Blog Strategy — Helios Dental Platform¶
Usage: Blog content strategy for all practices. Defines topics, editorial cadence, SEO approach, and duplication rules.
Duplication flag: unique — see risks/duplicate-content.md¶
Every blog post must be original per practice. Unlike service pages (where shared defaults + customization works), blog posts are expected by Google to be unique editorial content. Publishing the same article across 9 domains is the highest-risk duplication scenario — Google may classify it as a link farm or content spam.
The rule: A topic can be shared. The article cannot. Two practices can both publish about "Que faire en cas d'urgence dentaire" — but each must be written independently, with different angles, examples, and practitioner voice.
Why Blog?¶
What it brings¶
| Benefit | How | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Long-tail SEO | Capture searches like "dent cassée que faire", "implant dentaire douleur", "blanchiment maison danger" | High |
| Internal linking | Blog posts link to service pages, strengthening their authority | High |
| Freshness signal | Regular new content signals an active, maintained site to Google | Medium |
| Patient trust | Educational content builds expertise perception (E-E-A-T) | Medium |
| Social sharing | Shareable content for practice social media accounts | Low |
What it doesn't bring¶
- Direct conversions — Patients don't book from a blog post. They book from service pages and CTAs. The blog feeds the funnel, it doesn't close it.
- Quick wins — Blog SEO takes 3-6 months to gain traction. Not a launch priority.
When to start¶
Not at launch. Blog is Phase 3 in the Aubagne content plan (first month post-launch). Focus on service pages, homepage, and team first. A site with 3 excellent service pages and no blog outranks a site with 20 thin blog posts and weak service pages.
Topic Strategy¶
The three content pillars¶
| Pillar | Purpose | Search intent | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient education | Answer real patient questions | Informational ("que faire si...") | "Que faire en cas de rage de dents ?" |
| Treatment explainers | Demystify procedures patients are considering | Investigational ("comment se passe...") | "Comment se déroule la pose d'un implant dentaire ?" |
| Prevention & hygiene | Establish expertise, serve returning patients | Informational ("comment bien...") | "Comment bien se brosser les dents : les erreurs courantes" |
What NOT to blog about¶
- Practice news ("Bienvenue à Dr X", "Nos nouveaux horaires") — No search volume. Put this in a newsletter or social media, not the blog.
- Generic health content ("Les bienfaits du sourire") — Too broad. Competes with WebMD/Doctissimo. You won't rank.
- Product reviews ("Notre avis sur la brosse Oral-B iO") — Not your lane. Risks promotional tone (Ordre compliance).
- Seasonal filler ("5 conseils pour un sourire parfait cet été") — Low value, low search volume, generic.
Starter Topics — 15 Article Briefs¶
Organized by search volume potential and relevance. Each practice picks 5-8 to start with, based on their services.
High search volume (answer common patient questions)¶
| # | Topic | Target keyword | Word count | Internal links to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Que faire en cas d'urgence dentaire ? | urgence dentaire que faire | 800-1000 | /votre-besoin/urgence-dentaire/, endodontie |
| 2 | Implant dentaire : déroulement, durée, douleur | implant dentaire déroulement | 800-1000 | /implant-dentaire-{ville}/ |
| 3 | Dent de sagesse : quand faut-il les retirer ? | dent de sagesse extraction | 600-800 | /chirurgie-buccale-{ville}/dents-de-sagesse/ |
| 4 | Blanchiment dentaire : ce qu'il faut savoir | blanchiment dentaire | 600-800 | /esthetique-dentaire-{ville}/blanchiment-dentaire/ |
| 5 | Gencives qui saignent : faut-il s'inquiéter ? | gencives qui saignent | 600-800 | /parodontologie-{ville}/, /votre-besoin/soigner-mes-gencives/ |
Medium search volume (treatment deep-dives)¶
| # | Topic | Target keyword | Word count | Internal links to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Facettes dentaires : pour qui, comment, combien ? | facettes dentaires prix | 800-1000 | /esthetique-dentaire-{ville}/facettes-dentaires/ |
| 7 | All-on-4 : retrouver toutes ses dents en un jour | all on 4 dentaire | 800-1000 | /implant-dentaire-{ville}/all-on-4/ |
| 8 | Invisalign adulte : est-ce que ça marche vraiment ? | invisalign adulte avis | 600-800 | /orthodontie-{ville}/invisalign/ |
| 9 | Couronne dentaire ou facette : comment choisir ? | couronne ou facette | 600-800 | couronnes, facettes |
| 10 | Greffe osseuse dentaire : pourquoi, comment, suites | greffe osseuse dentaire | 600-800 | /implant-dentaire-{ville}/chirurgie-pre-implantaire/ |
Prevention & hygiene (expertise + returning visitors)¶
| # | Topic | Target keyword | Word count | Internal links to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Comment bien se brosser les dents (les erreurs courantes) | brossage dents technique | 600-800 | prophylaxie |
| 12 | Mon enfant a peur du dentiste : que faire ? | enfant peur dentiste | 600-800 | /soins-dentaires-{ville}/pedodontie/ |
| 13 | Détartrage : à quelle fréquence et pourquoi ? | détartrage fréquence | 500-700 | prophylaxie |
| 14 | Alimentation et santé dentaire : les amis et les ennemis | alimentation dents | 600-800 | prophylaxie |
| 15 | Première visite chez le dentiste : comment se préparer | premier rdv dentiste | 500-700 | /espace-patient/premier-rdv/ |
Article Structure¶
Every blog post follows this template:
hero block¶
- H1: Article title (include target keyword naturally)
- Featured image: Relevant, not generic stock (see
image-guidelines.md)
text blocks — Body (600-1000 words)¶
Introduction (50-80 words) - Hook: the patient's question or worry - What this article covers - One sentence establishing credibility ("Au {cabinet}, nous traitons X cas par an")
Section 1 — Answer the main question directly (150-200 words) - Don't bury the lead. Answer first, explain after.
Section 2 — Go deeper (150-200 words) - Procedure details, causes, options, nuances
Section 3 — At our practice / our approach (100-150 words)
- This is the differentiator. What does this practice do specifically?
- Name a practitioner, mention equipment, cite experience
- This section is what makes the article unique per practice
Conclusion (50-80 words) - Summary in 2-3 sentences - Natural transition to CTA
faq block (optional)¶
- 2-3 related questions not covered in the body
- Generates FAQ schema (rich snippets in search results)
cta block¶
- Standard booking CTA
Internal links¶
- 2-3 links in body text to relevant service pages (naturally, not forced)
- 1
related_servicesblock at the bottom
SEO Checklist per Article¶
Before publishing, verify:
- [ ] Title includes target keyword, under 60 characters
- [ ] Meta description written (not auto-generated), under 155 characters, includes keyword
- [ ] H1 is the article title (unique, not duplicated on another page)
- [ ] Featured image has descriptive alt text
- [ ] Internal links — at least 2 links to service pages in body text
- [ ] No duplicate — article is original to this practice (not copy-pasted from another site)
- [ ] "At our practice" section present — mentions practitioner, equipment, or specific experience
- [ ] CTA block present at the end
- [ ] Author set (linked to practitioner page if applicable)
- [ ] Excerpt written (shown on blog list page and in meta description fallback)
Editorial Cadence¶
Recommended¶
| Phase | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | 0 articles | Focus on service pages. Don't rush blog content. |
| Month 1-2 post-launch | 2 articles | Pick from high search volume topics (#1-5). Establish cadence. |
| Month 3-6 | 1-2 per month | Mix treatment deep-dives (#6-10) and prevention (#11-15). |
| Ongoing | 1 per month minimum | Consistency matters more than volume. |
Who writes?¶
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Central team drafts, practitioner reviews | Consistent quality, efficient | Needs practitioner time for review + "at our practice" section |
| Practitioner writes, central team edits | Authentic voice, real expertise | Slow, inconsistent quality, hard to sustain |
| AI-assisted draft, practitioner customizes | Fast, consistent structure | Must be heavily customized — Google detects pure AI content |
Recommended: Central team writes the draft following the article structure template. Practitioner adds the "at our practice" section (100-150 words) and reviews for clinical accuracy. Central team handles SEO optimization and publishing.
Review workflow¶
- Central team writes draft → status:
draft - Practitioner adds "at our practice" section + clinical review → status:
review - Central team final edit (SEO, formatting, links) → status:
published
This follows the existing Aletheia /web/ workflow (draft → review → published).
Cross-Practice Topic Coordination¶
When multiple practices blog about the same topic (e.g., both Aubagne and Bodin write about implant dentaire):
- Different angles — Aubagne focuses on "what to expect at your first implant consultation", Bodin focuses on "why we use guided surgery for implants"
- Different practitioners — Each article quotes/features a different practitioner
- Different local context — Mention the city, the practice, specific case volume
- Stagger publication — Don't publish the same topic on the same week across multiple sites
- Never copy-paste — Even paraphrasing is risky. Each article must be independently written.
If the central team writes drafts, create one brief per topic, but write separate drafts per practice.
Content Repurposing¶
Blog content can feed other channels (not the other way around):
| Source | Repurpose to | How |
|---|---|---|
| Blog article | Social media post | Extract key takeaway + link to article |
| Blog article | Newsletter | Monthly digest of new articles |
| Blog FAQ block | Google Business Profile Q&A | Copy relevant Q&A to GBP |
| Blog article | Espace Patient page | If the topic deserves a permanent page (e.g., pre-op advice evolved from a blog post into a permanent resource) |
Never repurpose social media posts or newsletters into blog articles — the quality bar is different.