How nih Captures $761.84M in Traffic Value Monthly - A Marketing Strategy Breakdown
By Team Inblog ⋅ March 19, 2025
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a key agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and part of the NIH family, is dedicated to transforming the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through groundbreaking research and clinical initiatives. nih has successfully generated $761.84M in traffic cost value through its SEO strategies as of February, 2025. This growth is driven by a combination of keyword targeting, content optimization, and on-page SEO improvements.
In this article, we’ll dive into the key marketing strategies that contributed to their success.
Keyword Strategies
A well-planned keyword strategy helps connect your content with the right audience by aligning it with their searches.
Boost SERP Rankings by Understanding Search Intent
The key to this strategy’s success is nih's deep understanding of search intent. Search intent isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the reason people type queries into search engines and a major driver of search traffic.
There are four main types of search intent:
- Informational: When someone is looking to learn more (e.g., “What is nih?”)
- Navigational: When someone is trying to find a specific page or site (e.g., “Personal CRM Template”)
- Commercial: When someone is comparing options (e.g., “nih vs. Competitors”)
- Transactional: When someone is ready to buy, use, or download something (e.g., “nih Pricing”)
As search intent moves from Informational to Navigational, Commercial, and Transactional, users become more specific and action-driven. Initially, users seek general information, but as they move down the funnel, they get closer to making a decision or purchase.
Considering various keyword variations that users might search for in areas like UX or template solutions, nih's top 1,000 organic keywords have been categorized into these intent types.
| Intent Type | Share (%) | Top Keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | 62.88% | periodic table, bmi, adhd |
| Navigational | 16.34% | gimkit, bmi calculator, pubmed |
| Commercial | 14.82% | era commons, e621, telehealth apn |
| Transactional | 5.96% | ashwagandha, shilajit, berberine |
Notably, navigational keywords are displayed using examples such as "gimkit", "bmi calculator", "pubmed", "asd", "ncbi", "ed", "new healthcare technology", "calculator", "nih reporter", "porn", and they account for the largest share, contributing $10.84M in traffic cost.
Optimizing Content for Search Intent
To rank well on Google, it's important to create content that aligns with what users are actually searching for. Google aims to provide answers by using advanced algorithms to understand the intent behind each query. Understanding search intent helps ensure your content meets users’ needs.
Below are the top five pages on nih that generate the most organic traffic through content optimized for keyword intent:
| URL | Keyword | Position | Search Volume | Traffic | Traffic Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/periodic-table/ | periodic table | 2 | 2,695,545 | 460,141 | $27,608 |
| https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmi_tbl.htm | bmi chart | 1 | 291,708 | 36,590 | $16,465 |
| https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556032/ | krebs cycle | 1 | 74,000 | 17,278 | $12,267 |
| https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/theliteratureofprescription/exhibitionAssets/digitalDocs/The-Yellow-Wall-Paper.pdf | the yellow wallpaper | 1 | 40,004 | 14,618 | $4,531 |
| https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Ashwagandha-HealthProfessional/ | ashwagandha benefits | 1 | 301,000 | 14,506 | $7,398 |
nih's SEO success is rooted in a traditional content marketing strategy, where long-form guides rank for a wide range of keywords. The selected pages delve into specialized topics that resonate with targeted user queries. This structured approach to content not only boosts rankings but also ensures that searchers find exactly what they're looking for.
Choosing the Right Keywords to Attract Quality Traffic
The more organic keywords you rank for—that is, words and phrases that draw people to your site from a search engine results page (SERP)—the better. Organic keywords are free, help improve online visibility, and attract quality traffic.
| Keyword | Position | Search Volume | Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|
| adhd | 1 | 442,443 | 99,177 |
| schizophrenia | 1 | 626,472 | 84,871 |
| bipolar disorder | 1 | 299,834 | 50,672 |
| bpd | 1 | 243,630 | 49,152 |
| agoraphobia | 2 | 260,587 | 27,074 |
On-Page SEO: Keeping a Consistent URL Structure
On-page SEO (also known as on-site SEO) refers to all the optimizations made within a webpage itself to improve its rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). High traffic pages tend to showcase clear and intuitive URL structures that signal relevance to both users and search engines. A well-organized URL helps search engines quickly identify the content hierarchy, while providing users with a predictable navigation path that enhances usability and trust.
When optimizing on-page SEO, it is important to implement both simple and nested URL structures. For a simple structure, the format is nih.gov/[subfolder], which cleanly separates the website’s primary content categories. This method is particularly effective for broad topics such as general health information, research summaries, or news updates. By contrast, a nested structure follows the format nih.gov/[subfolder]/[keyword], enabling a more detailed classification where a clear primary category is complemented by a specific keyword descriptor. Both approaches contribute to improved crawlability and overall site organization.
Maintaining a uniform URL structure plays a vital role in technical SEO. A consistent hierarchy not only aids search engines in indexing and ranking pages more effectively but also reassures visitors through predictable navigation paths. By segmenting content into relevant subfolders and infusing targeted keywords into nested URLs, the site reinforces content relevance and authority—all of which are key factors in enhancing organic search performance.
Examples of URL Structure:
nih.gov/[subfolder]
- https://nih.gov/health
- https://nih.gov/research
- https://nih.gov/news
nih.gov/[subfolder]/[keyword]
- https://nih.gov/health/autism
- https://nih.gov/research/clinical-trials
- https://nih.gov/news/discoveries
Conclusion
This report provides an in-depth analysis of how nih captured $761.84M in monthly traffic value through a well-executed SEO strategy focused on keyword targeting, content optimization, and a uniform URL structure. The breakdown includes an examination of search intent categories—informational, navigational, commercial investigational, and transactional—and illustrates how each contributes to the overall cost value, with a notable emphasis on navigational keywords. Additionally, the report highlights the effective content strategies used on top-performing pages, detailing the role of specialized long-form content in catering to various user queries. The targeting of high-quality, long-tail keywords for mental health conditions further underscores the importance of strong search intent in attracting organic traffic. Finally, the on-page SEO strategy, particularly the use of simple and nested URL structures, is emphasized as a critical component for improving crawlability, establishing content hierarchy, and enhancing user navigation.