Hi Reader,
Before we dive in โ Hot dogs: guilty pleasure or eww, gross? Find out how many we collectively ate on Independence day, below.
This week I'm answering a question I get a lot: is blogging still worth the effort?
What's inside:
- ๐ฏ This Week's Edge โ should you still blog in 2026? The honest pros and cons
- ๐ 5-Minute Momentum โ audit your last post for the one thing AI can't copy
- โ
Tried & True โ the tool I use to keep my posts worth ranking
- ๐ Go Deeper โ the full pros and cons, plus how to borrow an audience you didn't have to build
- ๐ฌ Your Turn โ is blogging even worth it for a small practice anymore?
- ๐
Calendar-Worthy โ a licensure update worth knowing about, plus one CPEU option
This Week's Edge
SHOULD YOU STILL BLOG IN 2026? THE HONEST ANSWER
AI Overviews now appear on roughly 42% of Google search queries, so generic blog posts are struggling. "10 tips for X" is never going to rank when Google can just answer simple questions by itself.
Content built on real experience and your own point of view DOESN'T struggle, because that's the kind of thing AI can't fake. It requires having done the thing. AI increasingly cites personal content directly inside its answers, which is worth more now than the old #1 ranking spot.
So specific, personal blogging isn't dead, but generic blogging is six feet under. Post fewer, more specific things that only you can write.
5-Minute Momentum
FIND THE ONE THING AI CAN'T PRODUCE
Open your last blog post. Could a generic AI answer have said the same thing, or does your post include something only you know: a real client scenario (kept anonymous), a specific story from your own work, an opinion you can defend? If it's missing one of those elements, make those edits to your last post before you write anything new.
Tried & True
THE TOOL I USE TO MAXIMIZE SEO
I've written hundreds of articles for consumer-facing websites over the past few years. I took a few SEO courses, but the one I love most for in-article SEO is Sticky Blogging. Kelly Holmes is a former marketer turned blogger who supports her family with her writing. Her Sticky Blogging program is the absolute best (and simplest) one I've ever taken.
Visit Sticky Blogging
Go Deeper
SHOULD RDS STILL BLOG IN 2026? THE HONEST PROS AND CONS
The full breakdown of what's changed, what still works, and how to pair your blog with platforms that already have the readers.
Read the Full Post
Your Turn
Q: I know I need a way to bring clients to my private practice, and I like to write, but it seems so hard to get a blog post to rank. Is it even worth it for an RD with a small practice to keep blogging?
If your goal is pure search traffic on generic topics, no. That's much harder than it used to be, and the data backs that up. But if you're using your blog to build trust with people who are already comparing their options, or to give yourself something worth linking to from Medium, Substack, or your own newsletter, blogging is still worth the effort.
For most small practices, referrals and an owned email list will always outperform blog traffic alone. Treat blogging as a place where people who are curious about your work can go deeper, not as a whole client attraction strategy on its own.
Have a question about growing your income or influence as an RD? Hit reply and send it my way. I read every one, and I'd love to hear what you're working through right now.
Calendar-Worthy
๐
Absolutely worth grabbingโdon't miss this: Liz Wilcox's Christmas in July waitlist is open now. The more people who join, the more prizes she gives out (even if you don't buy). I can't say enough good things about Liz's Email Marketing Membership. Get on the Christmas in July waitlist here: Join the Christmas in July waitlist.
๐
On your radar: CDR has launched a resource hub for the upcoming Dietitian Licensure Compact, which is expected to launch in 2027. If any part of your business touches telehealth or multi-state clients, this is worth bookmarking now: CDR's Licensure Compact hub.
See you next Tuesday,
Julie
P.S. Back to those hot dogs: Americans ate an estimated 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. And I'm in the eww, gross camp, if you're wondering.