Stop What You're Doing If You Don't Know What In The HELL Are You Writing About?

[ebizman87]

I'd like to bring up a point here for all niche marketers in the health industry!!

If you guys planning to target a specific niche, make sure that you really do the research such as the cause of a disease and solutions for it.Don't write plain old silly advices that even a 7 years old kid will know the answer.

Let me tell you why. I'm a serious grastic patient. I'll usually have this kind pain and for god sake I'll be fine in 1-2 days after taking expensive medication. However today I had the pain again and was wondering whether I can get some quick tips to relief my suffering so that I don't have to depend much on drugs...

However when I searched for "gastric pain" here's what I found on the 1st pageCheck out the attached pic)

Of course the ultimate solution for the problem is to seek a doctor's aid, but I expect a little bit of explanation and quick relief tips. But look at the answers here? It's on google's 1st page ranked #1 and of course you expect some professional answers. I don't care about the domain and graphics, but just a simple explanation and tips. But I didn't get what I want and was disappointed..

So here's my BIG REQUEST now..

If someone is doing a search for a particular health problem, then it's obviously true that he wants a solution.So if you're planning to target that niche or keyword, make sure that you know WHAT IN THE HELL ARE you talking about in your website!!. Do you think that I'm gona trust your other tips again if you keep on giving me silly advices that even a kid can understand?

Do some research and put a little bit of effort to deliver what the people want instead of WRITING B.S and BUILDING BACKLINKS so that you get #1 on Google!!

[Rueann42]

You certainly have a reason to be upset, however I looked at the attachment, and it sounds like the info is meant for people who do not know what is going on and are looking for what to do. The advice given (see a Doctor) is the safest thing to say. I had a psych patient once with serious gastric problems, but she knew how to help herself until until the pain reached a particular level beyond her control. You are clearly very aware and knowledgeable about your condition. On the other hand, Drs ave been known to fail to tell patients how to help themselves. Best wishes and hope you can find what you need.

[yourreviewer]

I am so glad that you voiced your concern. In the quest to reach the top spot of Google, I have seen some ridiculous stuff as well. In fact many of the ezine articles are PLAIN CRAP.

[Sydp]

Are you saying that this person should have offered home remedies for symptoms of appendicitis and pancreatitis?

I think that's a pretty bad idea. The info you show is a sort of triage, with symptom assessment similar to that used by medical professionals to find out if the patient needs emergency treatment.

In fact, it's a fairly professional info page, as regards the information.

[FG]

Hello ebizman87,

First, I'm sorry about your medical condition. I doubt if most people
understand the amount of pain that can be present to an acute gastric
sufferer.

I understand why you would search for a better answer than what you
got.

Here is where I differ and it's only my opinion.

I went to the web page and it looked very professional with the advice
that it gave, (I'm not a doctor but I have worked with patients as an
EMT). Yes, this is very much the standard response you would expect to
get from a non-doctor. There is a reason for that. I don't know the person
that owns that site but they did everything they were suppose to do
when given such advice.

There are some natural herbs that help, but if you are taken prescription
medication then....well you start to see the problem of getting too
specific. Without the benefit of knowing your medical history, couple with
the handicap of not seeing you in person makes it all but impossible to be
accurate for the treatment that may be right for you. There is the small
chance that something else is going on (this time) completely separate
from the condition that you know about. This is one reason why doctors
like to see you for themselves. And no, they don't need the extra money.

There are web sites that have doctors who will respond to your questions
but they do charge you a fee.

I would guess their advice will not differ to much from that in the chart.

My point is this, What would your doctor say if you ask, “Can you give me
some quick tips to relief my suffering so that I don't have to depend so
much on drugs...?”

I probably would not expect a more profound answer from google than
what my doctor would reveal.

Now having said that, there are better search terms to use if you are
wanting to go the natural way. But mixing herb treatments/over the
counter treatments with any prescriptions is almost always a risky
endeavor.

I hope you get to feeling better.

FG

ps If I sound out of line then please accept my apology. I want the very
best for you and yours.

[JackPowers]

I think marketers should stay away from a niche like health. By that I don't mean natural weightloss or acne cures where there are no negative effects, but stay away from any disease that causes others serious pain, injury or risk.

You have to decide where your morals boundaries are and act accordingly.

[Sarge]

It's a good topic. Remember if you don't provide quality, you won't last...
This is a business. You should think about what you are trying to accomplish and provide good service, no matter what service that may be.

-Sarge

[Julian Lockhart]

Stomach pain sucks.

I took some antibiotics a few years back and developed an odd pain in my abdomen. Had to get a colonoscopy. but Im fine now.

The #1 spot of gastric pain seems like a fairly decent site.

So I don't quite get your frustration with the site.

That being said there is a lot of gold in your post:

1. Know your Niche. Don't write crap.
2. Find out what your niche really wants and give that to them
3. Spend less time trying to get #1 ranking and more time refining your content.

Doing that will build a strong lasting business.

As to marketers staying out of niches. WHY? If a marketer knows his niche and he/she does quality research or gets an expert to put together good content for the site. No problem there. Right?

Thanks

[thunderbird]

For every illness with desperate sufferers (willing to spend money to alleviate their suffering), there are countless quacks who'll give specific useless and possibly dangerous remedies. Better to be directed to qualified healthcare professionals than to rashly offer prescriptions online. That said, if someone doesn't really know about something as important and vital as healthcare for a specific disease, why write about it at all?

[ebizman87]

Originally Posted by Sydp

Are you saying that this person should have offered home remedies for symptoms of appendicitis and pancreatitis?

Nope.This person keep on giving out the same advice "see a doctor", "see a doctor" and "see a doctor" like he don't know anything else about the disease.
Of course I know ultimately I've to go and see the doctor but this person's answer looks like "see a doctor" is the only answer and solution that he knows..Looks like he know nothing about this disease!!

Perhaps I can start my own health niche sites too:

Title:Animal Attack
Cause-Scratches From Cat
Action To Be Taken-See A Doctor

Title:Animal Attack
Cause-Puppy Licking
Action To Be Taken-See A Doctor

Title:Animal Attack
Cause-Mosquito Bite
Action To Be Taken-See A Doctor

[SurviveUnemployment]

Maybe you should try some hypnosis mind control on people so they will bend to your will and not post crap. (Sorry -- couldn't resist.)

"See a doctor" seems like sound advice for someone experiencing intense abdominal pain. Better than, "Take some of my magic pills," unless you're trying to get sued or imprisoned for giving medical advice without a license. In that case, by all means, tell people not to see their doctor and sell all the magic pills you can because after somebody's appendix bursts and they die, the least you could do for their family is give them the ton of money that they'll sue you for.

[fxmmorale]

Hi ebizman,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with regards supplying content that is beneficial to the consumers needs... however if I may make an observation regarding this particular problem and the content provided.

Your contention is that the only answer for the problem you have is to "see your doctor",
well in this case consider what it is your looking to Google for:

* Severe pain in the lower right side of the abdomen

* Severe pain starting in the upper abdomen and often spreading to the sides and back

* Extremely sharp abdominal pain

* Pain in upper right side of abdomen

* In a women who might be pregnant; severe pain arising suddenly in the lower right or the lower left abdomen

* Moderate to severe cramps that increase and decrease

* Pain or tenderness in the lower left side of the abdomen along with fever

* Chronic abdominal pain

* Searing, stabbing pain in the upper abdomen; pain in the back between the shoulder blades; pain under the right shoulder; nausea, vomiting and indigestion

My wife suffers from this problem as well and I have two kids, whom if they came to me complaining about any of these problems, the last place I would be looking to go to is Google.

I would be quick to:

Go to a hospital immediately or See your doctor promptly

These symptoms pale in comparison to:

Title:Animal Attack
Cause-Scratches From Cat
Action To Be Taken-See A Doctor

Title:Animal Attack
Cause-Puppy Licking
Action To Be Taken-See A Doctor

Title:Animal Attack
Cause-Mosquito Bite
Action To Be Taken-See A Doctor

[MichaelHiles]

In the US, this sort of thing is getting the attention of the .GOV

[Steven D Smith]

I've been very careful to stay away from niches that really need to be addressed by medical experts. For the good of the customer and myself(avoiding lawsuits).

Steve

[csm]

Your post is very timely as I was just dealing with something similar this past week. I discovered that I have what I believe to be, er . . . ehem, hemorrhoids. Never had them nor thought I'd get them. But when I thought that's what it was last Sunday, of course, my first step was to search online for information to see if my self-diagnosis was likely correct (images, symptoms, how they feel, etc.), and then to research what treatment I should follow if I hoped to relieve them naturally.

Ironically, one of the CB products I promote myself is a hemorrhoids info product.

As I was googling for info, of course, a lot of articles on EZA, ArticlesBase, AssociatedContent, and others, were near the top. My immediate reaction was to skip any of those links, since I know that anyone like me can post an article at these sites. So I was not inclined to consider them a trusted source of information.

Instead, I went directly to the WebMD and MayoClinic websites and read the advice there.

But it did make me pause to think of how many people out there search for needed information, particularly about health issues, and may take at face value what is written in articles at the generic articles directories because they have no idea that anyone can submit articles to them about any topic, whether or not they have professional credentials in the field.

Susan

[Sydp]

Originally Posted by ebizman87

Nope.This person keep on giving out the same advice "see a doctor", "see a doctor" and "see a doctor" like he don't know anything else about the disease.
Of course I know ultimately I've to go and see the doctor but this person's answer looks like "see a doctor" is the only answer and solution that he knows..Looks like he know nothing about this disease!!

Most of the conditions that this page says 'go to the hospital' are potentially fatal within a short period of time. People die of pancreatitis, ectopic pregnancy, and untreated appendicitis. There are specific abdominal symptoms that make a medical professional suspect these conditions, and any person who told someone 'you might have pancreatitis but you can wait and see and in the mean time drink some milk' would be partially responsible for that person's death.

The page says 'if you have this specific type of pain you may have X and it's an emergency'. I really don't understand your problem.

If you know what the cause of your gastric pain is, why not just refer to advice specific to that condition?

I suspect the problem is you're looking at it from a marketer's point of view. From a medical advice point of view, the info is spot on solid gold. This page is helpful to people who have a new and different kind of pain and are wondering if it's serious, risky, or nothing to worry about. It is not at all helpful to someone who has a distinctly non-emergency condition and wants some home remedies for it.

[Kim Standerline]

I gotta ask Susan

Did you have piles lol

Kim

Originally Posted by csm

Your post is very timely as I was just dealing with something similar this past week. I discovered that I have what I believe to be, er . . . ehem, hemorrhoids. Never had them nor thought I'd get them. But when I thought that's what it was last Sunday, of course, my first step was to search online for information to see if my self-diagnosis was likely correct (images, symptoms, how they feel, etc.), and then to research what treatment I should follow if I hoped to relieve them naturally.

Ironically, one of the CB products I promote myself is a hemorrhoids info product.

As I was googling for info, of course, a lot of articles on EZA, ArticlesBase, AssociatedContent, and others, were near the top. My immediate reaction was to skip any of those links, since I know that anyone like me can post an article at these sites. So I was not inclined to consider them a trusted source of information.

Instead, I went directly to the WebMD and MayoClinic websites and read the advice there.

But it did make me pause to think of how many people out there search for needed information, particularly about health issues, and may take at face value what is written in articles at the generic articles directories because they have no idea that anyone can submit articles to them about any topic, whether or not they have professional credentials in the field.

Susan

[DavidO]

eBizman may have picked a questionable example but he makes some damn good points. The fact is there are way too many overnight experts out there who have a superficial level of knowledge at best. Just look at all the advice in IM about "authority sites". Sure... set up a website, spin some articles, plagiarize some other content and you're suddenly an authority?

Another valid point of concern is how a site like this (not bad, really, but surely no authority site) gets a high position on Google. This is exactly what Google is trying to avoid but they still don't do a very good job of finding genuinely useful content in far too many cases.