With this in mind, we’ve just completed our analysis of how well the top eleven pharmaceutical companies ranked in Q3 2008 on the Search Engine Results Pages of the major sites.

We looked at the top five brands of each company (based on revenue) and searched for four keyphrases for each brand: “[indication]” and “[indication] treatment” and “[indication] medication” and “[indication] symptoms.”

Then we recorded each brand’s website rankings for each keyphrase on Google, Yahoo!, MSN and Ask. (You can see the complete process below). Their scores indicate whether a brand appeared on page 1, 2, 3 or lower when a searcher specifically looked for their indication.

The top ranked companies continue to have a strong consistent presence online that is in sync with – and reaps the benefit of — their print, TV and other offline marketing campaigns.

Our results:
• The same three companies have kept their top scores since we began this analysis in January 2007: Novartis, Pfizer, and GlaxoSmithKline.
•    Novartis (1.42) continues to lead with four out of five brands posting strong results on all search engines, including eight rankings in the Top Five.
•    Pfizer (.98) is #2 with brands Lipitor, Lyrica and Viagra posting strong results, including seven Top Five rankings.
•    GSK (.72) is #3 with Advair, Avandia and Valtrex ranking well and five Top Five rankings.
•    For the second quarter in a row Roche (.45) holds the #4 spot with one strong brand, Rituxan, that scores well to bump it into the top 4.
•    Johnson & Johnson (.44) is only .01 points behind at #5.
•    Merck (.28) maintains its status at #6 with one brand’s results.
•    AstraZeneca (.26) is #7 this quarter.
•    Sanofi Aventis (.12) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (.12) are tied in position #8.
•    Eli Lilly (.04) has dropped to #10.
•    Wyeth (.00) continues to trail at #11, with no web presence at all for its top five brands.Methodology:
We developed the methodology below, using data gathered from the most recent publicly available financial information.

•    Compiled data between October 15 - 22, 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 HitWise September 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

Engaging these motivated searchers at the top of the funnel is crucial for long-term brand recognition and, ultimately, revenue.

We wanted to find out who was successful, and who was not.

We’ve just completed our analysis of how well the top eleven pharmaceutical companies ranked in Q2 2008 on the Search Engine Results Pages of the major sites.

We looked at the top five brands of each company (based on revenue) and searched for four keyphrases for each brand: “[indication]” and “[indication] treatment” and “[indication] medication” and “[indication] symptoms.”

Then we recorded each brand’s website rankings for each keyphrase on Google, Yahoo!, MSN and Ask. (You can see the complete process below). This isn’t a popularity contest. Our results don’t reflect how many visitors each brand attracts, but what position these brands appear in when a searcher specifically looks for their indication.

Our results show that the top ranked companies are reaping the rewards of their investment in organic search. They’ve recognized the value for these brands of having a vital, consistent Web presence that reinforces their significant offline marketing.

Our results:

• The same three companies have kept their top scores since we began this analysis in January 2007: Novartis, Pfizer, and GlaxoSmithKline. But this quarter, for the first time, JNJ dropped out of the top four, swapping places with Roche at #6.
• 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 (1.39) there is room for improvement to reach the best-case scenario (7).
• Pfizer (.93) is second with brands Lipitor, Lyrica and Viagra posting strong results.
• GSK (.72) is third with Advair, Avandia and Valtrex seeing good rankings.
• Roche (.58) has one strong brand, Rituxan, that scores well to bump it into the top 4.
• Merck (.36) maintains its status at #5 with one brand’s results.
• J&J (.32) has slipped to #6 with Topamax’s rankings.
• AstraZeneca (.22) has jumped from #10 and #7 this quarter and is tied with Bristol-Myers.
• Sanofi Aventis (.17) and Eli-Lilly (.09) both dropped slightly to places #9 and #10.
• Wyeth (.02) 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.

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

• Compiled data between July 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 June 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

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 10^th 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

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.

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’  

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. 

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!