With Healthcare & Pharma SEO 3x more customers - is that allowed?

What is SEO?

SEO (search engine optimization) is about increasing the visibility of websites on the Internet. The goal is for websites to be represented in the top positions in search engines (today almost exclusively Google), i.e. to "rank" higher. So you get more attention, more visitors, more brand impact and more customers. SEO achieves this goal by preparing web pages in such a way that they are considered important by search engines. This includes text, design and important keywords, whereby the website should have appealing content for the target group.

Why SEO for Pharma / Healthcare?

What does it mean to use the Internet these days? As a rule, it means to search - and to search with Google. Users find out about pretty much everything this way, from everyday products to conspiracy theories and yes, diseases and their treatment options. And on a grand scale: "slipped disc" is googled about 70,000 times a month, "meningitis" 33,000 times a month, and even technical terms like "dysphagia" 12,000 times a month. If you as a provider have not achieved a good ranking in Google's search results, i.e. if you are not represented on the first results page, you are practically invisible on the web. A higher ranking in the search results means for you: more visibility for your product, your brand and your company.

Studies show, among other things, that providers that appear at the top of Google are more likely to end up in the customer's 'relevant set', i.e. in the collection of brands that the customer considers relevant for his purchase decision and from which he later chooses a provider. In fact, this may also make it more likely that the empowered patient who finds a healthcare company with comprehensive information about a disease event on Google will later remember it and ask their doctor for solutions or treatment options from that company. In short, if a healthcare or pharmaceutical company wants to advertise effectively online, then successful search engine optimization is an absolute must in the vast majority of cases.

Isn't SEO forbidden for pharma?

We know: The pharmaceutical industry, but also some other healthcare providers, have to pay much more attention to advertising and online advertising than other industries and providers, because far more legal regulations apply to them. Advertising for pharmaceuticals is severely restricted by the German Drug Advertising Act (HWG). 

A fundamental distinction must be made between advertising restricted to specialist circles and public advertising. In principle, prescription drugs may only be advertised to specialist circles (e.g. doctors). 

However, despite these restrictions, pharmaceutical companies can also pursue many avenues online. We show you which ones - and what you need to watch out for. Disclaimer: This article is not a substitute for legal advice. As an agency, we can only show you possibilities - what can be implemented in your case must be clarified in a personal initial meeting.

Despite some advertising bans: Many opportunities for pharma SEO

Even with the restrictions of the HWG, it is possible to tackle advertising measures that relate to prescription Obtain medicines: 

For example, it is not prohibited to publish advice on certain diseases and suitable treatment options on the Internet and also to use audiovisual means. Such guides can be written in such a way that they also advise on treatment with certain drugs or therapies. By the way, surgical methods are not covered by the HWG.

The guides can be operated by the pharmaceutical company itself or by third parties. If drugs or therapies that are to be advertised are mentioned in third-party publications, these can also be used for targeted online marketing. Imagine you have a strong partner who runs a disease portal for you that ranks excellently on Google and attracts thousands of your potential patients every month. What possibilities would that have for you?

By the way, expert opinions, testimonials and scientific articles may also be advertised. These can often provide strong arguments for the use of a drug.

Similarly, package inserts do not fall under the advertising ban and may be made accessible on websites if they are offered as so-called "pull services". This means that the user must take an active step to access this information (e.g., click on a specific item in a menu).

For non-prescription You may also advertise medicines on the Internet, e.g. for some antihistamines, headache or cold remedies. The same applies to dietary supplements. Medical devices such as surgical instruments can also be advertised online - even via Google Adwords.

And finally, instead of individual drugs and therapies, you can also advertise and present the entire company, strengthen your brand, and thus gain influence with potential patients online via the brand effect.

What you should definitely pay attention to

Some requirements of the HWG should be considered for every advertising measure on the Internet. When it comes to medications, it must be clear at all times which provider belongs to the respective medication. The originator or the company behind a website must also be clearly identifiable. The separation between advertising to specialist circles and public advertising must also be observed on the Internet - areas for these different target groups must be separated on the website and in many cases even a protected area for specialist circles must be set up.

However, the strict regulations of the HWG do not apply to all providers on the net, but to pharmaceutical companies, clinics and doctors - not to all websites that provide information on health topics. Many things are possible on these sites, as long as they deal with "everyday illnesses" and these information sites neither call for their users to diagnose themselves nor to treat themselves.

Healthcare & Pharma SEO in good hands

We know how many well-thought-out steps are involved in building an effective and legally sound pharmaceutical or healthcare website. In addition to content and design, every subpage must comply with the provisions of the HWG and still be successful. And that's exactly what we know. We know the differences between "normal" SEO and pharma/healthcare SEO - and know what to do if the whole process takes a little longer because a text is stuck in the legal department for three months.

With our years of experience and knowledge of the often unclear and difficult legal situation:

• We create and operate publishing sites, information sites and health guides for you, optimize them for excellent rankings on Google, so that more and more potential patients become aware of your products
• Optimize your current corporate site, e.g. to provide relevant information to professionals
• Promote your current site for more brand impact online, especially appropriate attention on social media platforms 

With an integrated digital marketing and SEO partner who feels at home in the pharma and healthcare sector, you too can now look forward to up to three times more customers - through SEO alone, mind you.