Google Algorithm Update “Medic” Wreaks Havoc On The Medical Industry

Most people aren’t aware that Google is constantly changing stuff behind the scenes, making your search experience easier and search results more relevant. To that end, we wanted to let you know about the most recent update, labeled “Medic.”

The label “Medic” was given to this latest change because it primarily targets health industry websites. Although, other sites were affected by the most recent changes, as well, the health and medical industry were the primary focus because of the uptick in recent “gray” area websites that could be seen as more of a scam than a legitimate business or company.

Your Money or Your Life

Another area affected is YMYL, or Your Money or Your Life; websites about banking, wellness, insurance, etc. Google gives some guidelines for YMYL sites, but I’ll paraphrase.

Basically it’s any site that asks for personally identifiable information (driver’s license, bank account, etc), pages that allow purchases (any page that lets you buy something), pages that give medical information that could impact your well-being, pages that give advice on major life decisions (like parenting, buying a house or car, etc.), and pages that offer advice on major life issues (like legal or financial advice).

When asked, Google said that if your website was affected, there isn’t anything you can do to immediately change the shift in search position.

If you were shifted up, it was because your website was seen to give more value than the sites that were shifted below you. If you were shifted down, it was to give sites that were previously overlooked more prominence, since they were “previously under-rewarded,” according to Google.

“What can I do if I was pushed down?!”

I hear you crying out. If you’re already putting out quality content on a regular basis, then you’re already doing it. Google says that over time, your site may rise relative to other pages if it proves to be more authoritative than the rest.

If you’re not currently producing quality content (blog posts, podcasts, or video), I’d suggest you start. By producing content about your business, you’ll be more likely to be pushed to the top of Google search results. Just don’t expect changes overnight. Search engine optimization is a long game.

If you’re not sure if you’ve been affected and want to find out, give us a call at (256) 585-6425 x 101 or schedule a time to chat at https://purpletieguys.com/book .

For a more in-depth analysis of the algorithm update, check out Search Engine Land’s article.