Make Your Health Content Smarter than Google

Mike Maloney, University of Vermont Medical CenterAhava Leibtag, Aha Media Group

November 9, 2016

University of Vermont Medical Center• Flagship hospital for 5-hospital system• Serve 1 million people in Vermont

and northern New York• Teaching hospital • Only academic medical center in state• Only Level 1 trauma center in Vermont

Aha Media Group • Offers content strategy and content marketing consultancy• Specialize in content strategy, web writing and content

marketing solutions for hospitals and health systems• Provides a team of content strategists and content writers

with expertise in healthcare communications

5 Year Partnership

2012: First work together

2014: Rebrand & redesign

2017: Update & redesign

TodayPart I: How do people search for healthcare information?Part II: How can you deliver high-value content that prospective patients want?Part III: How can you build a content strategy that draws more traffic to your site? Part IV: Lessons learned

Part I:How do people search for healthcare

information?

How do Health Searches Happen?• 84% of patients use both online and offline sources for hospital

research• Search drives nearly 3x as many visitors to hospital sites

compared to non-search visitors• Patients search on symptoms and condition terms until

conversion• Patients who book an appointment conducted 15+ searches

Source: 2012 Google/Compete Hospital Study “The Digital Journey to Wellness”

Health Topics Most ResearchedTop 3: 1. Diseases or conditions2. Treatments or procedures3. Doctors or other health professionals

Source: 2012 Google/Compete Hospital Study “The Digital Journey to Wellness”

What Patients Want to Know• What’s wrong with me?• How can it be fixed?• Who’s going to fix it?• What will it cost?• Is there free WiFi?

The Internet as a Diagnostic Tool

Google health information

What does this mean for marketers?

Part II:How can you deliver high-value content

that prospective patients want?

Don’t Try to Be WebMD

Most Important Info on Hospital Site

National Research Corp: hctransparency.org

Highlight Organization’s Offerings• Your specialists/expertise• Conditions treated & your hospital’s approach• What patients should expect• Patient testimonials• Metrics: quality, satisfaction, volume, cost• Competitive differentiators• Facilitate access

Part III: How to build a content strategy that

supports this

UVM Case Study: Objectives1. Offer robust health information to attract quality traffic

2. Instill confidence

3. Lead visitors to take action

Content Strategy• Develop original content• Feature our experts and expertise• Promote conditions, treatments and specialists• Optimize underutilized content

Tactics• Develop condition & department content• Feature experts on blog • Enhance provider directory bios • Implement comprehensive SEO strategy • Targeted paid advertising strategy • Leverage health library to fill gaps

Department & Condition Content

Blog

Provider Bios

SEO Strategy• Perform audit of on/offsite SEO • Optimize content & page elements• Implement internal linking strategy• Add consistent calls to action

Have a Health Library? Here’s How to Use It.

1. Fill gaps2. Provide comprehensive related info3. Serve up related relevant content:

blogs, videos or social media sites 4. Include CTAs and internal links

Hybrid Page

Part IV: Results

17% Rise in Organic Traffic: Depts & Conditions

Aug-1

5

Sep-1

5

Oct-15

Nov-1

5

Dec-1

5

Jan-

16

Feb-1

6

Mar-1

6

Apr-1

6

May-1

6

Jun-

16Ju

l-16

Aug-1

615,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

20,000

21,000

22,000

23,000

Departments & Conditions

Sess

ions

33% Rise in Organic Traffic: Blog

Aug-1

5

Sep-1

5

Oct-15

Nov-1

5

Dec-1

5

Jan-

16

Feb-1

6

Mar-1

6

Apr-1

6

May-1

6

Jun-

16Ju

l-16

Aug-1

61,500

1,700

1,900

2,100

2,300

2,500

2,700

2,900

Organic Traffic to Blog

Sess

ions

46% Rise in Organic Traffic: Providers

Aug-1

5

Sep-1

5

Oct-15

Nov-1

5

Dec-1

5

Jan-

16

Feb-1

6

Mar-1

6

Apr-1

6

May-1

6

Jun-

16Ju

l-16

Aug-1

65,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

10,000

11,000

12,000

13,000

Organic Traffic to Provider Profiles

Sess

ions

Measure Content Engagement

W/O Video With Video0:00

0:28

0:57

1:26

1:55

2:24

2:52

3:21

3:50

1:21

3:21

MD Profile Time on Page

75-100%

258% Rise in Paid Traffic

Aug-1

5

Sep-1

5

Oct-15

Nov-1

5

Dec-1

5

Jan-

16

Feb-1

6

Mar-1

6

Apr-1

6

May-1

6

Jun-

16Ju

l-16

Aug-1

60

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

Paid Traffic

Sess

ions

Goal Accomplishment

Aug-1

5

Sep-1

5

Oct-15

Nov-1

5

Dec-1

5

Jan-

16

Feb-1

6

Mar-1

6

Apr-1

6

May-1

6

Jun-

16Ju

l-16

Aug-1

61,500

1,700

1,900

2,100

2,300

2,500

2,700

2,900

3,100

3,300

Click-to-Call Actions (53%)

Aug-1

5

Sep-1

5

Oct-15

Nov-1

5

Dec-1

5

Jan-

16

Feb-1

6

Mar-1

6

Apr-1

6

May-1

6

Jun-

16Ju

l-16

Aug-1

61,500

6,500

11,500

16,500

21,500

26,500

Doctor Tab Clicks (425%)

Aug-1

5

Sep-1

5

Oct-15

Nov-1

5

Dec-1

5

Jan-

16

Feb-1

6

Mar-1

6

Apr-1

6

May-1

6

Jun-

16Ju

l-16

Aug-1

650

70

90

110

130

150

170

190

Online Appt Requests (85%)

Part IV: Lessons Learned

Prioritize• Analytics and site search queries• Marketing priorities• Highly trafficked pages• High patient volumes• Opportunities for conversions

Plan• Personas• Page purpose• Content template• Define CTAs/success measures• Test, test and test again• Identify resources

Tools

ExecuteIf using an external vendor:• Treat as a strategic partner• Use internal point persion

– Identify SMEs– Do hand-off– Remove roadblocks

• Regular status check-ins

Monitor & Enhance• Watch your analytics• Check CTA performance• Use heat mapping and click tracking• Measure user satisfaction • Look at how to add additional value (video, podcast, blog)• Review content with SME once a year

Questions?

Thank you!Mike MaloneyUniversity of Vermont Medical Centermike.maloney@uvmhealth.org

Ahava LeibtagAha Media Groupahava@ahamediagroup.com