Most clinic blogs fail the same way. The owner writes four posts in a burst of energy, then nothing for eighteen months. The last post on the page is dated 2023, and a new patient wonders if the clinic is still open.
A good clinic blog is smaller than you think and more useful than most. Here is what to cover and how to plan it.
What a clinic blog is for
Don’t start with “we should blog.” Start with the job it does:
- Answer questions your patients already ask, so people searching for them find you.
- Make a nervous person feel you are the right clinic before they have called.
- Give you something to point people to, instead of repeating the same explanation at the front desk.
It is not for showing off clinical knowledge to other clinicians, and it is not a place to chase every news story. If a post doesn’t help a possible patient book, rethink it.
Start with the questions you already hear
You have the best topic list in the clinic already. For two weeks, keep a note at the front desk and in your treatment rooms. Write down every question a patient or caller asks. Typical ones:
- “How long will this take to get better?”
- “Do I need a referral or scan?”
- “Is it safe to keep running?”
- “What’s the difference between physio and chiro?”
- “Does my insurance cover this?”
Each of those is a post. If a question gets asked three times in a fortnight, it will be asked online too.
You can also type a condition into Google and look at the suggestions that appear as you type, and the “People also ask” box on the results page. Those are real phrasings. Use them as your headings.
Five kinds of post worth writing
1. Condition guides. What the problem is, what it feels like, what usually helps, when to see someone. These sit well beside your service pages.
2. “What to expect” posts. Your first visit, your follow-ups, what to wear, how to prepare. Few clinics write these, and they remove a lot of anxiety.
3. Practical how-to posts. Setting up a desk, preparing for a half marathon, going back to the gym after surgery. Keep to general advice and say when to book an assessment.
4. Local posts. Winter shovelling tips, a marathon in your city, a local sports club you work with. These are the posts nobody else can write.
5. Clinic business posts. Direct billing, cancellation policy, how to book, what to do if you’re new to the area. They’re short and useful.
Thirty topics to start with
Conditions and injuries
- Low back pain: when to rest, when to move, when to get help
- Neck pain from desk work
- Sciatica: what it is and isn’t
- Plantar fasciitis
- Tennis elbow
- Ankle sprains: the first two weeks
- Rotator cuff and shoulder pain
- Runner’s knee
- Tension headaches and the neck
- Pain during pregnancy and after birth
First visit and process 11. What happens at a first physio or chiro appointment 12. How many visits will I need? 13. Physio, chiro or osteopath: how to choose 14. Do you need a referral where we practise? 15. Direct billing and what to bring
Everyday and seasonal 16. Setting up a home office 17. Lifting without hurting your back, for parents and gardeners 18. Getting back to running after a break 19. Snow, ice and the sore back that follows 20. Back-to-school bags and posture 21. Travel: long drives and flights 22. Golf and gardening season warm-ups
Trust and local 23. Meet the team 24. Why we’re moving or changing our hours 25. What we do for [local sports club] 26. Community events we’ve joined
Myths and decisions 27. Do I need a scan for back pain? 28. Is “cracking” a joint harmful? 29. Is bed rest good for a sore back? 30. How to tell if your exercises are working
Write them in your voice, for your area, with real examples from your clinic’s practice. Never use a real patient’s story without written consent.
A plan you can keep
Publishing one good post a month for a year beats twelve posts in one weekend. Here’s a plan that survives a busy clinic:
- Pick the next three topics and keep them in a shared note.
- Block ninety minutes once a month. Write one post in that time. A short post that answers one question well is enough.
- Have a clinician read it for accuracy before it goes live. Add the author’s name and role.
- Add one clear next step at the end: a link to your booking page, or a phone number.
- Link to your other pages. Every post should point to one relevant service page and your booking page.
Four posts in your first quarter is a good result. Do not promise a weekly schedule you cannot keep.
How long, how formatted
- Between 600 and 1,200 words suits most topics. Shorter is fine if the question is simple.
- Use short paragraphs, plain subheadings and lists where they help.
- Put one clear photo from your own clinic near the top if you have one.
- Put the answer near the start. Don’t make people scroll through your credentials.
Keep it honest and safe
- Cite real sources if you mention research, such as a clinical guideline or a college statement. Name the source instead of saying research proves something.
- Avoid cure claims and promised timeframes. Say what is typical and why it varies.
- Say when to get urgent help. If a topic involves red-flag symptoms, include them plainly.
- Check your regulator’s advertising rules. Your blog is advertising. See advertising rules for physio and chiro clinics. Rules differ by place and this is not legal advice.
Keep the old posts alive
Once a year, go through your posts. Fix anything out of date, update the date only when you’ve changed the content, and delete anything you no longer agree with. A well-kept archive of ten posts is better than a graveyard of fifty.
Check it today
Open your blog (or the news page on your site). When was the last post? If it is more than six months old, update one post this week, or say plainly on the page when it was last reviewed. Then write down the five questions you were asked this week. That’s your first five posts.
For the bigger picture, see the local SEO basics. If you plan to turn posts into short clips, our social media post ideas cover formats that suit a clinic. If you’d like a second opinion on your website and Google profile, claim your marketing audit and we’ll tell you what we find.