Google used to Search for Pet Health Information Twice as much as last Year

Google keyword analysis using the google keyword tool shows that the number of monthly UK searches for veterinary related terms has more than doubled.

We have been monitoring 17 google keyword phrases related to pet health for a year, the results have been astounding and, in some cases, horrifying from the beginning. Who ever would have guessed that 180 people/month in the UK search for the exact phrase ‘Is my dog dying’. Our analysis a year on shows that the number of searches made on these test 17 phrases has more than doubled.

We totalled these searches up and compared May 11 to May 12. The volume of searches had increased by a factor of 2.2.

Data from comcast shows that the overall volume of google searches increased by a factor of 1.3 from 2010 to 2011. Data for 2012 is obviously not available yet, until this data becomes available it is not possible to establish definitively if this increase in searches reflects a veterinary industry specific increase or a sudden surge in google search volume. It certainly appears that the increase in the volume of searches for our 17 keyterms is outstripping the general increase in google search volume by some distance.

Whatever the cause of the increase, it carries a vitally important message for vets … pet owners, both clients and non clients, are looking for pet health information online and they are doing it en masse. Make sure that you are highly visible in their online environment, providing useful information and answering their questions through social media and providing a comprehensive resource on your website. Aim to be able to say to your clients  ‘We understand you want to look things up online, please visit our website/ social media platform”.

What do you think?

We would be interested to hear how you are finding it? Do you get a sense that more clients this year are turning to online resources than last year?