“Geonetric writes engaging healthcare web content. They translate the complex into the understandable and their in-depth knowledge of the patient journey shines through on every page.”
Terri Skitch, Digital Marketing Manager
PIH Health
PIH Health is a nonprofit, regional healthcare network headquartered in Whittier, CA, with three hospitals, a large multispecialty medical group and a robust post-acute care program. The organization has a large network of PIH Health physicians and more than 7,500 employees — and it keeps growing. With the recent acquisition of Good Samaritan Hospital, a 408-bed hospital in downtown Los Angeles, the organization’s network continues to build resources, expand coverage, and develop a sustainable model for delivering care in the area in the future.
With the acquisition, PIH Health wanted to reimagine its web presence and ensure the site tells a system-centric story in a consumer-friendly way. The organization partnered with their long-time agency, Geonetric, on the website redesign. The emphasis? Reimagined web content, particularly around the key service lines of cancer and heart.
Building the foundation for effective content
As part of the redesign, the Geonetric team reviewed the content inventories of both sites and analyzed them, provided consumer-friendly navigation label recommendations, and developed an overarching content matrix.
The team also revised the website style guide that then could be used by both Geonetric writers and PIH Health’s internal team to present a unified tone and voice throughout the site. This was particularly important as Good Samaritan Hospital content was woven in alongside PIH Health information.
In addition, keyword research for two priority service lines helped identify varied terminology used to search for specialists, medical conditions, and care services. This research was the basis for keyword portfolios, which the team relied on to develop user-focused content that answers searchers’ questions.
Early work on location strategy also proved invaluable. It helped the team to identify which services were delivered at the different hospital campuses. They then used that information to create user paths that connected service line content with location content, putting site visitors on the right track to receive care in the PIH Health network.
Set up with a solid foundation, the team took a deep dive into creating new content for the cancer and heart service line sections.
Sharing the story of accredited cancer care and comprehensive heart care
The new content enables PIH Health to highlight their ability to deliver comprehensive prevention, detection, and treatment right in the Whittier, CA, community. This includes calling attention to PIH Health’s Commission on Cancer (CoC) accreditation throughout the copy.
The Geonetric team wrote 11 new pages of new cancer content, with focused attention on readability and on-page optimization. New pages include Screening & Diagnosis, Cancer Treatments, and Survivorship & Follow-Up Care. The section takes a patient journey approach and meets patients where they are – regardless of if it’s prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or follow-up care.
The Heart & Vascular section highlights the flexible scheduling and coordinated care patients receive at PIH Health. With 11 pages of new heart and vascular content, including new content on Heart & Surgery & Procedures and Cardiac Rehabilitation, the section is more robust and maps more closely with a heart care patient journey experience.
Both sections of new content deliver on PIH Health’s goal of a consumer-friendly website experience and:
- Incorporate actionable language that connects patients to the next step in their journey
- Make it easy to take the next step by highlighting calls to action to drive user behavior
- Meet readability and accessibility best practices with content written at a 9th grade reading level, matched to PIH Health’s unique community
- Use a conversational and friendly tone consistently
Throughout, site visitors are reminded of the benefits of receiving care at PIH Health and the personalized approach the organization takes.
Driving traffic and engaging site visitors
Since launch, both sections are delivering. Compared to the same time frame last year, the Cancer Care section has seen a 702% increase in page views year over year with a 144% increase in organic traffic from 2020.
In terms of engagement metrics, the bounce rate for the Cancer Care section has decreased from 67% (2020) to 45% (2021). The page with the highest level of page views in the Cancer Care section is the Schedule Your Mammogram Today page, with 49% of the page views to the Cancer Care section. Data also show that key pages, such as Breast Imaging & Mammogram, are sending 50% of users on to related locations that offer mammograms, again focusing on PIH Health’s goal of connecting consumers with care options.
In addition, overall rankings for cancer-related searches jumped an average of 10 spots on Google’s results page.
For the Heart & Vascular section, the overall page views increased 228% year-over-year, with organic traffic increasing 181% year-over-year. The top pages in this section – the Heart & Vascular landing page, the cardiology page, and the surgery procedures page – are all driving measurable interactions. Most are going to a list of related providers, aligning with the patient journey and moving toward conversion.
New Cancer and Heart Web Copy Differentiates Growing Health System
