Google Medic Update – Optimization & Recovery 2022 Guide

Over a billion people use Google’s search engine regularly, and getting to the top of their SERPs is the goal of nearly every site out there. Since its creation, both Google and digital marketing specialists alike have tried to make the algorithm work for them. Google wants to show its users the most authoritative sites that do more than just match keyword searches. As such, it rolls out updates to better its SERP rankings. These updates are not advertised beforehand nor explicitly explained to the SEO industry. Still, what do we know about the update?  

Google’s New Algorithm: Medic Update

We know that Google released an update to its core algorithm on 1 August 2018. This update has since been colloquially referred to as the “medic update”, as it primarily seems to have affected websites that fall within the medical niche. In fact, of those sites affected, an incredible 41.5% have been health-related, while only 16% were eCommerce related and 10.8% business related.  

All other niches have experienced a relatively minimal impact, though you will likely have experienced some keyword fluctuation following the update. This does not mean that your current SEO strategy is now blacklisted or that you have done anything wrong. It simply means that some of your competitors have been focusing and prioritising building trust and authority faster than you have – especially if they immediately began deploying Google medic recovery strategies in the wake of the update. 

What Is The Medic Update? 

Google’s medic update was implemented to help the search engine determine authority and expertise online. Through its algorithm’s core ranking factors, Google strives to push authoritative, expert, and high-quality content to the top of its search results. It may sound fairly simple when put in basic terms. However, there is far more to navigating the challenges this update has thrown, as evidenced by the key factors Google now commands from those seeking to rank high on its search pages.  

What Medic Update Is Looking For  

Google medic update recovery tactics are now geared towards extra elements that were not as necessary in the past. Though we do not know the exact changes in the latest update, a quick analysis from the SEO industry have deduced that what Google is now looking for is trust, authority, and expertise.  

According to the search engine’s guidelines, it now measures pages in terms of “Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness”: E.A.T. Websites that suffered a negative impact after the medic update Google imposed may have been penalised due to what the giant’s algorithm perceived as “trust issues”. As such, the quality and legitimacy of the content on your website and pages are subsequently more important than ever before, even with customer reviews now having a solid say in your search engine ranking scores.  

How to Build Trust and Authority  

Google algorithm recovery is possible! Trust and authority can be obtained by producing and posting content that is seen as industry-leading. In other words, post informative and useful articles for your users. The more industry or niche specific, the better you rank in your field. Other ways that you can build trust and authority outside of your content strategy include: 

1. Include links to the content you create from service pages or landing pages. Doing so will indicate to Google that your content is authoritative and relevant, improving your domain authority on a certain topic.
2. Build trust through customer reviews and ensure that these reviews are present on your target landing pages. These testimonials don’t have to come via Google reviews, either. The algorithm also considers trustworthy review sites, such as Trustpilot, Glass Door and Yelp, to name a few. In addition to reviews, you should also include a schema markup so that Google’s algorithm bots can pick up and understand both the content on your pages as well as the reviews. These external reviews will then improve your authority and ranking.
3. Avoid selling products that could compromise safety – this won’t do your Google recovery any favours in the aftermath of the medic update. If your business sells goods, it’s wise to review every one and ensure none of them could be deemed unsafe by Google’s standards. 
4. Maintain and update your website regularly with high-quality, relevant content. Doing so tells Google that you have up-to-date information for those seeking out sites like yours, which the search engine giant will respond to favourably by boosting your rankings.
5. Create an author biography or profile of those who write content on your website, not forgetting to link any appropriate URLs that back up their experience. Linking to authoritative pages, such as published journals, whitepapers, and your writers’ LinkedIn profiles, can help Google acknowledge and understand their expertise in their niche, improving your search engine rankings.
6. Build your authority on other domineering internet platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. Doing so further validates your firm position within your business’s sector and earns Google’s algorithm’s respect.
7. Add genuine contact information on every page of your website, or at least have a robust and legitimate “Contact Us” page containing your company email address, phone number and physical address. Displaying this useful information across each page on your site indicates legitimacy and trust in Google’s eyes. It delivers value to your site’s visitors, which the search engine will reward you. 

What Are We Doing For You?

The first thing to remember is that, though frustrating, Google’s algorithm updates are not bad. They are simply trying to provide a better quality search for their users, meaning that more trust and increased traffic will go to those who rank at the top. To help you improve your ranking and continue to succeed after every update, we will analyse how the update has impacted our clients and work on a specific strategy to improve your ranking on Google’s SERPs.  

We have seen that some clients have experienced significant keyword fluctuations as Google’s algorithm bots have crawled through sites. These fluctuations further seemed to occur for sites ranking 20 or higher. Fluctuations are normal after an update and are useful in determining what Google’s new algorithm update is looking for. In this case, Google seems to be looking for more content relevancy. That is why we are having keyword mapping and content updates done for all of our clients who have experienced a keyword ranking fluctuation since the implementation of the Medic Update.  

The Takeaways  

Google will continue to roll out new updates to its algorithm, and we will work on improving your SEO strategy so that these updates work for you. As mentioned, the search engine’s newest update referred to as the “medic update” seems to be scanning for websites with high trust authority, bolstering their position when they showcase the required level of legitimacy and expertise.  

Using our Click medic update methods, we can help boost your search engine rankings and drive traffic to your website by strategically injecting that all-important authority and trust into your online presence – whatever your industry. 

We will build your trust authority by:  

1. Creating custom content and informative articles that are useful to your users. These will come in the form of guides and how-to articles within your niche. 
2. We will add links to this content through service or target landing pages. 
3. Build trust through customer reviews that are viewable on service/target landing pages. We will then ensure that your customer reviews are properly marked up with a schema so that Google’s algorithm can pick them up.