A new skin, SEO and social media: Innovative ways to promote health education websites

Abstract

Introduction:

In 2009, the Department of Health WA launched Get the Facts (www.getthefacts.healthwa.gov.au) to provide sexual health and relationships information to youth aged 14 to 17 years. The website features a range of interactive features, including online chlamydia self-risk assessment and free testing, an email question and answer service, and a search function for sexual health services.

Methods:

Browsing behaviours on the site reflected general online behaviour trends among youth: Many youth browse via smartphones and tablets and frequent social networking sites. Additionally, search engines are the primary portal of information for most youth.

Results:

In response to an independent evaluation conducted in 2010, the website was given a new ‘skin’ in April 2012 featuring updated artwork and photographs of youth from the target population. This was followed by a sustained 20% increase in website traffic for 11 months. In November 2012, a mobile version of the website optimised for smart phone devices was launched. Advertising on Facebook increased website referral traffic by 4000%. Search Engine Optimisation [SEO], implemented in January 2013 to improve rankings on various search engines, was followed by a 20% increase in website traffic and positive responses from the public.

Conclusions:

Websites must be developed and promoted according to the browsing behaviour of end-users and technology trends to ensure maximum exposure and high traffic. For this reason, Get the Facts is being further-developed to include map and navigation functionality and to provide a tailored browsing experience based upon individual visit purposes. Continued online promotion and increased SEO is also planned.

Keywords

sexual health, online strategies, social media, Search Engine Optimisation [SEO]

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