Healthcare marketing strategySEOData and ROI4 min read MozCon 2021: 5 takeaways for healthcare marketers

Like many conferences in the past year, MozCon, held July 12–14, was virtual. This year's conference provided relevant and timely information across a whole spectrum of topics related to search engine optimization (SEO).

Here we share five key takeaways from this year's conference, with a focus on how the information might help your healthcare marketing efforts.

Best practices aren't always best for your site

There's no doubt that best practices are important. But a number of presenters at this year's conference pointed out that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to a successful digital strategy and that blindly following best practices isn't always the right thing to do for your website.

Casie Gillette had some wonderfully simple advice: don't spend time and money on things that don't work for you, no matter what the best practice is.

Healthcare takeaway: Be aware of best practices and trends. But also remember that what works for ecommerce isn't always going to work for your healthcare organization. One of the best things you can do is to partner with vendors who understand not only the broader digital landscape, but healthcare specifically, and who can help you verify that your tactics are actually helping you reach your audience.

When we have to make a quick decision, we always go back to what we know

This is why people choose a brand. According to Flavilla Fongang, our instinctual brain that controls the body’s vital functions, including the fight or flight response, has a greater impact on our final buying decision than the emotional or rational parts of the brain. When making a purchasing decision, we consider 80% brand and 20% product. Our favorite brands almost always try to exceed expectations.

Healthcare takeaway: Go beyond the unexpected but always support your client's ultimate goal. Does your content help your consumer fix a problem or stimulate a desire? Offer options that make their lives easier. Differentiate your claims and demonstrate the value of your offer. And with your content, place the most important information at the beginning and repeat it at the end.

Expertise, authority and trustworthiness (E-A-T) pays off

In one of the most valuable presentations of the conference, Lily Ray shared examples of how Google is continuing to prioritize content that meet its E-A-T guidelines. This is particularly true for "your-money-or-your-life" topics like healthcare. Sites that meet guidelines for trustworthiness, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have seen big gains in search performance in recent years.

Healthcare takeaway: Health system and health plan websites tend to be seen as trustworthy by consumers and by Google. This is something you can lean in to. For example, if you have a blog, use your providers as authors and link to their profile pages where people can learn more about their expertise. If your providers are too busy to write the posts themselves, employ a ghost writer who can do an interview. Of course, always have the provider review the information for accuracy before it's published.

Drive content results by thinking more like an investor

Marketing is not an expense; it is an investment. According to Ross Simmonds, people see value in information, so the content we create should be viewed as valued assets. Every blog, every landing page, every social media post are your organization's assets. And we want our investments to bring return.

Healthcare takeaway: Diversify your content portfolio. Balance the level of risk your brand can tolerate as well as the traffic, conversion, nurturing and brand development goals you need. Diversify your content marketing investments across different asset classes, such as blog posts, landing pages, social media and interactive content. Asset allocation can help mitigate risk and achieve your long-term business objectives.

Content doesn't last forever

Even the best content stops performing well after a while. According to Kameron Jenkins, reasons for this include search engine algorithm updates, changes to your competition's content, and information becoming outdated over time. The answer is a continuous cycle of reviewing and refreshing content.

Healthcare takeaway: If your content hasn't been reviewed in the past year or more, now is the time for an audit. But you don't have to take on the whole website at once. Start by identifying your highest value content and looking for opportunities to make improvements.

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