The presentation was given on Jan 9, 2019, as part of the Digital Scholar Program Webinar Series. Learning objectives are: 1) Understand how you can create free webpages for your recruiting research studies using the USC Clinical Studies Directory, and 2) Understand the principles of search engine optimization (SEO) and how you can apply SEO so that your study can be found online. More about the Digital Scholar Program at USC: https://sc-ctsi.org/training-education/digital-scholar-program

1. Digital Scholar
Webinar
Jan 9, 2019
Hosted by the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI)
University of Southern California (USC) and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA)

2. Today’s Speaker
Katja Reuter, PhD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Preventive Medicine at
the University of Southern California,
Director of Digital Innovation and Communications at
the SC CTSI, and
Founder and Director of the Digital Scholar Program
Katja Reuter, PhD

3. About Today’s Session

4. Today’s Topic
Creating an Effective Study
Recruitment Webpage Online

5. Today’s Learning Objectives
1. Understand how you can create free
webpages for your recruiting
research studies using the USC
Clinical Studies Directory
2. Understand the principles of search
engine optimization (SEO) and how
you can apply SEO so that your study
can be found online.

6. Meeting Potential Study Participants Online

7. One in three American adults have
gone online to figure out a medical
condition (Pew Research, 2013)
77 % of online health seekers start at
search engines (Pew Research, 2005)
Meeting Potential Study Participants Online

8. Examples of Studies that Used Google
Search Data

9. A study webpage that
can be found online.
What’s required?

10. Clinical Studies Directory

11. Clinical Studies Directory

12. How to get to this page?
https://sc-ctsi.org

13. How to get to this page?

14. How to get to this page?
https://sc-ctsi.org

15. How to get to this page?

16. Creating a Study Webpage
Sign up for an account
Go to: https://clinicaltrials.sc-ctsi.org/research_team/sign_up

17. Creating a Study Webpage
Login
Go to: https://clinicaltrials.sc-ctsi.org/users/sign_in

18. Dashboard

19. Study Page Example

20. Creating a New Study Page

21. Creating a New Study Page
Verification by the PI required

22. Study Page Example

23. “What’s Involved?” Section

24. Writing Tips

25. Sharing a Study Page for Feedback

26. Finalizing a Study Page

27. Getting IRB Approval
You can share the study link with the IRB.
Once the IRB approves the landing page, upload the
approval letter or screenshot of approval letter to crs@sc-
ctsi.org.
Review of approval letter by CTSI administrators. If proper
approval is provided, page will be launched within 24
hours.
You will be able to view the link to your published page on
your dashboard.

28. Today’s Topic
Increasing the Discoverability
of your Study Webpage

30. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

31. Factors that Influence Page Ranking
1. Search engine friendly page title (65
characters rule)

32. Factors that Influence Page Ranking
1. Search engine friendly page title (65
characters rule)
Examples: Exercise and its effects on the
health of breast cancer survivors

33. Factors that Influence Page Ranking
1. Search engine friendly page title
bladder cancer instead of urothelial carcinoma
swelling instead of edema
death of tissue instead of necrosis
Belly, stomach instead of abdomen

34. Resources: Medical Terms in Lay
Language
1. https://humansubjects.stanford.edu/new/docs/gloss
ary_definitions/lay_language.pdf
2. https://hso.research.uiowa.edu/medical-terms-lay-
language
3. https://www.med.upenn.edu/ocrobjects/PM/2_gloss
ary.of.lay.terms.pdf

35. Factors that Influence Page Ranking
1. Search engine friendly page title
2. Optimize the summary or purpose
description (first-two-sentences rule)

36. Answer Key Questions
What disease does the study focus on and why does it
matter?
Example: Thinking problems are common in Parkinson’s
disease and lead to poor quality of life.

37. Key Questions: Purpose Description
What disease does the study focus on and why does it
matter?
Example: Thinking problems are common in Parkinson’s
disease and lead to poor quality of life.
What is the primary goal of the study?
Example: This study is to see if exercise is helpful to
improve thinking problems in Parkinson’s disease.

38. Key Questions: Purpose Description
What disease does the study focus on and why does it
matter?
Example: Thinking problems are common in Parkinson’s
disease and lead to poor quality of life.
What is the primary goal of the study?
Example: This study is to see if exercise is helpful to improve
thinking problems in Parkinson’s disease.
How will study participants contribute?
Example: Your participation will help us (or a research team at
USC) to understand better how thinking problems in patients
with Parkinson's affect their ability to make decisions and move
safely.

39. Factors that Influence Page Ranking
1. Search engine friendly page title
2. Optimize the summary or purpose description
(first-two-sentences rule)
3. Use lay audience keywords/phrases that
online information seekers use throughout the
page
4. Build links (in-bound cross-linking via social
media, institutional websites, news pages,
community websites, etc.)

40. Google Trends
Go to: https://trends.google.com

41. Wordtracker
Go to: https://www.wordtracker.com/

42. Know how your
audience talks,
and communicate
with them better.

43. Example

44. What words should I use?
Infant vs. baby vs. newborn
Nutrition vs. diet
Breast milk vs. breastfeeding
Mother vs. mom

48. What words should I use?
Infant vs. baby vs. newborn
Nutrition vs. diet
Breast milk vs. breastfeeding
Mother vs. mom

51. What words should I use?
Infant vs. baby vs. newborn
Nutrition vs. diet vs. food vs. eating
Breast milk vs. breastfeeding
Mother vs. mom

54. What words should I use?
Infant vs. baby vs. newborn
Nutrition vs. diet vs. food vs. eating
Breast milk vs. breastfeeding
Mother vs. mom

56. What words should I use?
Infant vs. baby vs. newborn
Nutrition vs. diet vs. food vs. eating
Breast milk vs. breastfeeding
Mother vs. mom

57. Revised
Title
The Mamita Study: How the diet of
breastfeeding moms can affect the
health of their baby

58. Q u e s t i o n s
Program director: Katja Reuter, PhD
Email: katja.reuter@usc.edu
Twitter: @dmsci
Digital Scholar Program
I n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t
t h e p r o g r a m
http://sc-ctsi.org/digital-scholar/
S t u d y P a r t i c i p a n t R e c r u i t m e n t S u p p o r t
Customized recruitment and retention strategies that fit your study’s needs,
timeline, and budget.
Contact: Nicki Karimipour, PhD (Nicki.Karimipour@med.usc.edu)
https://sc-ctsi.org/resources/study-participant-recruitment-support
D i g i t a l R e c r u i t m e n t S u p p o r t
Support for digital and social media-enabled recruitment.
Contact: Katja Reuter, PhD (Katja.Reuter@med.usc.edu)
https://sc-ctsi.org/resources/automated-assistance-with-study-recruitment-on-social-media