Q1 2008 Pharmaceutical Rankings

May 28, 2008 – 10:29 am

In addition to providing SEM and SEO services to a broad range of clients, Catalyst has a specialty in pharmaceutical brands. Because this is such a competitive and highly regulated space, we are continually interested in how pharmaceutical companies in general are ranking on the Search Engine Results Pages of the major sites.

With more consumers going online for healthcare information, and millions of dollars in R&D at stake, it is critical that pharmaceutical companies take the necessary steps to ensure that health information seekers can find their brands online. We wanted to find out who was successful, and who was not.

Last year, we began a methodical analysis (see the process below) of how well the top five brands of the top eleven companies were ranking on Google, Yahoo!, MSN and Ask. Some of these were Catalyst clients, and some were not, and the same is true today. In 2008 we continue to measure how well these pharma companies are doing in the race for the top positions.

Our results:

  • The same four companies have kept their top scores since we began this analysis in January 2007: Novartis, Pfizer, GSK, and J&J.
  • Novartis continues to lead the rankings with four out of five brands posting strong results on all search engines. Although it has the high score (1.72), there is room for improvement to reach the best-case scenario (7).
  • Pfizer (1.02) is second with brands Lipitor, Lyrica and Viagra posting strong results.
  • GSK (.89) is third with Advair and Avandia seeing good rankings.
  • J&J (.62) has one strong brand, Topamax, that scores well to keep it in the top 4.
  • The top three companies continue to break away from the pack with improved scores, while Johnson & Johnson (#4) dropped slightly.
  • Merck wins most improved player award. After a year in 10th place, the company has jumped from #10 to #5 on the strength of one brand’s results.
  • Sanofi Aventis (#7) had the exact same score as Q4 ‘07.
  • BMS and AstraZeneca improved slightly.
  • Eli-Lilly dropped slightly.
  • Wyeth continues to trail at #11, with almost no web presence at all for its top five brands. Only one of its top 5 brands appeared on the results pages, and that was with a third page position.

Observations:

The top five companies are investing in organic search and clearly the investment is paying off. It is not by chance they are at the top. They have clearly made a commitment to “closing the loop’ by having a strong online presence that mirrors their offline efforts. This long term marketing strategy will continue to serve them well as they capitalize on consumer interest generated by DTC campaigns.

Methodology:

We developed the methodology below, using data gathered from the most recent publicly available financial information.

· Compiled data between April 1 - 30, 2008

· Determined the top 11 pharmaceutical companies based on revenue

· Examined the top 5 brands based on revenue

· Searched four keyphrases for each brand: “[indication]” and “[indication] treatment” and “[indication] medication” and “[indication] symptoms”

· Recorded each brand’s website rankings for each keyphrase on Google, Yahoo!, MSN and Ask

· Assigned each ranking a point value based on Search Ranking Score: Top 5 Ranking = 15 points;?First Page Ranking = 10?points; Second Page Ranking = 3?points; Third Page Ranking = 1?point; Not Listed on First Three Pages = 0 points

· Identified each search engine’s market share based on comScore March 2008 U.S. Search Engine Rankings

· Calculated each company’s index score using Index = (Search Ranking Score * Search Engine Market Share)/11

· A perfect score = 7.0

By Heather | Posted in Catalyst, Healthcare Search, Pharma Marketing, Pharma SEO Rankings, Pharma Search, Regulated Industries, SEM, SEO, Search Engine Optimization, Search Marketing | Comments (0)

Game Changers Continues: Google Health

May 20, 2008 – 8:19 pm

Google announced today, after eighteen months in development, it offers online personal health records.  I mentioned in my post yesterday my lovely visit to my PCP.  My PCP literally handed me a piece of paper with test results and told to give this piece of paper to my cardiologist, really?!  So I am all for Google offering personal health records online; WebMD and Microsoft also offers this service.  It was reported that in the two month trial with Cleveland Clinic patients were eager to use the Google health records; I am not alone.  Perhaps Google Health, can apply the same concept I mentioned yesterday, embracing privacy to empower and inform the consumer.  Pharma companies can supply information on treatment options, clinical trial information, disease management programs, etc.; one-to-one marketing when relevant!  Isn’t this the CRM program we all dream of?

By Heather | Posted in Google, Healthcare Search, Pharma Marketing, Pharma Search | Comments (0)

Game changers

May 19, 2008 – 9:24 pm

I had a doctors appointment today.  The folks at the front desk were miserable, the nurse was miserable, the doctor had one hand on the door as I asked her important questions.  What is going on?

I also have recently joined Facebook.  It is fun.  It is interesting.  I am finding friends I have not seen in five years.  I am networking.   I am cautiously hooked.  Try it, let me know what you think.  Putting on our marketing hat, what can we do here?  The traditional way to maintain your health is broken or at least has some pretty serious chinks in the armor. 

How about embracing privacy?  My Facebook page knows I am forty.  My PCP told me I needed to go to the optometrist based on my age, lovely.  Instead what if Facebook communicated to me; we know you are forty…do you want any of these potentially relevant medical groups to communicate with you about what health concerns you should be aware of?  Do you want some recommended optometrists?  I could also ask my “friends” on Facebook.  Another example, you are turning fifty, you should consider a bone density test, however if diagnosed with osteoperosis do not worry as there are excellent osteoporosis treatments available today, would you like to find out more?  Ask the consumer who has given their personal information if we can use it to help.   I then get information from the manufacture and can ask my friends for opinions.  What do you think of Dr. Weis?  What do you think of Reclast? Actonel? Boniva?

I would love this approach!  I don’t feel forty.

By Heather | Posted in Pharma Marketing | Comments (0)

Search Marketing continues to Evolve

April 26, 2008 – 11:03 am

Marketers are constantly challenged with how to best segment our consumers.  Search offers an option to allow the consumer to self segment and this option is further evolving.  As we all know, segmentation can begin at the keyphrase level.  What you may not know, Yahoo is allowing us to further enhance this ability.  Let me introduce, Honda’s drive to Search campaign, “Shop Honda.”   Type “Shop Honda” into the Yahoo search box, four options/links appear: See Offers, Locate a dealer, build and price and request a quote.  Depending where the consumer is in the buying cycle they will choose the best link.  This tactic promotes consumer empowerment, and effective marketing campaigns, everyone wins. 

Apply this same concept to pharma or any industry.  A drive to search campaign (tracks the efficacy of the TV campaign via query volume and click behavior) with choices for the consumer.  “Learn about Lipitor” possible links: understanding cholesterol, cholesterol treatment, find a doc, Lipitor vs Zocor. 

For the times they are a-changin’  

By Heather | Posted in Catalyst, Healthcare Search, Paid Search, Pharma Marketing, Pharma Search, SEM, Search Marketing | Comments (0)

Digital Asset Optimization (DAO)

April 10, 2008 – 8:54 pm

iProspect recently released a study that shows users are responding to the various specialized content types within search results.  Top-level findings:  36% of search engine users click a “news” results within blended search results, 31% click “image” results and 17% click “video” results.   I just typed in “Lipitor image” in Google.  Three images appeared, none of them were images from Pfizer.  I tried “Plavix image,” same situation.  I then tried “Nexium image” first image was AZ, nice job.  Try this exercise with your brand. 

I would suggest a three part plan to respond to consumers looking for information and responding to the information in their choice format. 

1. Optimizing your images is a simple task for your SEO shop, start today. 

2. Push to optimize all your digital assets this year. 

3. Create a digital asset strategy.  What should we be creating for our digital constituents?  Who are the partners we need to work with to develop and implement the digital asset strategy?  Of course I am biased, so I will suggest first and foremost that your SEO shop be leveraged here, but I would strongly suggest your PR firm, CPA, iAgency, content providers and beyond.

I can hear you asking me, what is the ROI of DAO?  How I would suggest you think about ROI is we are responding to consumers looking information in a format that they choose.  Thus the response rate will improve driving more traffic to your site for further engagement and influence, search IS a branding medium, and we will develop a deep understanding of what consumers are looking for in terms of format of information. 

By Heather | Posted in Catalyst, Healthcare Search, SEO, Search Engine Optimization, Search Marketing, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

The Evolution of Search

March 14, 2008 – 8:32 am

I am off to Disney World tomorrow with my family.  I started thinking about how my children will look for information as they grow up.  I have not yet introduced my three year old and five year old to Google.  I was at a CBI conference www.cbinet.com last week.  Henry van den Berg, from P&G www.pg.com gave an interesting presentation that highlighted this topic.  He asked four of his children what they would do to gather information if they were sick.  Each child looked for information differently, Google, MySpace, YouTube and Webkinz.  WOW.  Search is evolving.  Further thoughts on this topic…I recently read an article written by a colleague of mine, Chris Copeland, Managing Director at Outrider www.outrider.com.  Chris stated, “organic search marketing is moving towards a more sophisticated integration of elements, be it image, video, consumer reviews, or social networks. The future is all about Digital Asset Optimization (DAO) and not limited to SEO.”   I agree.   We are all aware that relatively few consumers, 13%, visit pharma company websites (of course I would highlight that this is because only a few have a good organic search strategy in place).  If we optimize our assets and not just our site we have the opportunity to appear in many other places on the web, perhaps a video (approved by legal and regulatory - of course) will be referenced by an affluent blogger in our category or our images will appear in Google.  People are increasingly searching for health-related videos and images.  Type in yours, “Lipitor image” and view the results.  How are your consumers and HCP searching?

By Heather | Posted in SEM, SEO, Search Engine Optimization, Search Marketing, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Q4-2007 Pharma SEO Rankings

March 13, 2008 – 2:08 pm

How did your company do last quarter? If your company is not on the list (to qualify the company must have at least five, billion dollar brands), let me know and we will add you to the analysis…if you dare!

q4-2007 Pharma SEO Rankings

By Heather | Posted in Pharma SEO Rankings | Comments (1)

Google Health unveiled, personal medical record service

March 4, 2008 – 10:53 am

Google Health was formally announced last Thursday, http://searchengineland.com/080228-094426.php. There is so much buzz around personal health profiles online, the simple notion that individuals should retain their own health data, medical records. I am all for it, I barely remember to go to the doctor once a year, let alone the last time I had a tetanus shot. I agree privacy and security are huge issues but those issues exist today.

Google Health, Microsoft’s HealthVault and Revolution Health (backed by former AOL Chairman Steve Case) are the three big players, the big boys. I do not think this concept or these companies are going away. Therefore, as a pharma marketers let’s think about this new communication channel? distribution channel? and how to message our product’s key benefits.

As we know Google earns almost all its revenue in Web advertising. Google has no plan to sell ads on Google Health. It aims to make money indirectly when users search for other medical information. Today MSN places HealthVault results at the top of their organic search results. Where do you think this is going? Lipitor.com is not going to rank above HealthVault. Try it, “Hypertension treatment” on MSN Live Search.

We need to leverage our assets, what can we offer these companies to improve their service. Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google stated, “We don’t know how to suck it(information) out of the brains of doctors, but we know how to suck it out of the computer systems of doctors.” What will Google want to “suck out” of the pharma industry? We could provide a Google Health PDF with information on the benefits of our product, better yet a Google Health MOA video or even better, access to the medical research faculty that are working hard to discover a cure for MS or Parkinson’s. If we improve their service, we gain access to their customers. What is your plan? It is time to have a brainstorming session!

By Heather | Posted in Catalyst, Google, Healthcare Search, Pharma Marketing, Pharma Search, Regulated Industries, SEM, SEO, Search Engine Optimization, Search Marketing | Comments (0)

Catalyst WPP GroupM announcement

February 12, 2008 – 9:07 pm

We celebrated Catalyst’s 10 year anniversary yesterday. We gathered the company together, had some champagne while Beth and I told some stories about our 10 year journey.

I will share two stories that occurred in our first year, 1998. We rented a room in a house that had been converted to an office building located in Brookline Village, MA. We were directly behind the famous Village SmokeHouse www.villagesmokehouse.com. Each morning Beth and I would enter our office to waffs of barbecued meat. I am not a vegetarian but that was rough at 7am. Alan the owner (and alleged mobster) would occasionally cook in our parking lot if he had a big catering event. A women named Nancy also rented an office in the building. She did not like Alan nor did she approve of him using our parking lot as a kitchen, in fact she called the fire department frequently. Nancy was an angry woman. One day Beth and I hear this “pssssss” sound coming from the parking lot. We look outside, Nancy had poured some fluid all over a rack of ribs that could have fed fifty. Alan must have heard the same sound. He came outside and witnessed what Nancy had just destroyed. He was irrate AND he had a 10 inch butcher knife in his hand (presumably to cut the meat). Nancy saw the anger in his eyes and took off running. Alan ran after her, knife in hand, as she screamed bloody murder.  I am not making this up!

A second story I shared yesterday was a trip to NYC. Beth and I were intent on winning Pfizer’s business ASAP. We convinced one of the Internet marketing managers, Fred, to meet us for drinks. We jumped in the car and drove to NYC (at the time we did not have the luxury to pay for two plane or even train tickets). We parked the car around the corner from the restaurant. We had a great time with Fred (and eventually won some business).  As we got up to leave we told Fred we were going to the airport to jump on the next shuttle to Boston (portraying that we were an established agency). Fred, being the gentleman that he is, told us he would hail us a cab. We told him we were all set, but he insisted. Beth and I walked to the corner, I see Beth’s car in the corner of my eye and smile at Beth. Fred opens the cab door and we jump in. The cab driver barks, “Where you going?” We ignore him and continue to smile and wave to Fred. He barks again, “Where are you going?” Fred turns the corner, we jump out of the cab and run as fast as we can to Beth’s car. We sit for ten minutes…waiting for the coast to be clear. We drive back to Boston laughing at ourselves and praying this Catalyst thing will be worth it.

I am proud to say ten years later it was and still is a great experience. Catalyst went from a two person shop surrounded by raw meat and crazy people to today announcing our integration into WPP/GroupM search enterprise, the largest search enterprise in the world, http://www.catalystsearchmarketing.com/resource-center/pdfs/GroupM%20-%20Catalyst%20Announcement.pdf. Yesterday was a good day for Catalyst, for me, for Beth, for our employees, for our clients and for WPP www.wpp.com. There are a couple people (first clients, now friends) who have provided longstanding support, Rick (our first meeting with him was at the Village SmokeHouse), Sue, and Kate. We thank you for your support and vision that search marketing was (ten years ago) and will continue to be a viable communication channel. We also thank our employees who have been with us for many years, Rich, Lee and Tim. I will sign off before I get too sentimental, thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed the stories. I am happy to report we are still having a good time!

By Heather | Posted in Catalyst, Healthcare Search, Paid Search, Pharma Search, SEM, SEO, Search Engine Optimization, Search Marketing, Search Marketing Conferences | Comments (0)

Paid Search Ads and FDA Guidelines

February 7, 2008 – 1:19 pm

I often speak at pharma conferences regarding the impact of effective search marketing strategies in the pharmaceutical market. In fact, I am speaking again at CBI’s conference, The 7th Annual eMarketing for the Pharmaceutical Industry, March 6th in Philadelphia . A hot topic at these events is the FDA guidelines and how it applies to paid search ads. Pharma search experts, like our friend John Mack, share their thoughts on Fair Balance and pharma paid search ads. Quite often, I find my colleagues views regarding the effective management of pharma paid search ads to be simply……outdated.

In John’s Pharma Marketing Blog he states: “These Adwords seem to violate FDA regulations that require presentation of major side effect information whenever a brand name and its approved indication are mentioned in the same ad”.

This is what I think.

The pharma industry is handling paid search ads three ways:

  1. the condition in the ad with brand url (Learn about cholesterol. www.Lipitor.com).
  2. the condition with a vanity url. (Learn about cholesterol. www.LowerMyCholestrol.com)
  3. no condition and brand url.

The first option is the obvious best choice. The second option creates destination disappointment, a possible bait and switch tactic. The consumer may not want to go to a pharma site and you just tricked them thus deminishing your brand equity. In addition you just paid for it too! The third option is okay but paid search best practices requires you to include the keyphrase the searcher users to improve your quality score.

Some industry marketers believe that the first option - (condition and brand name) violates the FDA fair balance guidelines. If other pharma search experts choose to apply traditional marketing practices to the innovative online marketplace, then I would ask them to consider this; as long as the safety information is on each page of a brand’s website (another best practice) a searcher is always just one click away from safety information - acceptable. To help the traditional marketers relate, just like a magazine ad, one turn of a magazine page and there you see the safety information.

I believe including the condition and brand URL in a paid search ad is not only in accordance to the FDA’s Fair Balance guidelines but also produces a much better consumer experience as well.

What do you think?

By Heather | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)