Quick Takes
How can SEO help medical device companies?
There are many ways that SEO can help medical device companies. One way is by improving the visibility of their websites in search engine results pages. This can be achieved by optimizing the website’s content, structure, and code to ensure a helpful experience and speedy site loading. Additionally, SEO can help to increase the number of visitors to a website, and the quality of traffic, by generating targeted traffic through keyword research and targeted content.
How can SEO be used to improve visibility for medical device companies?
Use keyword research to identify the most popular and relevant topics and keywords that people are searching for when looking for medical devices. Once these terms are identified, they can be incorporated into the website content, titles, and tags to help improve the website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
How can SEO be used to improve search engine rankings for medical device & engineering companies?
There are several ways that SEO for medtech can be utilized to enhance search engine rankings for medical device companies. One way to achieve this is to use keyword-rich titles and descriptions for each page on the website. Another way is to create backlinks to the website from high-quality websites. Additionally, optimizing the website for specific topics and implementing intentional internal linking can help improve rankings by providing more relevant signals to Google when it crawls your website.
The Pesky SEO Details for Medical Device Businesses
The size of the medical device manufacturers’ market in the US in 2020 was valued at $176.7 billion. A great deal of this activity is centered around the San Francisco Bay Area, but it is a huge national business. Overall, the market is expected to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% between 2021 and 2028.
The San Francisco Bay Area remains a powerhouse in this sector, hosting over 850 medical device companies as of 2024. That’s roughly 20% of all medical device firms in the United States, making our region a hotspot for innovation in this field.
If you’re running one of these companies, the competition for visibility has never been fiercer. With so many players in the market, a strong SEO strategy isn’t just nice to have; it’s a necessity for survival and growth.
However, if you don’t know how to “use “do SEO”, such an undertaking might feel off-topic and a tad stressful. Often, medical technology-centric companies believe they can throw together a website over a weekend, add a few images, some text they thought of and a contact page, and call it a day.
But slapping a website together that fails as a business asset is a huge mistake.
Your website is the front door of your business!
So let’s review how medical device and biotech companies can take advantage of organic search engine optimization. Your medical device company can use an SEO strategy to position your company as a thought leader, get more customers and sell more medical devices than ever!
Why SEO Matters for Medtech Companies
There are two big challenges that suppliers, manufacturers, and inventors of medical devices face.
One challenge is ensuring that their potential customers are aware of the new products they’re introducing to the marketplace. This is typically the purview of lead generation, or demand generation programs.
The other challenge is educating the people who purchase medical devices so that they can create long-term partnerships.
Fortunately, by using medical device SEO, you can meet your firm’s challenges and generate qualified leads, such as ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient surgery centers, hospital ORs, and private practices.
Examples of SEO Services
When it comes to SEO for healthcare devices, numerous strategies and tactics are available.
For example, you could put an compendium online that makes it easy for your customers to learn about APIs, or Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients. You could create a resource hub for the management of prescription drug addictions. These drugs could include Adderall, Ativan, and Xanax.
You could also create a page that details common problems and their solutions as a series. You could come up with these topics based on issues that people commonly search for. To fire up that strategy, you can check out Google’s “People Also Ask” section in the search results for a topic you wish to rank for:
Other SEO services that could be helpful for an engineering firm’s webpages might include infographics that are clinic-ready or a so-called “pillar page” on an important industry topic. These types of pages are considered “evergreen” and essentially unchanging.
Another service that’s useful for promoting your healthcare device is white paper creation. If you published a white paper on groundbreaking outcomes and technology trends in your clients’ industry, it could capture their attention (as well as Google’s).
Results of SEO Pieces and Articles
When a company specializing in medical equipment and devices creates these pieces, it will target valuable transactional keywords. Additionally, each content piece will:
- Be engaging (to your audience)
- Present original insights
- Establish your credibility (with Google as well as LLMs like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini)
Each of these articles will reflect your product distribution, design, and development approach. They will also help solidify your standing in the eyes of key purchasers. These key purchasers will be at medical labs, private practices, and hospitals.
The Onboarding Process
When you hire a company like Boomcycle, which specializes in helping manufacturers improve their SEO, they’ll take you through an intake process.
First, they’ll conduct a review that’s detailed of your
- major competitors
- ideal clientele
- target audience
Second, they’ll develop a topical (often referred to as a “keyword”) strategy with the aim of enhancing visibility for your topic and driving conversions. This is a data-driven strategy, based on terms that your ideal client prospects search for.
One fundamental truth: if you want to rank for “ophthalmic gas delivery system”, and you only have the words “gas delivery system” on your website, Google will have a harder time ranking you than if you spelled out every word. This may seem trivial, but I’ve encountered this issue on hundreds of websites.
Third, an SEO agency will assess the overall health of your website. As needed, they’ll make improvements and updates. After this, they’ll conduct a CRO, or Conversion Rate Optimization, analysis to ensure a frictionless sales funnel.
Fourth, they’ll implement reporting systems, like our Boomcycle Marketing Intelligence System (MIS) which tracks the actual inquiries on your website. These systems are used for the analytics and reporting of data. As a result, they’ll be able to start tracking conversions and clicks from your marketing channels (all of them). For example, our MIS can track phone calls, form fills, chats, text messages…even offline marketing campaigns with QR codes.
Ongoing Campaign Process
Additionally, when you hire a company that specializes in helping medical device engineering firms improve their SEO, they’ll put together an ongoing campaign process for you.
They’ll produce thought leadership content for you (which you always vet for accuracy) and publish it on your website. This is typically done according to a set schedule.
Additionally, they’ll consult with you regarding leads, sales outcomes, and the progress of the campaign.
They’ll also identify other ways you can capitalize on other marketing channels’ content. These channels include social media and email.
Finally, they’ll generate reports. One of these will be every month. This report will be on KPIs which are typically the keywords for which you wish to rank in Google.
SEO for Medical Technology Companies
If someone’s looking for a medical device, they need to find a reputable company that sells high-quality medical devices. However, they aren’t going to find yours if you haven’t spent any time on your SEO. I’ll review here how you can use SEO for medical device companies.
What is SEO?
Search engine optimization, also known as SEO, is a process made up of several steps that makes it possible for your website to improve its search engine exposure. This will, in turn, make it more likely that you’ll get more clients.
Some more advanced SEO companies (you know, like Boomcycle) may even include on-page SEO “hyper-optimization”, which is a process that analyzes your content as well as the content of the Top 3 ranking pages, and gives you a clear road map of how to make the information on your page more appealing to Google.
How Does SEO Work for Medical Device Companies?
When you implement these steps effectively, you increase the likelihood that pages from your website will appear higher in search engine results pages.
This, in turn, makes it more likely that clients will find you when they complete an online search related to the medical devices you sell or a related subject. It will also enhance your authority and, consequently, your share of voice in your industry.
What’s the First Step in SEO for Medical Device Companies?
First, ensure that you have Google Analytics installed on your website and that Google Search Console is connected as well. These are baseline measurement tools that use data from Google (not perfect, but it’s the “best that exists”).
Another tool we encourage our clients to use is Google Tag Manager (GTM) to help organize all the various tags (Facebook and LinkedIn remarketing, heat map systems, etc.) that your CMO would like to utilize.
GTM can help you in managing your codes and tracking pixels going forward. But careful about adding too many marketing shiny objects, as they can tend to slow your site WAY down.
Note that, if you already have an account with WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or heaven forbid, Drupal, the setup of these tools works a little differently. You can find guides online to set up these Google tools.
Keep in mind that you should never give permission to someone else to have ownership of your business’s Google account. This is a red flag if an SEO company requests this. You should be able to easily “share” access with your SEO agency’s accounts.
What Data Should Medical Device Companies Pay Attention to in Google Analytics and Google Search Console?
When you use Google Search Console and Google Analytics, there are two analytics types you should pay the most attention to. One is goal completion source, and the other is traffic by source.
At Boomcycle, we create a custom web analytics and Google Ads dashboard in a system called “Looker” which gives our clients a complete and simplified view of their analytics.
What’s the Third Step in SEO for Medical Device Companies?
After you’ve set up your reporting tools, you should complete the second SEO step. In this step, you’ll have to claim your business in local business directories (and other directories) and optimize it, too. This is especially important if most of your clients are in one local area near you.
To get started, focus on your Google Business Profile, formerly known as “Google My Business”. If you don’t already have a profile, create one. Having a GBP account can help you to regionally rank in several ways.
Traditional Search Results Listings
First, your business will be able to rank in text listings on search engine results pages, or SERPs. This means that, whenever someone makes a search, they’ll be more likely to come across your content first and decide to go to your website instead of someone else’s.
Map Listings
Second, it having an optimized Google Business Profile will make it more likely that you’ll have good local map listings. If someone is looking up a medical devices company near them, they’ll be more likely to come across yours. Even if you’re a global company, a good GBP can serve as a point of recruitment and potentially attract local biotech investment, as what happened in Santa Cruz, California in early 2020.
Featured Snippets
Your business might also show up in featured snippets. These appear at the very top of search results and are larger than the others. This makes them more attractive to people completing a search—making your business more visible than your competitors.
Knowledge Panel
A knowledge panel is a small box that appears when you’re searching for an entity (such as a person, organization, or place) within the Knowledge Graph. If a knowledge panel appears, this will make searchers more likely to be interested in buying medical devices from your company.
What’s the Third Step in SEO for a Medical Device Company?
The third step you should undertake when improving your medical device company’s SEO is to optimize the content on your website. There are basic SEO rules to follow when you’re doing this. The first rule is to prioritize prominence.
This means focusing on optimizing the areas of your website that are most visually prominent. This might include content that should appear higher on a page.
It might also include content that your clients or prospective clients are more likely to visit or access when on your website. Finally, it may include content that stands out due to its unique style.
Rule Two: Stay Focused
When optimizing your website’s content, the second rule is to stay focused. Every single page of your website should have a specific focus and you shouldn’t stray too much from that topic. For example, this blog post is about SEO for medical device companies.
If you wanted to learn about something else, you wouldn’t expect that to be. on this page. Staying focused helps meet the expectations of website visitors.
This is helpful when it comes to user intent. This is important if you want people who click on links in search results pages to get what they expect when they arrive at your website.
Rule Three: Stay Unique
When you follow this rule, you aren’t using the same content on the different pages of your website. Even though it can be easier to copy/paste what you have on one page to another one, Google isn’t receptive to it. Your clients won’t be, either.
The copy that appears on every page of your website should be keyword-optimized and unique.
Rule Four: Be Client-Centric
To follow this last rule, ensure that the copy you write for your pages is tailored to your clients. While this may seem obvious, many businesses make the mistake of creating content with Google in mind, rather than their clients.
However, keyword stuffing is far less effective than high-quality content that addresses user intent. So be client-centric when you create your content so that your website pages will be more likely to appear higher up in SERPs.
Mobile Optimization for Medical Device Websites
One aspect of SEO that medical device companies often overlook is mobile optimization. Yet it’s a huge factor in how Google ranks your website. As of 2024, mobile devices account for about 59% of global website traffic. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile users, you’re potentially missing out on more than half your audience.
Google now uses mobile-first indexing, which means they primarily use the mobile version of your content for ranking and indexing. If your mobile site loads slowly or displays poorly on smartphones, your rankings will suffer.
For medical device companies, mobile optimization becomes even more crucial when considering that many healthcare professionals access information on the go. Doctors and purchasing agents may research your products between patient consultations or meetings, often on their phones.
Here are some mobile optimization basics every medical device website should implement:
- Responsive design that automatically adjusts to any screen size
- Fast loading times (under 3 seconds ideally)
- Easy navigation with touch-friendly buttons and menus
- Content that doesn’t require horizontal scrolling
- Readable text without needing to zoom
I’ve seen businesses across various niches improve their conversion rates by 30% or more just by fixing mobile usability issues. You can use Google’s PageSpeed Insights or GTMetrix to check how well your site performs on mobile and get specific recommendations for improvement.
Unlock your business potential with our expert digital marketing services.
Core Web Vitals and Technical SEO
Beyond basic mobile optimization, Google’s Core Web Vitals have become key ranking signals that medical device companies need to pay attention to. These metrics measure the user experience of your website in three main areas:
- Loading performance (Largest Contentful Paint)
- Interactivity (First Input Delay)
- Visual stability (Cumulative Layout Shift)
Medical device websites often face challenges with these metrics because they typically include complex product catalogs, technical documentation, and detailed specifications. All that technical content can slow down page loading and create poor user experiences if not properly optimized.
Research shows that websites meeting Core Web Vitals standards experience nearly 25% less visitor abandonments. For medical device companies, this means more potential customers staying on your site long enough to learn about your products.
Technical SEO goes beyond just speed, though.
Medical device companies should also implement proper schema markup for their products. Schema is code you add to your website to help search engines understand what your content means, not just what it says.
For example, using MedicalDevice schema type (a newer part of schema.org vocabulary) can help search engines understand the specific nature and application of your products. This increases the chances of your products appearing in relevant search results when healthcare professionals are looking for specific equipment.
Implementing these technical SEO elements might require some developer help, but the investment pays off. Websites with proper schema markup can achieve rich snippets in search results, which can improve click-through rates by up to 30%.
FDA Regulations and SEO Compliance
One unique challenge for medical device companies is striking a balance between effective SEO and FDA regulatory compliance. The FDA strictly regulates how medical devices are marketed through the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and these regulations extend to your website content.
Your SEO content must align with your device’s cleared indications for use. Making claims that go beyond what the FDA has approved for your product can result in warning letters or even penalties. This creates a tightrope walk for medical device marketers trying to optimize for search while staying compliant.
The FDA classifies medical devices into three risk-based categories (Class I, II, and III), and each level affects what you can say in your marketing content. For example, a Class III device like an implantable pacemaker faces much stricter marketing regulations than a Class I device like a basic examination glove.
When creating SEO content for your medical device website, you should:
- Make sure all claims align with FDA-cleared indications
- Avoid using comparative terms unless you have data to support them
- Include appropriate risk information alongside benefit information
- Maintain consistency between your website, packaging, and labeling
Medical device companies can nevertheless get creative with their SEO while staying compliant. For instance, you can focus on educational content about the conditions your device treats rather than making direct claims about your product’s superiority. This approach builds authority and drives relevant traffic without risking FDA scrutiny.
Working with SEO professionals who understand the medical device regulatory landscape can help you find your way through this complex balance between optimization and compliance.
Is That Everything? What Other Things Should Medical Device Companies Do for SEO?
By monitoring, optimizing, and claiming your GMB profile, your business will show up, more frequently, when people complete searches. Additionally, you’ll have more control over what appears online regarding your business.
Many businesses make the mistake of not doing this. As a result, the hours of their business, phone number, or address, might be incorrect. This can be bad for business.
Claiming and Optimizing Your Google Business Profile
There are several different steps manufacturers of medical devices should take to optimize their Google Business profile. First, you should claim the profile itself, whether someone else has claimed it or whether you need to create it and then claim it.
Second, ensure that your business name is represented accurately. Additionally, in your business name, include keywords.
Third, ensure that you’ve linked to your website correctly. Fourth, update your hours and contact information. Fifth, upload relevant photos.
These could include photos of your office. It’s also smart to include photos of the products you sell, as this is something clients may be interested in viewing.
Sixth, write a short GMB description of your medical device company. When you do this, include keywords in a natural way.
Seventh, set up a schedule with alerts to create posts for your GMB profile. These posts should be social media-like and on the shorter side.
Eighth, share discounts, incentives, and promotions. Ninth, reach out to clients you’ve sold devices to in the past and ask them to leave you reviews on your business’s GMB page.
To ensure that you continue to receive positive reviews, reach out to clients immediately after they’ve purchased your products to request a review. Ratings and review text can make a significant difference in certain rankings.
Other Directories
Even though Google Business Profile is incredibly important, there are other directories where you might want to create, claim, and optimize your business profile. These other directories include Bing Places, LinkedIn, Apple Maps, Facebook, and Yelp.
Additionally, if there are any medical device company industry directories, you should ensure that you’ve created, claimed, and optimized your business profile there, too.
Want Help With Your SEO?
Now that you’ve learned about SEO for medical device companies, you might have decided that you want help with your SEO. In this case, you should look no further than Boomcycle Digital Marketing. We’re experts when it comes to SEO.
The SEO-specific services we offer include hyper-optimization and services for B2C and B2B brands.
Additionally, we offer a range of digital marketing services, including Google Ads, content marketing, Google Maps marketing, and more. To learn more about how we can help you, contact us now.
