The Google Medic Core Update, launched in August 2018, was a major algorithm update that primarily affected health, medical, and “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) websites. This update emphasized the importance of E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) as a ranking factor, particularly for sites offering advice or information that could impact users’ health, finances, or safety.

Key Focus Areas of the Medic Core Update

1. Impact on YMYL Sites:
   • Websites providing health, financial, and lifestyle advice saw significant ranking changes.
   • Google aimed to promote content that demonstrates expertise and credibility in these sensitive areas.
2. Reinforcement of E-A-T:
   • Content from verified experts or authoritative sources ranked higher.
   • Sites lacking trust signals, like author credentials or transparency, were penalized.
3. Broader Algorithm Improvements:
   • Though nicknamed “Medic Update,” it also affected other industries, refining Google’s ability to rank high-quality content across all sectors.

Industries Most Affected

• Healthcare and Medical: Health blogs, treatment advice, and wellness sites experienced the most fluctuation.
• Finance: Investment, insurance, and banking sites were also impacted.
• Other YMYL Niches: Legal advice, parenting, and safety-related content saw shifts based on perceived credibility.

How to Adapt to the Medic Core Update

1. Demonstrate Expertise:
   • Include author bios with credentials and highlight your team’s expertise in the relevant field.
2. Build Authoritativeness:
   • Gain backlinks from trusted and reputable websites in your niche.
3. Increase Trustworthiness:
   • Use HTTPS, display clear privacy policies, and maintain transparent business practices.
4. Focus on Content Quality:
   • Ensure content is well-researched, up-to-date, and provides genuine value to users.
5. Leverage Structured Data:
   • Use schema markup to help Google understand your site’s content and enhance search visibility.
6. Encourage Positive User Feedback:
   • Obtain favorable reviews and improve engagement metrics like dwell time and click-through rates.

 

The Medic Core Update reinforced Google’s focus on high-quality, credible content, especially for YMYL websites. Adapting to this update requires businesses to prioritize:

• Expert-driven content.
• Authoritative backlinks.
• Transparent practices and user trust.