It should come as no surprise that search volume for health information spiked in March and peaked in April of 2020.
Coronavirus-related searches were the biggest trend in search history, and although search volume has dropped off since this April 2020 peak, it’s evident that consumers are increasingly relying on search as a source of health information.
Microsoft Advertising Insights found that conditions linked to the coronavirus, as well as potential side effects of the vaccine, saw the greatest upward trend in search volume. Meanwhile, specialist conditions experienced the greatest decrease in search volume, likely driven by cancelled appointments and delayed screenings. Interest in online health solutions was prevalent before the pandemic but has since been magnified, with searches peaking a few months after lockdown restrictions were imposed.
Lastly, we found that consumers are increasingly looking for ways to make their prescriptions more affordable, with 45% of consumers not filling prescriptions due to cost.
For a deeper dive of current search trends in the Health & Wellness space, download the full insights.