Top 10 Healthcare Websites by Organic Traffic

Published by Kevin O'Connor on Monday, February 8, 2021 in Content, Healthcare, Listicle.

When it comes to measuring the efficacy of any content strategy, metrics like organic traffic play a crucial role. Of course, in the healthcare industry, it takes a lot of effort to build up a reader base that trusts you and consistently comes back when they need answers, recommendations, and guidance relating to their wellbeing.

If you're looking for inspiration, here's a look at the top 10 healthcare websites by organic traffic and a closer evaluation of how their content is boosting their performance.

Methodology

This list was compiled with help from the Similar Web tool, which reveals the organic monthly traffic and other metrics for websites around the world. However, in order to provide as much insight into content marketing strategies as possible, we excluded non-English websites, along with some retail and government websites whose high organic traffic numbers are best attributed to the site's functions (i.e., official government forms) rather than the content itself.

By numbers alone, the top 10 healthcare websites by organic traffic are:

1. healthline.com
2. nih.gov
3. walgreens.com
4. medicalnewstoday.com
5. cdc.gov
6. mayoclinic.org
7. who.int
8. tuasaude.com
9. nhs.uk
10. doctolib.fr

After evaluating these websites based on the aforementioned standards, we've decided the top 10 healthcare websites by organic traffic, driven by content strategy, are:

1. healthline.com
2. nih.gov
3. mayoclinic.org
4. cdc.gov
5. medicalnewstoday.com
6. nhs.uk
7. who.int
8. aarp.org
9. fitbit.com
10. athenahealth.com

With this list in mind, let's dig deeper into what these websites, brands, and organizations are doing to drive massive organic numbers month after month.

1. Healthline

• Total Visits: 292.94 million
• Average Visit: 2 minutes and 58 seconds
• Pages per Visit: Over 4 pages per visit
• Bounce Rate: 39.61% of visitors bounce

Healthline is known for offering a vast amount of medical information, ranging from parenthood to nutrition. With a steady stream of new, engaging content along with plenty of "health tools" to help readers check their symptoms, explore their body, and find doctors near them, Healthline is easily one of the top websites in all of the health & wellness industry.

One of the best things Healthline has done is organize their vast database of content into an "A-Z" glossary so people can easily locate whatever they're looking for. This directory further categorizes content by topic and then lists it in alphabetical order, acting as a great alternative to the robust search function and drop-down menu found across the website.

2. NIH

• Total Visits: 186.69 million
• Average Visit: 4 minutes and 19 seconds
• Pages per Visit: Over 3 pages per visit
• Bounce Rate: 63.27% of visitors bounce

The National Institutes of Health website represents an official government organization within the United States and, while many visitors come to learn about potential grants and funding opportunities, the NIH.gov site is also a great content resource. Although the interface is lacking, which is a common theme among government-run websites, the homepage has a slider with the latest posts and feature links to recent, pertinent content across categories.

While most websites opt for "evergreen" content that will continuously pull in visitors, the NIH is able to utilize (and grow) its massive amounts of organic traffic with lots of timely content, like posts about February being "Heart Month" or by sharing common holiday season health concerns and advice.

3. Mayo Clinic

• Total Visits: 127.90 million
• Average Visit: 1 minute and 8 seconds
• Pages per Visit: Over 1 page per visit
• Bounce Rate: 83.44% of visitors bounce

Mayo Clinic consists of over 4,700 healthcare professionals collaborating across multiple campuses positioned throughout the country. Online, the Mayo Clinic offers information for both everyday citizens and medical professionals.

While much of Mayo Clinic's traffic can be attributed to people seeking an appointment or more information on receiving care from the clinic, they're also an authority in the health niche thanks to their dedicated research centers and general health articles.

4. CDC

• Total Visits: 106.08 million
• Average Visit: 1 minute and 54 seconds
• Pages per Visit: Over 2 pages per visit
• Bounce Rate: 68.18% of visitors bounce

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is another government-run website, albeit this one has a much cleaner, more modern visual appeal. While many frequenting the NIH website are professionals or researchers within the healthcare industry, like those seeking grants, the CDC majorly caters to everyday citizens who want pertinent, accurate health information delivered in an easy-to-understand manner.

In addition to recent news, the CDC is also the go-to resource for information outbreaks, like food-borne illnesses. However, one of the best examples of content marketing from the CDC is the "CDC in Action" section, which includes the CDC vital signs, a compilation of national statistics.

5. Medical News Today

• Total Visits: 85.17 million
• Average Visit: 1 minute and 32 seconds
• Pages per Visit: Over 3 pages per visit
• Bounce Rate: 62.28% of visitors bounce

Staying true to its name, Medical News Today focuses on more timely, pressing medical topics, with most of its content recently being devoted to the pandemic and the latest about vaccines and their allocations. In fact, these topics have earned a permanent spot at the top of the homepage, though underneath, you'll find the "Latest News" section with timely content on other topics, including work/life balance for physicians and weight loss.

Medical News Today does a good job tying current events to health topics. The site's post about Black History Month offers a good example.

6. NHS

• Total Visits: 68.09 million
• Average Visit: 1 minute and 46 seconds
• Pages per Visit: Over 2 pages per visit
• Bounce Rate: 71.21% of visitors bounce

The National Health Service (NHS) website serves the United Kingdom much like the NIH serves the United States. Comparing the NHS website to others on the list, one of the first things you may notice is the lack of a "latest posts" overview. In fact, the main page directs you straight to categories, be it Health A-Z, Medicines A-Z, or information on how to get medical help.

The organization of the homepage is clean, but doesn't exactly grab a user's attention. It's set up for visitors who already know what they're looking for, allowing them to find it by navigating to the corresponding category or glossary page.

7. WHO

• Total Visits: 62.96 million
• Average Visit: 1 minute and 37 seconds
• Pages per Visit: Over 1 page per visit
• Bounce Rate: 74.90% of visitors bounce

The World Health Organization (WHO) is another official government website and a thought leader in the healthcare sector at large. Categories allow visitors to quickly get to the information they came for, be it emergency developments, health information for various countries, the latest news, or information on a number of health topics.

Articles, along with video content, podcasts, and a photo library, make up the diverse content offerings of WHO that help engage its global audience.

8. AARP

• Total Visits: 38.89 million
• Average Visit: 7 minutes and 01 seconds
• Pages per Visit: Over 4 pages per visit
• Bounce Rate: 54.69% of visitors bounce

The AARP website is a wonderful resource in the healthcare industry, primarily serving readers over 50. However, the AARP also offers its own membership (which provides senior discounts, among other perks), and that drives the above-average "time on page" metric. Many of the 38 million monthly visitors are AARP members who are logging into their account dashboard.

Still, search terms account for over 43% of AARP's traffic, showing that a lot of the visitors are coming for the content itself. That content includes timely articles, like tips for a safe Super Bowl Sunday, along with well-organized health advice, like the Medicare Resource Center.

9. FitBit

• Total Visits: 31.88 million
• Average Visit: 3 minutes and 36 seconds
• Pages per Visit: Over 3 pages per visit
• Bounce Rate: 47.96% of visitors bounce

Fitbit, the original fitness watch manufacturer, remains a leading brand in the healthcare industry. As a B2C example, FitBit does content marketing right. They have a blog with actionable advice, an entire section devoted to inspiration from real-life Fitbit users, and a lively community of people who love Fitbit's products. They even run FitBit challenges and award the title of "Ambassador" to top users.

10. Athena Health

• Total Visits: 25.68 million
• Average Visit: 4 minutes and 58 seconds
• Pages per Visit: Over 6 pages per visit
• Bounce Rate: 29.64% of visitors bounce

Athena Health is a prime example of a B2B website in the healthcare industry. As a company offering cloud-computing solutions for healthcare providers, the Athena Health site does a great job offering content that informs potential clients (i.e., industry professionals) while organically tying in Athena Health's own offerings.

Creating Better Healthcare Content

Looking to industry leaders for inspiration is a great idea, but when it comes to creating better healthcare content for your brand, it starts with hiring a talented, experienced writer for the job. Here at Scripted, we have over 7,000 writers here to help brands like yours create content that engages and informs. Interested in learning more? Browse our database of healthcare writers today.