HMDG’s Top 5 Tips for Blogs
Clinic blogs are either written for other clinicians or abandoned after three posts. Neither brings in patients. A blog only works if it answers the questions real people are Googling and does it consistently. This article is part of our Complete Guide to Marketing for Clinics. Below are five rules we use at HMDG to make blogs actually drive bookings.
1. Write for patients, not peers
Too many clinic blogs read like academic journals. Patients do not care about research debates or complex terminology. They want simple answers: why their shoulder hurts, what treatment involves, and how long it will take to get better. If your blog does not speak to patients in plain language, it is wasted effort. Write for the people who will actually book, not your colleagues.
2. Answer real questions
Your patients tell you what to write every day. “Why does my knee click?” “Is physio covered by insurance?” These are the real blog titles. Writing about generic topics like “the benefits of exercise” does not bring in patients. Writing content that mirrors what people actually Google does. Stop guessing what to post and start listening to your patients.
3. Long form beats short fluff
Short blogs do not rank, do not convince, and do not convert. A 200-word “tips” post is pointless. Aim for 800–1,200 words that properly explain a problem and solution. Google rewards depth. Patients trust detail. A handful of long blogs that answer questions in depth will outperform dozens of shallow posts every time.
4. Optimise for search
You can write the best content in the world, but if it is not optimised, no one will see it. Use clear titles, structured headings, and meta descriptions. Make sure posts are scannable and easy to read. Do not stuff keywords, but do make sure the content is written with search visibility in mind. A blog without SEO is invisible.
5. Be consistent
One post a year will not build anything. Blogs compound traffic over time if you publish regularly. One decent post a month is enough, but you have to keep at it. Patients see freshness, Google sees activity, and your visibility grows. Bursts of posting followed by silence achieve nothing. Pick a rhythm and stick to it.
Blogs only build value if they answer patient questions, go deep enough to rank, and appear regularly. Anything else is noise. For the full strategy, return to our Complete Guide to Marketing for Clinics. Or read the next chapter: AI SEO for Clinics.