Is there room for one more new blog in the world of nutrition?
How do you actually blog with strategy to get more traffic? Is starting a nutrition blog hard?
Find out what one Dietitian did right here!
Consumer Notice: This post contains affiliate links that are marked in this manner: (affiliate link*)”. If you click on these links and purchase, I earn a commission at no added cost to you. The writer is an affiliate of the The Unconventional RD Affiliate Program.
Disclaimer: This post is based on the opinion of the writer, and is not legal advice. We do not make any guarantee of results. We are not claiming that any of the tools, resources, or courses mentioned here are the only ways to grow website traffic. See our Disclaimers for more details.
How I Started A New Blog
Resources I used to start my blog (some of which I mentioned in this section):
- Tutorial to build a WordPress Website: I used a free (at the time) tutorial that is now included with my favorite SEO course- SEO Made Simple(affiliate link*)
- Businessese’s Website Policies Bundle (affiliate link*). It includes a Privacy Policy, Website Terms of Use, and Website Disclaimer.
- Website Theme: Astra Pro (affiliate link*)
- Website Platform: Worpress.org
- Website Host: Big Scoots (affiliate link*)
We had just moved to an area where Dietitian jobs were hard to find (or you had to drive a long way to get to one)! So I took a corporate role unrelated to dietetics, and decided to start a new blog about vegan nutrition.
I wasn’t using any strategy to get traffic to my blog, and the numbers reflected that. I also didn’t really consider that I could make money online… Not until I learned a few things from some Facebook groups I am a part of!
Once I had my daughter (as of this date, two 🙂 ), I knew I wanted to take this “making money via a blogging business” seriously. So I decided to give the blog a makeover, and implement a strategy that I’ll discuss in the next section.
But first you may be asking, how did I actually set up the blog?
Well, the internet says there are are many ways to do it! Here is what I did:
- Decide on a Niche: what topics in nutrition can you see yourself create content for long term? If you have a broad niche (plant based for example), can you make it a bit less broad? Such as plant based eating for women living with PCOS? These are some questions you might want to keep in mind when deciding on a focus for your nutrition blog!
- Get a Domain Name: I found a domain name (the name for your website/words you type into the internet search engines, such as ____ .com) that wasn’t being used. Please note, if you are planning to turn your blog into a nutrition business, you may want to consult a legal professional, like a lawyer. They can help pick out a business name that you may want to also use as your domain name for consistency.
- Pick A Blog Platform: I used WordPress.org (you can sign up for free). I love how customizable it is.
- Choose Web hosting (if you got with WordPress.org for your blog platform): Worpress.org requires web hosting (a place for your blog to “live” essentially), so I purchased web hosting.
In ~2022, I switched from another host to Big Scoots (affiliate link*) because of all the great things I heard about them (and the customer service has been great so far!) - Find a Theme (again, if using WordPress.org): This sort of lays out how your blog looks. I chose Astra Pro (affiliate link*), because I had heard it was a very fast loading theme (an important factor for those interested in blogging!)
- Obtain Important Website Disclaimers: Lastly, I purchased legal templates for my website! Businessese had just what I was looking for in their Website Policies Bundle (affiliate link*) that includes a Privacy Policy, Website Terms of Use, and Website Disclaimer. The owner of Businessese is a attorney, which I thought was important when it comes to legal things! when Check it out here (affiliate link*).
Once I had all of this done, I implemented the tips in the next section to start growing my nutrition blog!
Blogging Tips That Are Actually Showing Results For Me
As a reminder, This post contains affiliate links that are marked in this manner: (affiliate link*)”. If you click on these links and purchase, I earn a commission at no added cost to you.
I Learned About SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO is basically a a plethora of strategies to drive traffic to your blog post via organic search results.
For example, if want to drive traffic to a post, I learned that using SEO strategies properly could help blog posts rank higher on the google search results. The goal being to get on the top of page one, as this may drive more clicks.
So, I decided to make an investment!
I was intrigued with Erica Julson’s Seo Made Simple Course (affiliate link*) as opposed to other SEO courses and here’s why:
- Many of the examples used in the course were of bloggers who are Dietitians, food, or wellness bloggers.
- It goes over leveraging authority as a nutrition expert (something unique to Registered Dietitians as opposed to other nutrition bloggers).
- It provides actionable steps and homework (put the lessons into action).
- The course is self paced.
- You get lifetime access (as of the date of this post)!
- You get access to a private Facebook group where you can ask questions! I use this alot and have found it immensely helpful:)
- As of the date of this post, there are monthly live calls with the founder, so that you can often get real time help!
Here’s a screen shot from Google Analytics (one tool used to track blog traffic) of daily traffic (from organic search only) from when I started using some of the strategies in the course strategies (from around the end of September 2021 till near April 2022) . FYI: it does not necessarily reflect other traffic, such as direct traffic, social media, or referrals.
With the SEO Made Simple course (affiliate link*), I learned how to
- Use keyword research to actually find posts to write about that had a descent chance of ranking.
- Write helpful blog posts that are also fun to read (as a Dietitian, I learned about writing research papers, not necessarily blog posts 😉 ).
- Increase the authority of my website.
- And so much more.
I’m still learning! But with only approximately two months of using some of these strategies, I had my first blog post on the highly coveted 1st page of google, (and have had more since then)!
I can’t say enough great things about this course for Dietitians who want to increase their blog traffic. It is for both private practice and Dietitians who want to do this as a side hustle or (hopefully for me one day): full time income! That last one is my personal goal.
Let me know if you have any questions! You can comment below or contact me here.
And in case you missed it, here is my link to the SEO Made Simple Course (affiliate link*)- I earn a commission at no added cost to if you purchase through the link above. Using my code
” plantbased ” at checkout helps ensure I earn a commission).
Backlink Building
If you haven’t heard of HARO (Help A Reporter Out), you probably should have known about it yesterday!
This is a (currently) free platform for you to sign up, learn about opportunities to get quoted in the media, and respond. Getting quoted with a link back to your site (known as a ‘backlink’) can help you build DA (domain authority).
In short, the more high quality sites referring back to your blog means you may get a boost in domain authority! HIgher DA’s seem to have a better chance ranking high in google search for relevant queries. You can learn more in this article here.
The second way I was able to get quotes was via Facebook groups.
If you are a Dietitian blogger (whether you post recipes or nutrition articles), I highly suggest checking out Dietitians on the Blog for potential opportunities (as well as to give other RD’s the chance to get quoted on your site)!
Promoting and Making Connections
As mentioned before, my blog is focused on vegan nutrition. I find FB groups valuable for making connections, and decided to do a search…
Were there any vegan Dietitian Facebook groups out there?
At the time, I couldn’t find any. The thought occurred to me: why don’t I start one?
So I did, and have made many connections despite the group being so small! In regards to blogging, it also serves as a space to feature other plant based RD’s on my blog and read/share my content.
Shameless plug: if you want to join, here is the link to the Vegan Dietitians Facebook Group.
Lastly, while not my main focus, I try to promote my posts on my Facebook and Instagram page.
This however a “double edged sword,” in my experience- which we will cover in the next section…
Common Mistakes Even a Successful Nutrition Blog May Have Made
Here, I go over learning lessons that I have heard many other bloggers found out about the hard way as well!
Too Much Time On Social Media
If your goal is to make money via blogging alone (such as via ads, affiliate links, sponsored content, etc), it may not be the best idea to spend lots of time on these platforms!
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but I kept hearing time and time again that focusing on creating SEO optimized content for the blog is where it’s at.
Now, I feel like I did spend the majority of my time doing this, but I probably could have scaled back my social media promotion time even more.
Not Enough Email Marketing Content For My People
If you have been researching blogging tips, you may have come across lots of free advice suggesting the importance of an an email list.
While I may not have needed one starting out, you might be more likely to have actual fans on that list. This is because those who sign up are choosing to give you their email address (something I for one do not give freely)!
Therefore, they may be more likely to read your content, purchase from your affiliate links, etc because of your awesome and helpful emails/content.
I focused more on the blog instead of creating email sequences, and freebies(such as a PDF about successful nutrition blog tips) for signing up .
Better promotion and content creating for email marketing in my posts may have been helpful.
Starting a Nutrition Blog (In Summary)
Here’s the steps I took to get my blog up and running:
- Decide on a Niche
- Get a Domain Name
- Pick A Blog Platform
- Choose Web hosting (if using WordPress.org)
- Find a Theme (again, if using WordPress.org)
- Obtain Important Website Disclaimers
In regards to strategy, using SEO has been the most effective way for me to grow traffic.
This SEO Made Simple course (affiliate link*) really helped me see results that I hope will continue. Blogging is a long term game, so strategy and patience is key!
Did you enjoy reading about my first 6 months as a Dietitian blogger? Do you have any other tips or questions about starting a nutrition blog? Let me know in the comments below!
And if you are even the least bit interested in learning about veganism and vegan nutrition, why not explore the blog? We discuss other topics like Dietitian Selected Plant Based Diet Books, and the highly debated topic: Can Veganism and Intuitive Eating Coexist?
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