Analysis of Keywords Used in Internet Searches for Melanoma Information: Observational Study

Abstract

Background The internet is an accessible resource for health care information and is often used by patients to learn about melanoma. The keywords that are used in internet searches can reflect internet users’ interest in specific topics and the public’s awareness of health-related issues. Objective This study aims to describe the most frequently used keywords, questions, and corresponding websites in internet searches for melanoma. Methods This is an observational study using data retrieved from Google Trends, Alexa Internet, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and SE Ranking for the keywords “melanoma” and “skin cancer.” Results Average search interest as per Google Trends was greater for the keyword “skin cancer” than for the keyword “melanoma.” Searches for the top 25 keywords in 3 databases resulted in 34 unique melanoma keywords and 33 unique skin cancer keywords. Melanoma keywords were most frequently related to clinicopathologic classification (n=11, 32%), and skin cancer keywords were most frequently about diagnosis (n=14, 42%). Questions about the prognosis of melanoma appeared most frequently among the most popular melanoma questions, but general questions or questions about the diagnosis of melanoma contributed the greatest proportion of searches by search volume. Skin cancer question searches were most commonly about diagnosis. The highest proportion of searches for popular melanoma and skin cancer keywords most frequently sent traffic to websites from nonprofit organizations and media companies, respectively. Conclusions We identified common keywords, questions, and websites used to access information about melanoma on the internet. These data may help health care providers and public health professionals when educating and counseling patients and the public about skin cancer.