Most people looking for functional medicine don’t pick the first place they go to when looking for it. They usually take their time researching different options and looking up symptoms in the middle of the night. Some people may be relating a combination of things (fatigue, gut problems, hormonal changes, weight gain, etc.) that are all connected. When someone finally reaches out to a practice after doing this type of research, they typically already know quite a bit about functional medicine. This is one reason why blogging continues to matter. Blogging isn’t just some old SEO technique – it’s really a way to connect with your patients as they try to determine where you can provide them assistance.
Key Takeaways
Before we get into the details, here is the short version.
• Blogging helps your practice show up while patients are researching symptoms and options
• Strong educational content builds trust before someone books a consultation
• Blog posts support service pages, city pages, and internal linking
• Fresh content gives Google more context about what your practice does
• A real blog strategy works better than random posting
A strong blog is not just filler. It should answer the real questions your future patients are searching for.
Patients Usually Need Time Before They Reach Out
Deciding on Functional Medicine is often an extremely difficult decision. Many patients consider Functional Medicine as a last resort when they feel frustrated because they have been dismissed or misdiagnosed due to unexplained symptoms. They may suspect that there is something going wrong with them, but at this point in time, they can’t identify what type of care will help them.
Through blogging you can provide information to your audience during their research process. Topics such as fatigue post-eating, hormonal symptomology, gut health issues, and inflammation are just some of the many examples of how you can assist your audience in connecting the dots. It’s also important to realize that you don’t have to make promises. If your blog has provided enough assistance so that one reader feels that “this practice understands my problem,” then your goal has likely been met.’
Blogs Build Trust Differently Than Service Pages
Service pages are there to do one thing: they help you tell others about services that you provide and direct visitors to act as customers. Blog articles allow you to go into more detail when explaining frequently asked questions, concerns, or answering the “how” behind the way your health practice delivers care.
This makes sense because all forms of health-related content need to be able to gain patient confidence. According to Google’s guidelines, useful, accurate information for users should be the primary focus of search results, not the creation of content intended for search engine ranking. This is particularly true within the field of Functional Medicine, since unsubstantiated claims or exaggerated promises can quickly cause a patient to lose faith.
Blogging Makes the Rest of Your SEO Stronger
Don’t let your blog be an afterthought on your site. Blog posts that are created for your site will help connect people to your services and products, create cluster topics, answer similar questions that customers may have, and provide Google with better information about your medical practice.
For instance, a post that you write on hormones could lead someone to your hormone optimization page. A gut health post can help direct users to other related services. Writing local posts can increase your exposure in certain areas (i.e., cities, states).
When all of this comes together, it creates a true resource that is more than just a brochure.
We Can Help Turn Patient Questions Into Better Content
Functional Medicine SEO helps medical practices develop actual blog strategies that create more opportunities for them to gain visibility with their target audience and grow as a practice by attracting new patients. Our strategy includes creating content based on what patients are already searching for (questions), connecting those pieces of content to the relevant service pages on the website.
We have experience helping websites that do little beyond providing a handful of service pages and an underutilized blog become more user-friendly and beneficial to patients searching for the services you provide. In doing so, we want to avoid adding unnecessary “noise” and generic content to your site, and instead make it more user-friendly and easier to navigate for the patients who are looking for the services you offer. Reach out to learn more.
