Last year, an unusual incident occurred while I was working on a project for a client. I needed expert insight from a sports science professional and posted a request on Response Source, a platform for journalists and PR to connect with experts. Surprisingly, one answer came from a doctor, a British GP based in London.
The response provided information on how high temperatures can affect the health and performance of athletes. Although the content seemed appropriate for my campaign, I found it strange that a GP would respond to my request. Upon further investigation, I discovered that the link in her profile was to an e-commerce website that sells sex toys.
A quick Google search revealed that this GP’s name appeared on several websites selling various products, including CBD oils, vapers, gummies and vitamins. Also, a reverse image search of his supplied headshot led to a website exposing female romance scammers and CBD-related websites. It seemed clear that her image had been taken from someone else’s Tumblr account and was now being used for fraudulent purposes.
In the UK, all practicing GPs must be registered on the General Medical Council’s Register of GPs, which is publicly searchable. However, the name of this doctor was not listed. The motivation behind impersonating a doctor in SEO strategy is still unclear.
One possible reason for this behavior is the value of links in search engine optimization (SEO). Links are very beneficial for digital PR professionals and can be especially important for “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) classified websites, which includes those selling products such as vitamins or CBD oils. Unfortunately, impersonating a doctor and acquiring links to deceptive media seems to be working for this fake doctor.
The ethical issue at hand is the impact on the EAT (Experience, Authority, Trustworthiness) of YMYL websites. Google holds YMYL sites to a very high level of EAT and it is essential to ensure that medical advice is provided by qualified individuals or organisations. Recommendations from expert sources and professional societies are considered strong evidence of a positive reputation.
It is crucial that YMYL websites clearly display information about their experts, their qualifications and their roles within the company or brand. Having a medical expert cited in reputable publications and websites is one of the best ways to establish the EAT needed to classify a YMYL website.
In a conversation with journalist Mason Quah, who wrote the story about the fake doctor’s leukemia tips, it was revealed that most of the communications were made via email, with the reply source being the most likely source of clues. Using AI-generated responses from people claiming to be doctors saved time when their input was needed to validate or authenticate a story.
Moreover, fake experts are not the only problem in the field of EAT. The “E” experience in EAT is also susceptible to scams. Google recognizes that first-hand experience can be valuable, even if the person has no formal knowledge in a specific field. However, cases like Insider reporter Julia Pugachevsky being tricked into interviewing an AI-generated source claiming to be a cancer patient highlight the unethical practices used by some scammers.
In short, the unauthorized use of fake experts undermines the importance of SEO expertise. YMYL websites should prioritize providing accurate and reliable information from qualified professionals to maintain their EAT and build trust with users.
