How Algorithm Changes Affect Medical Websites (Google’s Latest Update Explained)
If you’re a doctor, clinic owner, or someone working in the healthcare industry with a website, you might have noticed something strange lately. Your website traffic may have dropped. Or some pages that used to rank on Google have quietly disappeared. You’re not imagining things. Google recently rolled out another major algorithm update and this time it seems to be hitting medical websites especially hard. As someone who splits time between interning at Supreme Hospitals and writing content for D-Medva, I naturally got curious. So I did what I do best: I researched, asked around and connected the dots to understand what’s happening behind the scenes. In this post, I’ll explain what the update actually is, why medical websites are feeling the heat more than others and most importantly, what we can do to fix it or avoid the hit altogether. I’ll also share some of my real-world experiences from the hospital and how we’re adapting at D-Medva. What Did Google Change This Time? Google constantly updates its algorithm to improve the quality of search results, but not every update is created equal. Their March 2024 Core Update specifically zoomed in on content quality, trustworthiness and the reputation of the source. And for sites that fall under YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) like finance, legal and yes, medical websites the bar is now much higher. In plain English: Google now wants to ensure that serious topics (like health and wellness) are covered by people who actually know what they’re talking about. That means being clear about the author’s expertise, backing up claims with sources and avoiding anything that seems vague, outdated, or misleading. Google’s documentation emphasizes EEAT: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust. If your blog doesn’t reflect those qualities, even if it has great keywords, it could lose visibility. Why Are Medical Websites Being Hit the Hardest? Let’s imagine a patient searching for “how to treat high blood pressure naturally.” Google now double-checks whether the content comes from a credible medical source. It wants to be absolutely sure that the advice given is not only safe but also supported by professionals. If your page doesn’t mention who wrote it or cite any medical guidelines or studies, it might seem like generic or even risky advice. That’s when Google steps in and pushes it down the rankings to protect users. At Supreme Hospitals, I saw one of our most-read nutrition blogs suddenly drop from Page 1 to Page 5. We couldn’t figure it out at first. But after auditing the page, we noticed it had no author bio, no mention of the hospital and very few supporting references. Once we made those changes, we saw an improvement. What Can You Do to Protect Your Website? Here are the key actions we’re taking for our own platforms and for our clients: What I Learned First-Hand at the Hospital Let me give you a real example. We had a blog titled “Thyroid Symptoms in Women”. It had good information but was written in a very academic language. Our analytics showed high bounce rates. So we rewrote it like this: “If you’re always tired, your weight is acting funny and your periods are off-schedule, it may not just be stress. It could be your thyroid.” That one sentence made a huge difference. Suddenly, readers stayed longer, read other posts and even booked appointments. It ranked back on Page 1 in just two weeks. That’s how powerful clarity and relatability can be. We also added a section written by an endocrinologist to the post, explaining the importance of getting tested. That kind of authoritative addition made the post more credible not just for users but for Google as well. How D-Medva Is Helping Clinics Adapt At D-Medva, we’ve seen firsthand how these changes are shaking up the healthcare content space. One of the tools we now use across all our projects is a Content Health Score. It’s a checklist we developed that looks at: If a blog scores low, we either rewrite or archive it. No compromises. We’ve learned that Google doesn’t just want content. It wants quality care in content form. We also use tools like Google Search Console and SEMrush to monitor which pages are affected and why. This helps us act fast and recover lost visibility before it impacts patient engagement or lead flow. Final Thoughts It might seem overwhelming, especially if you’re already busy running a clinic or handling patients. But the goal behind this update is actually a good one: to ensure people get safe and helpful health information. If you’re a hospital, diagnostic center, or medical blogger, use this update as an opportunity. Audit your website. Identify weak pages. Make your content not just visible but truly valuable. And if you ever feel stuck or need someone to handle it all for you, D-Medva is here. We’re not just marketers. We’re part of the healthcare journey. Until next time, DivyashreeContent Writer @ D-Medva | Intern @ Supreme Hospitals | BSc Pharmacology
