Writing is hard work, and it takes lots of time. And if your Google Analytics stats don’t show much engagement with readers, what’s the point? You skip it one week, then another… and pretty soon, your blog is history.
Too often this happens, and it’s really tragic for your healthcare business/practice. Because a blog is essential for SEO — and that feeds your Google rankings, the essential element to attracting new patients.
SEO — search engine optimization — is indeed the focus here. And there’s one basic premise about SEO, that Google values fresh content. Content with specific keywords is the key to Google’s ranking system.
There’s no better way to produce fresh content than via a blog. With fresh content, produced every week, Google smiles upon your business – and your rankings increase.
Research shows that blogs on company sites result in 55 percent more site visitors. Companies that blog generate 67 percent more leads per month than those that do not blog.
So what happens if you STOP blogging?
WordPress developer/social media manager/SEO expert Robert Ryan conducted a simple yet enlightening experiment. In 2015, he refrained from posting any new content on his blog for 251 days — eight months and seven days.
His key findings:
Overall traffic to the site had a huge decline of 32 percent.
Overall site conversions fell by 28 percent.
Traffic to the contact page was down by 15 percent.
Those are serious declines. For you, as an independent healthcare practitioner, the issue of “conversions” translates into appointment bookings. If they’re down by one-third, that’s very bad news.
How is this decline possible? Blogging builds rapport with the audience. Your blog helps them gain confidence in you, and view you as an expert. They get comfortable with the idea of making an appointment, and trusting you with their dental care.
Here’s one quote from the report:
“60 percent of consumers feel more positive about a company after reading custom content on its site.” It’s about fostering positive feelings, as vague as that sounds. Furthermore, “78 percent of consumers believe that companies behind content are interested in building good relationships.” Good relationships are built one blog post at a time.
How to make your blog work for you
Here are the three most common problems with blogs and what to do about them, per Neil Patel, a top influencer in this sphere.
Problem #1 - You’re not getting enough traffic to your content.
- Optimize your posts with the keywords that your target users are searching for.
- Build an email list and inform your list when you publish. Email ranks as the top channel for driving leads. (73% of survey respondents say so.)
- Drive targeted traffic to your posts. Facebook Ads are your best bet, as they are cheap and effective.
#2 - Readers aren’t engaging with your content.
Lack of engagement is another common problem, says Patel. Most times, it’s because bloggers simply don’t have a formula for creating engaging content.
Solutions:
- Get clear on your target audience and get inside their heads to create content that resonates.
- Write better content. A captivating headline, compelling introduction, solid visuals, and readable text are great places to start.
- Add a call to action. Ask questions. Get active in their communities.
#3 - You’re not seeing any growth.
It’s not unusual to stumble in gaining readership. Unless you’ve been blogging for an entire year without fail and have seen no progress, this may not even be a problem, says Patel.
Solutions:
- Start networking with other bloggers and influencers. After you’ve established a relationship, there can be a fair exchange of value that benefits both parties. You guest-blog on each other’s blogs.
- Be consistent with your publishing schedule. Success in blogging is largely about how frequently you show up to serve your audience. The more you write, the more traction you can gain.
- Research shows that once you write 21-54 blog posts, your traffic can surge by 30%. Similarly, publish 52+ blog posts and see a 77% increase.
So it’s clear — don’t throw in the towel when blogging gets difficult.
Overwhelmed? We can handle your healthcare blog
Researching and writing a weekly blog takes time, as does the social media involved to promote the blog. You must use pertinent topics/keywords, and the best content sources. You must also follow all social media rules in publishing blog promotions. Facebook, for example, can refuse to publish your blog link if the teaser doesn’t follow their very specific rules.
Somnowell Marketing has a team in place to develop healthcare blogs that will attract and convert prospective patients. Our professional team of writers and social media experts have worked with dental practices like yours that need a weekly blog.
We can figure out how to best enhance your SEO keywords, your Google ranking, your social media, and your content. We know all social media best practices, and can ensure your blogs appear where your potential patients will see them.
Your practice deserves a blog that truly reflects the outstanding patient care you provide — and establishes your healthcare business/practice as an authoritative source of information.
SOURCES:
https://neilpatel.com/blog/should-you-stop-blogging/
