U.S. adults increasingly use the internet to research health-related content.

With all the new fad diets, people need health resources they can trust when attempting to improve their lifestyles, and a high percentage of Americans turn to the internet. Pew Internet Research notes that approximately 35 percent of U.S. adults go online to self-diagnose their medical conditions, even though medical professionals still maintain people’s top choice when dealing with a serious illness.

More, among those people who have researched online to figure out the causes of their ailments, 53 percent later saw a medical professional to benefit from treatment. However, health-related brands should evaluate online trends surrounding the behaviors of American consumers. The resources used by sick U.S. adults can help organizations identify marketing avenues, helping improve brand awareness and lead generation by positioning branded content in front of patients in need of quick assistance.

Search engines help people feel well again

Health and BeautyAccording to Pew, 59 percent of U.S. adults say they’ve looked online for health information in the past 12 months. Eight of 10 Americans started their research on a search engine. Healthcare brands that publish SEO content aimed at helping prospective patients make immediate decisions on their wellness can build rapport with prospective and current customers. It’s one thing for a healthcare site to help people understand the illnesses they may be suffering from, but it’s another to offer tips on how to feel better. Healthcare organizations that prove their industry prowess and credibility through custom content build loyal fan bases online.

Social media helps patients, too

U.S. adults spent about 62.2 billion minutes accessing Facebook via their personal computers between July 2011 and July 2012, according to Nielsen. Healthcare brands that want to promote their products or services via social media should do so on Facebook. The social network giant attracts the widest audience, and timely posts can have an impact on engagement.

According to LinchpinSEO, health-related posts generate 11 percent higher interaction rates when brands publish social media content to their Pages on the weekends. Organizations that alter their strategies to take advantage of when people actively engage on Facebook see the benefits swiftly in the form of noticeable ROI and new leads.

Ted Karczewski is an Executive Communications Associate at Brafton. He works to develop his own voice and apply his passions to the evolving world of SEO and content marketing, but he doesn't shy away from writing for fun. After graduating from Suffolk University, Ted used his Communications degree to test out Sports Journalism before Marketing at Brafton.