Search engine optimization and its association with readability and accessibility of diabetic retinopathy websites.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

This study investigated whether websites regarding diabetic retinopathy are readable for patients, and adequately designed to be found by search engines.

Methods

The term "diabetic retinopathy" was queried in the Google search engine. Patient-oriented websites from the first 10 pages were categorized by search result page number and website organization type. Metrics of search engine optimization (SEO) and readability were then calculated.

Results

Among the 71 sites meeting inclusion criteria, informational and organizational sites were best optimized for search engines, and informational sites were the most visited. Better optimization as measured by authority score was correlated with lower Flesch Kincaid Grade Level (r = 0.267, P = 0.024). There was a signi

SUBMITTER: Lam MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11377497 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature