/ Improving Healthcare Through Digital Technology -- Effectively using digital technology and social media in pharma and healthcare Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:11:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: A Pharma Marketing Assortment Pack « Impactiviti blog http://www.doseofdigital.com/2009/05/pharma-search-engine-rankings-need-fixing/#comment-1643 A Pharma Marketing Assortment Pack « Impactiviti blog Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:26:06 +0000 http://www.doseofdigital.com/?p=811#comment-1643 [...] Pharma Search Engine rankings – in need of a fix. Interesting analysis from Dose of Digital blog. [...] [...] Pharma Search Engine rankings – in need of a fix. Interesting analysis from Dose of Digital blog. [...]

]]> By: Jonathan Richman http://www.doseofdigital.com/2009/05/pharma-search-engine-rankings-need-fixing/#comment-742 Jonathan Richman Fri, 08 May 2009 02:08:13 +0000 http://www.doseofdigital.com/?p=811#comment-742 Sam...thanks for the comments. You went with the "digital ghost town." I usually describe a store in the middle of a forest. Same idea. I've asked this question before to pharma folks: "Why do you have a brand website?" Few have a ready, clear answer that makes strategic sense. Try it yourself. So, if you don't know the answer to this, then you aren't going to know why you should invest in SEO. Eileen, totally agree on the quality piece. I don't believe in traffic for traffic's sake either. I've seen the same thing as you have (and it's been documented a number of times). People progress from general to more specific searches as they get closer to purchase (i.e., heartburn to heartburn treatment). Congrats on the rankings for Zegerid. It's down to #9 now, but still great to be on that first page especially opposite the big budget competition out there. What are you doing that's working? Sam…thanks for the comments. You went with the “digital ghost town.” I usually describe a store in the middle of a forest. Same idea. I’ve asked this question before to pharma folks: “Why do you have a brand website?” Few have a ready, clear answer that makes strategic sense. Try it yourself. So, if you don’t know the answer to this, then you aren’t going to know why you should invest in SEO.

Eileen, totally agree on the quality piece. I don’t believe in traffic for traffic’s sake either. I’ve seen the same thing as you have (and it’s been documented a number of times). People progress from general to more specific searches as they get closer to purchase (i.e., heartburn to heartburn treatment). Congrats on the rankings for Zegerid. It’s down to #9 now, but still great to be on that first page especially opposite the big budget competition out there. What are you doing that’s working?

]]> By: Jonathan Richman http://www.doseofdigital.com/2009/05/pharma-search-engine-rankings-need-fixing/#comment-9087 Jonathan Richman Fri, 08 May 2009 02:08:00 +0000 http://www.doseofdigital.com/?p=811#comment-9087 Sam...thanks for the comments. You went with the "digital ghost town." I usually describe a store in the middle of a forest. Same idea. I've asked this question before to pharma folks: "Why do you have a brand website?" Few have a ready, clear answer that makes strategic sense. Try it yourself. So, if you don't know the answer to this, then you aren't going to know why you should invest in SEO. Eileen, totally agree on the quality piece. I don't believe in traffic for traffic's sake either. I've seen the same thing as you have (and it's been documented a number of times). People progress from general to more specific searches as they get closer to purchase (i.e., heartburn to heartburn treatment). Congrats on the rankings for Zegerid. It's down to #9 now, but still great to be on that first page especially opposite the big budget competition out there. What are you doing that's working? Sam…thanks for the comments. You went with the “digital ghost town.” I usually describe a store in the middle of a forest. Same idea. I’ve asked this question before to pharma folks: “Why do you have a brand website?” Few have a ready, clear answer that makes strategic sense. Try it yourself. So, if you don’t know the answer to this, then you aren’t going to know why you should invest in SEO.

Eileen, totally agree on the quality piece. I don’t believe in traffic for traffic’s sake either. I’ve seen the same thing as you have (and it’s been documented a number of times). People progress from general to more specific searches as they get closer to purchase (i.e., heartburn to heartburn treatment). Congrats on the rankings for Zegerid. It’s down to #9 now, but still great to be on that first page especially opposite the big budget competition out there. What are you doing that’s working?

]]> By: Eileen O'Brien http://www.doseofdigital.com/2009/05/pharma-search-engine-rankings-need-fixing/#comment-732 Eileen O'Brien Wed, 06 May 2009 14:45:42 +0000 http://www.doseofdigital.com/?p=811#comment-732 More important than the QUANTITY of traffic driven by search is the QUALITY of the traffic. In our SEO practice, we've found that people searching for just the disease or condition keyword (such as "heartburn") aren't ready to go a pharma brand site, and bounce off. But those searching for "heartburn treatment" are interested, so they stay on the site and print a coupon. BTW, the small heartburn drug that we work with, Zegerid, is #3 on Google for "heartburn treatment". Eileen O'Brien Compass Healthcare Communications More important than the QUANTITY of traffic driven by search is the QUALITY of the traffic. In our SEO practice, we’ve found that people searching for just the disease or condition keyword (such as “heartburn”) aren’t ready to go a pharma brand site, and bounce off. But those searching for “heartburn treatment” are interested, so they stay on the site and print a coupon.

BTW, the small heartburn drug that we work with, Zegerid, is #3 on Google for “heartburn treatment”.

Eileen O’Brien
Compass Healthcare Communications

]]> By: Eileen O'Brien http://www.doseofdigital.com/2009/05/pharma-search-engine-rankings-need-fixing/#comment-9086 Eileen O'Brien Wed, 06 May 2009 14:45:00 +0000 http://www.doseofdigital.com/?p=811#comment-9086 More important than the QUANTITY of traffic driven by search is the QUALITY of the traffic. In our SEO practice, we've found that people searching for just the disease or condition keyword (such as "heartburn") aren't ready to go a pharma brand site, and bounce off. But those searching for "heartburn treatment" are interested, so they stay on the site and print a coupon. BTW, the small heartburn drug that we work with, Zegerid, is #3 on Google for "heartburn treatment". Eileen O'Brien Compass Healthcare Communications More important than the QUANTITY of traffic driven by search is the QUALITY of the traffic. In our SEO practice, we’ve found that people searching for just the disease or condition keyword (such as “heartburn”) aren’t ready to go a pharma brand site, and bounce off. But those searching for “heartburn treatment” are interested, so they stay on the site and print a coupon.

BTW, the small heartburn drug that we work with, Zegerid, is #3 on Google for “heartburn treatment”.

Eileen O’Brien
Compass Healthcare Communications

]]> By: Sam Walmsley http://www.doseofdigital.com/2009/05/pharma-search-engine-rankings-need-fixing/#comment-729 Sam Walmsley Wed, 06 May 2009 11:21:41 +0000 http://www.doseofdigital.com/?p=811#comment-729 Hey Jon- As usually the European perceptive is lagging behind even further than US. Pharma needs to be putting more investment into SEM, as currently how many of branded or educational sites 'digital ghost towns' with very few of the target audience ever finding them? Its bad investment to build and have no budget left over to sign-post the site to the audience. SEM needs to be on-going work, right from web development ensuring content, technology and architecture of the site are easily accessed by Google and other search engines. But how many pharma companies invest in new content, use of press releases and thought pieces post launch to drive additional links and traffic to the site? Off-site SEO strategy is now becoming more and more influential in Google rankings. The other key acivity pharma needs to invest in, is PPC programs. But realistically this should be done together. If this is done correctly, the spend in PPC over period of time does reduce as SEO activity increases. With a good analytics program, all is trackable and that dreaded word- ROI can easily be measured. Havent even gone near how pharma are using social media as traffic driving and SEO program... need to get the basics right first! lol! Hey Jon- As usually the European perceptive is lagging behind even further than US.

Pharma needs to be putting more investment into SEM, as currently how many of branded or educational sites ‘digital ghost towns’ with very few of the target audience ever finding them? Its bad investment to build and have no budget left over to sign-post the site to the audience.

SEM needs to be on-going work, right from web development ensuring content, technology and architecture of the site are easily accessed by Google and other search engines. But how many pharma companies invest in new content, use of press releases and thought pieces post launch to drive additional links and traffic to the site? Off-site SEO strategy is now becoming more and more influential in Google rankings.

The other key acivity pharma needs to invest in, is PPC programs. But realistically this should be done together. If this is done correctly, the spend in PPC over period of time does reduce as SEO activity increases.

With a good analytics program, all is trackable and that dreaded word- ROI can easily be measured.

Havent even gone near how pharma are using social media as traffic driving and SEO program… need to get the basics right first! lol!

]]> By: Sam Walmsley http://www.doseofdigital.com/2009/05/pharma-search-engine-rankings-need-fixing/#comment-9085 Sam Walmsley Wed, 06 May 2009 11:21:00 +0000 http://www.doseofdigital.com/?p=811#comment-9085 Hey Jon- As usually the European perceptive is lagging behind even further than US. Pharma needs to be putting more investment into SEM, as currently how many of branded or educational sites 'digital ghost towns' with very few of the target audience ever finding them? Its bad investment to build and have no budget left over to sign-post the site to the audience. SEM needs to be on-going work, right from web development ensuring content, technology and architecture of the site are easily accessed by Google and other search engines. But how many pharma companies invest in new content, use of press releases and thought pieces post launch to drive additional links and traffic to the site? Off-site SEO strategy is now becoming more and more influential in Google rankings. The other key acivity pharma needs to invest in, is PPC programs. But realistically this should be done together. If this is done correctly, the spend in PPC over period of time does reduce as SEO activity increases. With a good analytics program, all is trackable and that dreaded word- ROI can easily be measured. Havent even gone near how pharma are using social media as traffic driving and SEO program... need to get the basics right first! lol! Hey Jon- As usually the European perceptive is lagging behind even further than US.

Pharma needs to be putting more investment into SEM, as currently how many of branded or educational sites ‘digital ghost towns’ with very few of the target audience ever finding them? Its bad investment to build and have no budget left over to sign-post the site to the audience.

SEM needs to be on-going work, right from web development ensuring content, technology and architecture of the site are easily accessed by Google and other search engines. But how many pharma companies invest in new content, use of press releases and thought pieces post launch to drive additional links and traffic to the site? Off-site SEO strategy is now becoming more and more influential in Google rankings.

The other key acivity pharma needs to invest in, is PPC programs. But realistically this should be done together. If this is done correctly, the spend in PPC over period of time does reduce as SEO activity increases.

With a good analytics program, all is trackable and that dreaded word- ROI can easily be measured.

Havent even gone near how pharma are using social media as traffic driving and SEO program… need to get the basics right first! lol!

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