This part of our Year in Review Series is all about health. As 2024 comes to an end, we examined how health-related content performed regarding mobile visibility in Germany, the U.K. and the U.S. throughout the year. The focus lies on the top publishers and platforms and their visibility trends throughout the year as well as the top-ranking keywords in the Health category.

The analysis is based on data from the Trisolute News Dashboard, using the following filter settings across all three countries:

• Mobile Visibility Overall
• Date range: 01/01/2024–11/30/2024
• Top 10 competitors
• All 10 ranking types: News Box (Headline, Text, Carousel), Video Box, Publisher Carousel, Other Carousel, Web Story, Featured Snippet, Visual Digest, Organic
• Individual keyword set sourced from Google News Topics and Google Trends
• Category: Health

From global public health concerns to evergreen topics like nutrition and wellness, 2024 saw an ongoing demand for reliable, engaging health content. But which publishers were most visible, and how did their performance fluctuate over the year? And which keywords contributed most to their visibility? Let’s explore the data to uncover the key trends and insights that shaped health content this year.

Germany

Let’s first take a look at Germany, a country where public health topics often dominate the conversation due to the prominent role of trusted institutions like the Robert Koch Institute and the Federal Ministry of Health. In 2024, health-related news in Germany continued to reflect a strong demand for reliable information, from seasonal updates to broader wellness trends. How did publishers perform in this landscape, and which keywords ranked highest? Let’s dive into the data.

Top Keywords: ‘Vitamin D’ generates most rankings

1. vitamin d
2. demenz
3. alzheimer
4. mpox
5. hiv
6. virus
7. haferflocken
8. denguenfieber
9. alzheimer-krankheit
10. corona

The top Health keywords in Germany for 2024 reveal a strong focus on preventive health, chronic conditions, and global health topics. High-ranking terms such as ‘vitamin d’ and ‘haferflocken’ (oatmeal) reflect a growing interest in nutrition and its role in maintaining overall health, while keywords like ‘demenz’ (dementia), ‘alzheimer’ and ‘alzheimer-krankheit’ (alzheimer’s disease) indicate the sustained relevance of aging-related health issues in a country where the population is increasingly aging.
Infectious diseases also played a significant role, with terms like ‘mpox’, ‘hiv’, and ‘virus’ being among the most ranked keywords in 2024. This highlights the public’s continued need for information on disease outbreaks, prevention, and treatment options. Similarly, ‘denguefiever’ (dengue fever) points to heightened awareness of global health concerns, likely driven by increased travel and media coverage of tropical diseases.
Interestingly, ‘corona’ (covid) remains on the list, reflecting lingering interest in COVID-19-related content, even as its prominence has declined compared to previous years. This indicates that while publishers may have reduced their focus on pandemic-specific coverage, residual searches for related information, such as long-term effects, still contributed to visibility.

Overall, the most successful keywords in 2024 spanned a mix of evergreen health topics, emerging global health concerns, and broader nutritional trends. These trends provide valuable context for understanding the types of content that resonated most with audiences, setting the stage for a deeper dive into which publishers capitalized on these opportunities.

Top Publishers: A little bit of everything

1. Wikipedia.org
2. RKI.de
3. YouTube.com
4. Bundesgesundheitsministerium.de
5. DocCheck.com
6. ARD Mediathek.de
7. Gesundheitsinformation.de
8. FR.de
9. NDR.de
10. Focus.de

Mobile visibility of German news publishers and platforms in the “Health” category

The list includes a mix of general information platforms (Wikipedia.org), government sources (RKI.de, Bundesgesundheitsministerium.de), news publishers (ARD Mediathek.de, NDR.de, Focus.de, and FR.de), and health-specific sites (DocCheck.de, Gesundheitsinformation.de).

Wikipedia.org constantly ranks in first place throughout 2024, maintaining a strong and stable lead in visibility. This dominance is likely due to its comprehensive and neutral content for a wide range of health-related search queries. Government sources, such as RKI.de (Robert Koch Institute) and Bundesgesundheitsministerium.de (Federal Ministry of Health), show strong yet fluctuating visibility, particularly during the first half of the year. YouTube.com stands out with notable increases in visibility during May as well as the autumn months, indicating the growing importance of video content for health-related research and engagement. News publishers, including ARD Mediathek.de, NDR.de, Focus.de, and FR.de, occupy a mid-range level of visibility with noticeable fluctuations. This suggests that their performance is strongly tied to the timeliness and relevance of health topics covered in news reporting.

United Kingdom

Let’s now turn our attention to the U.K., where healthcare remains a central topic of national conversation. In 2024, the debate surrounding the NHS (National Health Service) intensified, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer declaring that the system must “reform or die,” highlighting mounting pressures from long waiting times, rising chronic diseases, and structural inefficiencies. This ongoing discussion underscores the critical role of public health institutions and media coverage in shaping the U.K.’s health narrative.

How did these discussions reflect in search trends, and which publishers captured the most visibility in the Health category? Let’s dive into the data.

Top Keywords: Vaccines lead the conversation

1. vaccine
2. cancer
3. virus
4. covid
5. dementia
6. brain
7. avian influenza
8. mpox
9. measles
10. ageing

The top Health keywords in the UK for 2024 reveal a strong focus on vaccines, infectious diseases, and aging-related health issues. Leading the list is ‘vaccine’, reflecting ongoing interest in immunization, not only in the context of COVID-19 but also in relation to outbreaks like ‘avian influenza’ and ‘measles’. This highlights the continued relevance of vaccination as a key health topic.
The prominence of disease-related terms like ‘cancer’, ‘virus’, ‘mpox’, and ‘measles’ illustrates the enduring demand for information on disease prevention, outbreaks, and treatment. While some of these terms are linked to specific health events, others point to sustained interest in broader health risks.
Age-related health issues are also notable, with ‘dementia’, ‘brain’, and ‘ageing’ ranking among the most searched terms. This reflects growing public interest in cognitive health and the challenges posed by an aging population. Together, these keywords paint a picture of the U.K.’s health concerns in 2024, spanning urgent health crises, preventative care, and the broader implications of an aging society.

Top Publishers: Where the U.K. Turns for Health Information

1. NHS.uk
2. YouTube.com
3. Wikipedia.org
4. The Guardian.com
5. BBC.co.uk
6. Mayoclinic.org
7. WHO.int
8. NIH.gov
9. Clevelandclinic.org
10. CDC.gov

Mobile visibility of U.K. news publishers and platforms in the “Health” category

The U.K.’s top publishers in the Health category reveal a diverse mix of public health institutions, information platforms, and news publishers.

NHS.uk, the official website of the National Health Service, consistently dominates in visibility throughout 2024. Its unwavering lead highlights the strong trust placed in the NHS as a reliable and authoritative source of health information for U.K. audiences. Wikipedia.org maintains a stable position as one of the top-ranking platforms, benefiting from its breadth of content and SEO strength across a wide range of health-related queries. YouTube.com also remains highly visible, reflecting the growing demand for video content to explain complex health topics and provide engaging, visual health advice. Among news publishers, The Guardian.com and BBC.co.uk stand out, with The Guardian experiencing notable fluctuations mid-year, peaking in the summer months before declining in September. Global health authorities like WHO.int (World Health Organization) and NIH.gov (National Institutes of Health) maintain moderate visibility, indicating steady interest in international health insights. Specialized health platforms such as MayoClinic.org and ClevelandClinic.org secure consistent, though lower, positions, catering to specific medical and wellness-related searches.

United States

Last but not least, let’s have a look at the U.S., a country whose healthcare system has long been a topic of both domestic debate and international criticism due to its high costs and inequities. In 2024, the healthcare conversation intensified in the lead-up to the presidential election, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s role as the Department of Health and Human Services secretary gaining significant attention. Additionally, the assassination of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in early December brought renewed scrutiny to the healthcare industry, further amplifying existing frustrations. Events like these are likely to fuel ongoing discussions about the U.S. healthcare system well into 2025.

Let’s now look at the 2024 data:

Top Keywords: Infectious Diseases Spark the Conversation

1. bird flu
2. covid
3. vaccine
4. avian influenza
5. measles
6. mpox
7. virus
8. dengue fever
9. cancer
10. brain

The top Health keywords in the US for 2024 highlight a strong focus on infectious diseases, vaccinations, and chronic health issues. Infectious diseases are particularly prominent, with ‘bird flu’, ‘avian influenza’, ‘measles’, ‘mpox’, and ‘dengue fever’ all ranking among the most ranked keywords. This reflects heightened public interest in disease outbreaks and health risks, driven by both domestic and global health developments. The presence of both ‘bird flu’ and its scientific counterpart ‘avian influenza’ suggests that users searched using both common and technical terminology, signaling the need for a broad range of content coverage.
Keywords like ‘covid’, ‘vaccine’, and ‘virus’ demonstrate that public interest in viral diseases remains strong, even as the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed. The continued relevance of ‘covid’ highlights the ongoing need for information on long-term impacts, new variants, and vaccination guidance. The presence of ‘vaccine’ as a top-ranking keyword reflects broader immunization concerns beyond COVID-19, especially in the context of seasonal diseases and outbreaks like measles.
Beyond infectious diseases, chronic health issues also feature prominently. The inclusion of ‘cancer’ and ‘brain’ points to a sustained demand for information on long-term health challenges. These keywords suggest public interest in content related to cancer prevention, treatment advances, and brain health, particularly as it relates to cognitive well-being and neurodegenerative diseases.

This blend of outbreak-driven searches and broader, ongoing health concerns highlights the diversity of health-related topics that dominated US search behavior in 2024. From acute disease outbreaks to chronic illness awareness, the year’s top keywords offer insight into the issues that shaped public interest in health information.

Top Publishers: Video Content on the Rise

1. YouTube.com
2. CDC.gov
3. Wikipedia.org
4. NIH.gov
5. Clevelandclinic.org
6. Mayoclinic.org
7. WHO.int
8. NY Times.com
9. CNN.com
10. CBS News.com

Mobile visibility of U.S. news publishers and platforms in the “Health” category

YouTube.com takes the clear lead in visibility throughout the entire year, showcasing the ongoing importance of video content in the news sector Health. In second place, CDC.gov, the official website of the United States government for disease control and prevention, shows increased visibility at the beginning of the year, with two more peaks in July and October. Like it was the case in Germany and the U.K., Wikipedia.org also plays a major role in the U.S. when it comes to Health coverage, though it does not exceed as much here as it does in the other two countries. Other global health organizations, including WHO.int (World Health Organization) and NIH.gov (National Institute of Health), maintain a steady presence and can notably also be found among the top 10 publishers in the U.K. This is also the case for the two specialized medical platforms ClevelandClinic.org and Mayoclinic.org. News publishers like The New York Times (nytimes.com), CNN.com, and CBSNews.com round out the list, though they occupy lower overall positions.

Common Themes Across All Countries

Lastly, we looked at the top 100 keywords for each country and compared them to find common themes across Germany, the U.K., and the U.S. in 2024 when it came to Health. Here are the key insights:

• Keywords like ‘vaccine,’ ‘covid,’ ‘avian influenza,’ ‘measles,’ ‘mpox,’ ‘virus,’ ‘dengue fever,’ and ‘malaria’ appear across all three countries.
• Keywords related to aging populations and cognitive health are prominent across countries:
  • ‘dementia,’ ‘alzheimer’s disease,’ and ‘brain’ are common terms in all three regions.
  • Germany highlights ‘demenz’ and related terms, while the U.K. and U.S. include ‘dementia risk’ and cognitive health research.
• Cancer dominates globally, with specific mentions of:
  • ‘breast cancer,’ ‘prostate cancer,’ and ‘colorectal cancer’ in the U.K. and U.S.
  • Germany includes general mentions of ‘krebs’ (cancer) and ‘darmkrebs’ (colon cancer).
• Conditions like diabetes and heart disease are also notable in all three regions, reflecting the prevalence of chronic conditions worldwide.
• ‘obesity,’ ‘weight loss,’ and related terms such as ‘healthy diet’ and ‘exercise’ show up prominently, indicating a growing focus on preventative health measures globally.
• Nutrition-related keywords appear in all countries, emphasizing a global interest in healthy eating and supplementation:
  • Germany: ‘vitamin d,’ ‘haferflocken’ (oatmeal), ‘nahrungsergänzungsmittel’ (dietary supplement)
  • U.K.: ‘ultra-processed food,’ ‘diet,’ ‘protein,’ ‘plant-based diet’
  • U.S.: ‘ultra-processed food,’ ‘healthy diet,’ ‘protein,’ ‘dietary supplement’
• Mental health topics like ‘depression’ and ‘psychological stress’ appear globally.

Final thoughts

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