SEO for health and wellness businesses is different than for almost any other industry. Google holds us to a higher standard because bad health and wellness content can actually cause harm. Read on to learn what Google expects from good health and wellness content.
Jump To:
Since I started my first website in 2018, search engine optimization (SEO) has had a pivotal moment. Or two.
And while 2018 really doesn’t feel like that long ago, I can tell you that the way I practice SEO today is different than the way I practiced SEO when I first started.
Part of that is experience. But a bigger part is that SEO itself has changed.
Once upon a time, the classic “SEO foundations” were enough:
- Tech (mobile responsiveness, speedy load times etc.)
- Great content and relevant keywords
- Links back to your site
But Google is an algorithm, just like everything else.
And Google rolls out updates to its algorithm so frequently it might be more accurate to think of it as a living organism than something carved in stone.
These stats blow my mind a little:
Google releases MAJOR updates its core algorithm around 50 times a year1. Contrast that with Instagram, which updates its algorithm less than times a year2 .
Difference is, most of Google’s updates don’t impact you and me.
They’re trying to make the search results better, often by weeding out people doing gross stuff to game the system.
But occasionally they do impact us. And when they do? We can spend a little time sulking and questioning our decision to run an online business (guilty). But then, we roll up our sleeves and do the work to adapt. Because really all these standards are doing is holding us accountable to a higher standard of quality and that’s not a terrible thing.
Google Updates That Impact Health And Wellness Websites
Here are a few updates that have been particularly impactful to SEO for health and wellness businesses:
1) E-A-T
Google introduced the concept of E-A-T into it’s Quality Rater Guidelines in 2014.
E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
It’s not a rule set in stone (a ranking signal) but a guideline that helps Google’s human quality raters validate the goodness of search results.
That distinction is fuzzy and I’ll forgive you if you want to glaze over it.
The important thing to know is this: The algorithm is tuned to reward high levels of E-A-T.
E-A-T means Google is looking for contet that showcases your expert knowledge, your credibility in the field, and the trustworthiness of your information.
2) The Evolution Of E-E-A-T
In 2022 Google made a little tweak to the E-A-T standards. By adding another “E”, Experience, they demonstrated a new emphasis on personal experience with a subject.
Experience here refers to the practical, personal experience you bring to your content. It’s about showing that you know what you’re talking about not just in theory but in real-life application.
This change highlights the value of content created by someone who has direct experience in what they’re writing about, which is particularly relevant in health and wellness industry.
PS: Experience is where humans have an edge on AI-generated content!
3) The Medic Update And YMYL Topics
The Medic update rolled out in 2018 and it was pivotal for websites in what Googles calls YMYL (Your Money Your Life) topics.
With this update, Google significantly raised the bar for content on websites that write about health, wellness or finance.
They deemed these subjects of the highest importance and greatest impact and wanted to make sure they weren’t promoting harmful information.
4) The Helpful Content Update
In the fall of 2022, Google rolled out the Helpful Content Update (HCU).
Working alongside E-E-A-T and Medic, this update was designed to reward content that is genuinely useful and satisfying to users, while demoting content that seems to be written more for search engines than for people.
For you, this means focusing on creating content that answers your target audience’s questions and offers them real value, rather than just trying to rank well on search engine results pages.
If this makes you scratch your head, I’m with you. To me, it sounds like this:
You’ve got to optimize to rank well in the algorithm, but don’t write content for the algorithm.
To try and bring a little clarity, here are some examples of UN-helpful content:
- Raw AI-output published direct-to-blog without human editing
- Articles with clickbaity-titles (think, very sensational titles for posts that then under-deliver)
- Bait-and-switch tactics (e.g. promising one thing in the title and then delivering something else)
Here’s what I can tell you: For most of you reading this, this distinction is trivial. You’re not out trying to game Google to get eyes on your content.
But…
In September 2023, Google rolled out an update to the Helpful Content Update that hit a lot of health and wellness sites and other niche-sites pretty hard.
Full disclosure, I was hit pretty hard by this one.
This update put a lot more weight on the credentials of the person writing the content. For example, on topics of pelvic health, Google will prioritize content written by physical therapists and doctors.
Does this spell doom for coaches? Nope. We just have to be a little strategic with our topic selection and keyword research.
What Is E-E-A-T?
So, today we’re not dealing with your Grandma’s Google.
And I think I’ve hammered in the point that SEO changes and so your SEO strategies have to change.
And the biggest change is that we need to focus more on creating helpful content that demonstrates E-E-A-T qualities.
Here are a few ways you can address E-E-A-T in your website copy:
1) Experience
Real experience resonates more than just facts.
- Demonstrate personal, real-world experience.
- Share your own transformation, origin story, client success stories, and/or personal anecdotes.
- Support your written content with original photos and videos. All those exercise demos you’ve filmed? Use them!
2) Expertise
Make sure you are staying within your scope of practice and scope of expertise.
- Highlight your qualifications, credentials and ongoing education.
- Write in-depth blog posts and how-to guides.
- Share your opinions and insights on topics to demonstrate thought leadership.
3) Authority
Authority is about being recognized by others in your field. This is what we’d call an “off-page” factor because it’s less about what you’re doing directly in your content and more about what you’re doing around the web.
- Build your authority by contributing to reputable publications, speaking on podcasts and earning links from other high authority websites.
- Make sure you’re creating directory listings in any certification-related directory that you’re eligible for.
4) Trustworthiness
Trust is key in the health and wellness space.
- Earn trust by being transparent and ethical.
- Include an author byline that explains who wrote a piece of content and why they’re qualified to do so.
- Include clear disclaimers, cite credible sources, and ensure everything you publish is factually accurate.
Think of E-E-A-T as a checklist. Tick the boxes. Most of these items should flow pretty organically.
And here’s something else to know:
Continue To Double-Down On SEO Fundamentals
E-E-A-T is sugar coating on the fundamentals.
You can’t demonstrate these qualities without relevant, high-quality content, keyword optimization, technical SEO, and backlinks.
E-E-A-T and HCU offer frameworks to ensure your content is genuinely useful, engaging and makes an original contribution.
This isn’t a bad thing. Mastering these frameworks will make you a better content creator and it will make your content rise to the top in an internet increasingly flooded with low-quality AI-generated muck.
SEO For Your Health And Wellness Business
SEO is different if you’re in the health and wellness service space.
Just is.
And if you’re taking your advice from a travel blogger, an enterprise-level SEO consultant or an ecommerce seller- you’ll find that the advice isn’t going to land.
Here’s the deal:
Google holds health and wellness content creators to a higher standard than almost anyone else (save finance-content creators).
If your here, it’s because you want to increase your online visibility and I’m willing to bet you care a lot about providing the best value to your people.
Spend some time understanding the HCU and mastering E-E-A-T. It’s not just good for Google, it’s good for your people.
If you need support identifying great topics and keywords, I can create your blog strategy for you or I can spend an hour with you and guide you through the process of creating one yourself. Visit my services page for more information!
