Google Blog: In the Health Niche

From the Google Blog:

(Google recently took part in a FDA hearing particularly concerning the pharma industry, The way SEO affects information about pharmaceuticals on the web was being detrimental, with much misinformation being spread, so Google had a plan to help.)

“We share their (the FDA’s) goal of better understanding how to promote medical products online in a non-misleading and balanced manner. That’s why at today’s FDA hearing, we proposed a new Google ad design for FDA-related approved products that highlights an extra line of text clearly stating important risks, with a link to even more information for consumers. We think this new format will help set a clear standard for advertisers and give users important information.

The Internet, and how people use it, has changed a lot since the FDA last examined access to online health information in 1996. On Google alone, we’ve seen health condition searches increase several times over. What this tells us is that people find health related searches – and the ads they return – useful. We think this new ad proposal for FDA-approved products will make those searches even more helpful.”

Now the proposed standard for poduct claim sponsored links in the results will require:

1. Headline will link to designated landing page such as the home page
2. A ‘Warning’ phrase will be fixed, and cannot be modified
3. The remaining 62 visible characters may be modified
4. ‘more info’ will lead directly to ‘risk information’.

Webmasters would do well to carefully follow this lead when creating snippets for pharma product material. The FDA is nothing to mess with.