Blog Content Series

The Brief

SIU Medicine needed ongoing blog content that would educate potential patients while positioning their physicians as trusted experts and converting readers into appointments. The challenge: create content authoritative enough to build trust, accessible enough for everyday readers with no medical background, and compelling enough to drive people to choose SIU Medicine for their healthcare needs.

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My Strategy

I developed an educational content approach that prioritized reader value over hard selling, establishing trust before asking for conversion. Key strategic decisions:

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• Lead with relatable pain points: Opened with "If you spend nights tossing and turning, you're not alone"—immediately validating the reader's experience and creating connection.

• Data for credibility without overwhelm: Used striking statistics (50% of older adults vs. 15-23% of younger adults have sleep problems) to establish scope without medical jargon.

• Physician quotes as expert voices: Integrated direct quotes from SIU doctors throughout, positioning them as accessible authorities readers would want to see as patients.

• Debunk common myths: Addressed the "you need less sleep as you age" misconception head-on, providing genuinely useful information while demonstrating expertise.

• Actionable, scannable advice: Broke solutions into clear categories (healthy habits, health conditions, evening routine) with bulleted action steps readers could implement immediately.

• Strategic conversion touchpoints: Naturally incorporated "talk to your doctor," "consider a sleep study," and specialist center mentions without pushy CTAs—gently guiding readers toward becoming patients.

• Expanded to caregivers: Included Alzheimer's/dementia sleep issues to reach family members making healthcare decisions for loved ones, broadening potential patient acquisition.

• SEO-optimized for patient search: Used headers and natural keywords ("sleep problems," "older adults," "sleep apnea") that match how people search for health solutions.

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Results

• Built patient trust through education-first approach that provided genuine value before any conversion ask, establishing SIU Medicine physicians as approachable experts patients want to see.

• Drove organic traffic through SEO optimization for patient search terms, bringing qualified visitors actively seeking sleep and aging-related healthcare solutions to SIU Medicine's website.

• Created natural conversion pathways through strategic mentions of sleep studies, medication reviews, and specialist consultations—turning educational content into patient appointments.

• Positioned SIU physicians as accessible experts by featuring conversational quotes that made doctors feel approachable rather than intimidating, encouraging appointment bookings.

• Reached both patients and caregivers within a single article, expanding the potential patient base to include family members making healthcare decisions for aging loved ones.