Search engine optimization (SEO) has always been challenging in healthcare digital marketing. Fast-evolving technologies and algorithms have made it even harder for companies to stay current with their SEO and content strategy.
The influx of more of the same AI-generated content has prompted Google to take a more user-centric and intent-driven approach to determining SEO ranking, which is ultimately good news for businesses willing to invest in a sound SEO and content strategy.
The rise of AI search engines and zero-click searches has shifted user behaviors. Meanwhile, the increasing use of digital voice assistants has made voice search optimization an essential component of any SEO and content strategy.
Let's explore how healthcare SaaS companies can adapt to these new trends.
AI-generated content has changed how Google ranks websites. Its latest policies put quality over quantity, prioritizing engaging content that provides real value to users. It also emphasizes the ethical use of AI and automation tools, acknowledging AI’s role in content production but insisting on accuracy and reliability.
Your SEO and content strategy must prioritize the user experience to achieve top rankings on relevant search engine results pages (SERPs). As you produce high-quality content, address your target audience’s search intent, build trust with authenticity, and establish topic authority.
Additionally, adhere to the E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) that Google's Quality Raters use to assess content quality. The guidelines further emphasize the importance of building trust through original, thought leadership content with unique perspectives.
At the end of 2024, 8.4 billion voice assistants are in use globally. The number of voice assistant users in the U.S. will increase to 157.1 million in 2026. Healthcare SaaS marketers can’t afford to ignore the prominence of voice search and how it affects their SEO and content strategy.
Voice search has changed user behaviors and expectations. For example, keywords have become more conversational, and more people now use full-sentence, long-tail search terms. This shift means voice search optimization strategies must focus on conversational, natural language queries.
Additionally, users are more likely to formulate their queries as questions, so you should include FAQ-style format in your SEO and content strategy. Voice assistants often read directly from the top featured snippet on SERPs. It’s critical to secure this “position zero” with concise, direct, and informative answers optimized for zero-click searches.
Since Google rolled out zero-click searches in 2020, more people have been using this feature to find the answers they need directly on SERPs without clicking to visit links on the open web. In 2024, nearly 60% of Google searches end without a click.
Zero-click searches may impact your organic website traffic, but it doesn’t mean you should stop optimizing for SEO. Appearing in zero-click search results (e.g., featured snippets, knowledge panels, and local packs) helps boost visibility and brand awareness while establishing authority within your niche, even if you don’t get a click.
To adapt to zero-click searches, create content that addresses your audience’s search intent and directly answers user queries. Optimize it for featured snippets and use schema markup to help search engines understand your website content.
Adjust your KPIs to support a more holistic SEO and content strategy. In addition to organic website traffic, click-through rates, and conversion rates, you should measure search impressions, featured snippet appearance rate, average position in search results, organic search visibility, knowledge panel presence, and brand awareness metrics.
The rise of AI search engines takes zero-click searches one step further, allowing users to see an overview of the search topic without clicking on links. But is this feature the end of driving organic traffic through SEO? Not so fast — the changes may benefit businesses that double down on their SEO and content strategy.
According to Google, AI overviews have caused users to conduct more searches because they can ask conversational questions that were too hard to formulate into search terms in the past. Many people will click on the links after reading an AI overview to learn more. Moreover, a study found that links in position #1 of an AI overview experience an increase in click-through rates.
AI search engines emphasize user intent and semantics. Google is selective when choosing the links to feature in AI overviews, so producing high-quality content that meets the E-E-A-T guidelines is more important than ever. Additionally, use natural language and long-tail keywords in your content to match how users formulate their queries.
Staying current with the latest SEO and content marketing best practices is essential for brand visibility and fostering trust with a healthcare audience. A knowledgeable healthcare marketing agency helps you create high-quality content to showcase your expertise, build authority, and increase trustworthiness to get noticed by your ideal customers.
Spot On helps healthcare SaaS companies improve their visibility and generate high-quality leads through search. Schedule a chat to see how we can help you maximize the impact of your SEO and content strategy.
Our Account Strategist Madison loves being on the strategic side of marketing – seeing a good creative plan put into action makes her happy, as does developing relationships with our clients. A self-starter through and through, motivation and determination are themes in her career; she’s always trying something new, whether she’s listening to podcasts, redecorating her house or taking up running. Madison is our lifelong learner, our note-taker, and our platform expert, and in line with the rest of our animal-loving crew, she’s also mom to three crazy pets.
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