Medic Update
The Medic Update, introduced by Google in August 2018, is a search algorithm change that significantly impacted content related to health, medical, and wellness topics. The primary aim of this update is to provide users with reliable and authoritative information. The Medic Update evaluates the quality and reliability of content based on the principles of E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
Key Features of the Medic Update
Emphasis on E-A-T: E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, which are critical criteria used by Google to evaluate content quality. These elements are particularly important for information related to health and medicine.
Impact on YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) Content: Content that directly affects people's lives or health, such as health, medical, and financial information (YMYL content), is rigorously evaluated. Content from unreliable sources is likely to see a drop in search rankings.
Preference for Reliable Sources: Content from authoritative sources like reputable medical institutions, universities, and government agencies is favored in search results.
Impact of the Medic Update
Ranking Fluctuations for Health and Medical Sites: Many health-related sites experienced changes in their search rankings due to this update. While some sites saw a significant rise in rankings, others deemed less reliable experienced a drop.
Need for Improved Content Quality: Website operators must enhance the expertise, authority, and trustworthiness of their content. This is especially crucial for YMYL content.
Measures to Address the Medic Update
Engaging Reliable Authors: It's essential to have content written by doctors, experts, or certified professionals with the relevant expertise.
Clear Author Information and Content Transparency: Clearly display author information and their qualifications to enhance trust. It is also important to provide sources and references for the information presented.
Providing High-Quality Content: Regularly update content to ensure it is accurate and up-to-date. Health and medical information should be based on the latest research and guidelines.
Appropriate Use of External Links and Citations: Actively link to and cite reliable external sites to support your information. This practice enhances the credibility of the content in Google's evaluation.
Managing User Reviews and Feedback: Collect and publish user reviews and feedback to improve trustworthiness. Addressing negative feedback appropriately is also important.
Practical Examples of the Medic Update
Medical Information Sites: Sites providing health and medical information should have all articles reviewed by doctors or experts and clearly display author information to ensure credibility.
Health Blogs: Health-related bloggers should highlight their expertise and qualifications, and frequently cite trustworthy sources to enhance content reliability.
Wellness Product Sales Sites: Sites selling wellness products should provide detailed product information, scientific evidence, and customer reviews to improve trustworthiness.
The Medic Update aims to provide users with highly reliable information, especially for content related to health and medicine. Adhering to the principles of E-A-T and offering high-quality, trustworthy content is essential for responding effectively to this update and improving search rankings.