WebMD’s SEO moat is built on massive template-driven content from medical ontologies. It auto-generates pages for every symptom, condition, and drug-interaction combination, often using professional content as template (e.g. disease descriptions, symptom checkers). These pages are enhanced with expert Q&As, physician-reviewed videos, and interactive tools to boost dwell time and E-E-A-T.
The payoff is huge: WebMD reaches nearly 200 million monthly visitors globally by dominating health-related queries. For example, their COVID-19 symptoms page alone drives over 1 million searches per month (about 1/4 of all Google searches on that query).
Strategy
Ontology-based page generation. WebMD’s content team structures its medical library into templates (e.g. “X symptoms”, “X causes”, “Drug X interactions”), ensuring that every possible query has a high-quality answer page. They leverage schema markup and cross-linking between related pages (symptom ↔ disease ↔ drug) to aid search engines.
Execution
Rich, E-E-A-T content. Every page is written or reviewed by medical experts and enhanced with videos or tools. For instance, many entries include doctor Q&A widgets or diagrams. They also keep content up-to-date with the latest research. This human curation and expertise signal is key for YMYL topics.
Results
Enormous organic reach. WebMD ranks on page one for almost all health queries. Their site has 170–200M organic visits/month. The expert content has earned tens of thousands of backlinks (a single article received ~17k since 2020). High-value medical keywords (e.g. disease names) drive constant traffic.
Impact
Unbreakable trust & value. By meeting Google’s rigorous E-E-A-T standards, WebMD turned SEO into a $128M “moat”. This credibility helped justify its $2.8B acquisition. For other health brands, WebMD is a case study in how structured, data-driven SEO content can dominate user trust and search real estate.
Sources
Programmatic SEO analyses and traffic studies for each company, and company/public SEO case reports.
WebMD Live Portals
Better information. Better health.
WebMD
Drugs & Medications A-Z
Comprehensive database of prescription and over-the-counter medications with detailed information on uses, side effects, and interactions.
WebMD
Vitamins & Supplements Guide
Expert-reviewed information on vitamins, herbs, and dietary supplements, including benefits, side effects, and recommended dosages.
WebMD
ADHD Health Center
Comprehensive resource for ADHD information, including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, and support for children and adults.