The discoverability gap in life sciences marketing
Most life sciences organisations have invested in a professional digital presence. Websites are live, LinkedIn channels are active, and content is published regularly. From the outside, this creates the impression of a sector that is digitally mature and visible.
However, the State of Life Sciences Marketing Report 2026 reveals a structural imbalance beneath that surface.
Based on independent input from more than 50 biotech, medtech, and pharma professionals, the report shows that:
- 71% of organisations actively maintain a website
- 60% are active on LinkedIn
- 31% consider their website a strong ROI channel
- but only 10% consider SEO and content-driven discoverability to deliver strong ROI
This difference highlights what we describe as the discoverability gap:
the gap between being present online and being consistently found when stakeholders actively look for information.
Table of contents
What the discoverability gap actually means
The discoverability gap does not suggest that life sciences companies lack digital channels. On the contrary, adoption of visible channels is high.
Instead, the gap describes a difference in perceived value between:
- visibility-oriented channels (websites, LinkedIn, events), and
- discoverability-oriented mechanisms (SEO and content optimisation)
Visibility signals presence. Discoverability determines whether content is found when someone searches for context, validation, or understanding.
The report shows that while websites and LinkedIn are widely used, SEO and content marketing are perceived as delivering low ROI. This creates a situation where organisations invest in digital infrastructure, but perceive limited return from the mechanisms that make that infrastructure discoverable.
Channel usage versus perceived ROI
The data in the report shows a clear pattern:
- Websites are among the most widely used channels, yet only 31% of respondents associate them with strong ROI.
- SEO and content marketing rank lowest in perceived ROI, at 10%, despite being closely linked to how content is found.
This does not indicate that SEO or content marketing are ineffective. The report does not evaluate channel performance in absolute terms.
What it shows is how these channels are perceived and prioritised within life sciences organisations.
The result is a structural mismatch:
high adoption of visible assets, combined with low confidence in the mechanisms that support long-term discoverability.
Why visibility alone is not enough
A website can exist without being easy to find.
Content can be published without being easily discoverable.
In practice, this means organisations may receive attention through direct outreach, referrals, or events, while remaining difficult to find through search-driven discovery. Visibility exists, but discoverability remains limited.
The report does not claim why this happens, nor does it assign blame.
It simply shows that discoverability-related activities are perceived as delivering limited ROI.
This creates a structural imbalance between:
- the availability of information, and
- the likelihood that stakeholders encounter it independently
Practical implications for life sciences organisations
The discoverability gap has direct implications for how marketing supports commercial objectives:
- Growth is primarily defined in commercial terms, such as revenue and market expansion.
- Marketing is expected to contribute to these outcomes.
- Yet the mechanisms that support consistent discovery of information are perceived as delivering limited ROI.
This creates a tension between commercial expectations and digital foundations.
The report does not argue for replacing high-touch, human-driven channels.
It highlights that discoverability-related mechanisms are structurally underweighted relative to their role in supporting independent information seeking.
Closing the gap starts with understanding it
The State of Life Sciences Marketing Report 2026 shows that life sciences organisations are visible, active, and commercially focused. At the same time, discoverability remains an underdeveloped capability in terms of perceived ROI.
Understanding this gap is the first step toward aligning digital infrastructure with commercial ambition, without adding channels, increasing output, or changing what already works.
Questions or need guidance? Send us a message, we’re happy to help!
