The Google Medic update, rolled out in August 2018, was a broad core algorithm update that disproportionately impacted websites in the healthcare, wellness, and medical industries. It focused on improving the quality of search results for Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) websites, prioritizing content that demonstrated expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-A-T).
This guide explores the purpose, functionality, impact on SEO, and best practices to optimize websites affected by the Google Medic update.
What is the Google Medic Update?
Introduction and Timeline
The Google Medic update was officially launched on August 1, 2018, and affected a wide range of industries, especially those that fell under YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) categories.
YMYL Websites: These include websites that provide content related to health, finance, legal advice, and safety — areas where inaccurate or misleading information can significantly impact users’ well-being or finances.
While Google initially termed it a broad core update, SEO experts and analysts observed that it heavily affected medical, healthcare, and fitness websites, giving it the name “Medic” update.
How Does the Google Medic Update Work?
The Medic update enhanced Google’s ability to assess the E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) of a website, with a focus on protecting users from misleading, inaccurate, or low-quality information.
Key Elements of the Medic Update:
- E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
- Websites in the YMYL space were evaluated based on their expertise of authors, authority of the content, and trustworthiness of the information.
- Medical, health, and financial content needed to be written by subject matter experts to maintain high search rankings.
- Content Quality and Relevance
- Google assessed whether the content was accurate, well-researched, and updated regularly.
- High-quality, evidence-based content that provided value to the user was prioritized.
- Website Reputation and Backlinks
- Websites with strong backlink profiles from authoritative sources were given preference.
- Sites with poor backlink quality or those lacking authoritative references saw a drop in rankings.
- Author Bylines and Credentials
- Google placed importance on displaying author bios and credentials, especially for content dealing with medical advice, finance, and safety.
- Sites that lacked transparency and credibility experienced ranking declines.
- User Trust and Security
- Sites with HTTPS encryption and a focus on user security gained ranking advantages.
- Google also favored websites with positive user reviews and trusted online reputations.
What Was the Main Purpose of the Medic Update?
The primary objective of the Google Medic update was to:
- Ensure Content Accuracy in YMYL Niches: Safeguard users by promoting content that is accurate, well-researched, and authored by experts.
- Combat Misinformation and Low-Quality Content: Reduce the visibility of misleading or potentially harmful information, particularly in health, wellness, and finance sectors.
- Strengthen E-A-T Guidelines: Prioritize websites with high authority, proven expertise, and trustworthy credentials.
Why Was It Necessary?
Misinformation in critical fields like healthcare, finance, and law posed a risk to users. Google introduced the Medic update to ensure that users receive reliable and trustworthy information, minimizing the chances of misguided or potentially dangerous advice being ranked at the top.
How Did the Google Medic Update Change SEO?
1. Emphasis on E-A-T for YMYL Sites
Websites that failed to meet Google’s E-A-T standards experienced significant drops in search visibility. This shift pushed website owners to prioritize high-quality, fact-based, and authoritative content.
2. Higher Standards for Health and Medical Content
Healthcare and wellness websites needed to provide medically reviewed, fact-checked, and evidence-based content. Unverified or anecdotal content was pushed down in rankings.
3. Importance of Author Authority and Transparency
Google began favoring websites that showcased author expertise and transparency by including author bios, credentials, and relevant qualifications.
4. Increased Importance of User Trust and Reputation
Websites with positive user reviews, high authority backlinks, and secure connections (HTTPS) gained higher trust and visibility.
How Do I Optimize for the Google Medic Update?
To recover from or prevent a Medic update penalty, website owners should focus on improving E-A-T, content quality, and site reputation.
1. Strengthen Your E-A-T Profile
- Demonstrate Expertise: Content should be authored by industry experts with verifiable credentials.
- Showcase Author Credentials: Add author bios, certifications, and experience to demonstrate expertise and authority.
- Build Brand Authority: Gain mentions and backlinks from reputable sites to strengthen your brand’s authority.
2. Improve Content Accuracy and Depth
- Fact-Check and Cite Sources: Provide accurate, well-researched, and up-to-date information.
- Use Peer-Reviewed References: Cite authoritative sources such as medical journals, government publications, and trusted research.
- Update Old Content Regularly: Refresh content to ensure accuracy and relevance.
3. Optimize for User Trust and Security
- Migrate to HTTPS: Ensure your website is secure by using SSL certificates.
- Manage Online Reputation: Encourage positive user reviews and actively respond to feedback.
- Ensure Transparency: Provide clear privacy policies and contact information to build trust.
4. Enhance Technical SEO and Site Usability
- Optimize Page Speed: Improve loading times to enhance user experience.
- Ensure Mobile-Friendliness: Implement responsive design for seamless mobile access.
- Use Structured Data Markup: Utilize schema markup to provide search engines with context about your content.
5. Build High-Quality Backlinks
- Earn Links from Authoritative Sources: Aim for backlinks from trusted sites within your industry.
- Avoid Spammy Link Building Practices: Low-quality backlinks can harm your E-A-T score.
Proven Strategies to Rank Higher Post-Medic Update
- Audit and Improve Content: Perform a content audit to identify thin, outdated, or low-quality pages and enhance them.
- Add Author Bios and Credentials: Clearly display author expertise and verify credentials on all YMYL content.
- Gain Authoritative Backlinks: Focus on earning backlinks from trusted and high-authority domains.
- Maintain a Positive Reputation: Manage and respond to user reviews to maintain a strong online reputation.
- Use Schema Markup for Better Visibility: Leverage structured data to help Google understand your content’s context.
Best Practices to Maintain High Rankings Post-Medic Update
- Focus on Content Accuracy and Transparency: Ensure that all information is well-researched and factually accurate.
- Demonstrate Trustworthiness: Build trust by showcasing author credentials, positive reviews, and secure connections.
- Optimize for User Engagement: Improve dwell time, reduce bounce rates, and encourage user interaction with engaging content.
- Regularly Update and Maintain Content: Keep content fresh, relevant, and aligned with current guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do I know if my site was affected by the Google Medic update?
If your website experienced a traffic drop post-August 2018, particularly in the healthcare, wellness, or financial sectors, you were likely affected by the Medic update.
2. Is the Google Medic update still relevant in 2025?
Yes, the principles of E-A-T and YMYL guidelines introduced by the Medic update remain a core part of Google’s search algorithm in 2025.
3. Can I recover if my site was penalized by the Medic update?
Yes, by improving content quality, enhancing E-A-T, and addressing trust signals, you can recover rankings over time.
4. Does Medic apply only to healthcare websites?
No, while healthcare and medical websites were most affected, the update impacted all YMYL categories, including finance, legal, and safety-related websites.
Final Thoughts
The Google Medic update emphasized the importance of E-A-T, content accuracy, and user trust, especially for YMYL websites. To maintain high rankings in a post-Medic landscape, focus on expert-authored content, transparent practices, and building authoritative backlinks.
