You probably know that blogging requires more than just adding some random posts. Finding great topics, especially within a specific niche, can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to. That’s why I’ve compiled a few helpful sources for topics.
Tip 1: Don’t try to hard
Don’t confine your creative thinking to your work hours between 9 and 5. While you may brainstorm ideas during work, some of the most valuable and enjoyable concepts often arise outside of your work hours. It may sound abstract, but it’s quite straightforward—you should always allow yourself some time to dream. I know, that sounds crazy, but go for a long walk, and you’ll see what I mean!
Interestingly, I often find myself least creative when I’m actively trying to. Pushing myself to generate engaging topics usually doesn’t get the best results. Instead, the most captivating ideas tend to emerge unexpectedly, particularly during moments when work isn’t at the forefront of my mind.
One thing that I like to do is going for a 30-60 minute walk, and let my brain go through many topics. And it’s often that in those moments, I get new and fresh ideas. This is not just related to finding new blog topics, but anything related to my business or SEO.
Tip 2: Expand on an existing blog.
Sometimes it is not necessary to dedicate 1 article entirely to 1 topic. Periodically, there is just so much to write about a topic that it might be better to separate it into several blogs.
Here are some questions you could ask yourself about an existing blog:
- What would a beginner need to know about this topic. What questions do beginners have?
- Is there a way to make a How To plan for this topic?
- Could there be a Top 10 list related to this topic?
- Does the topic influence other parts of your business? For example: if you talked about SEO, you could talk about SEA, or income sources, sources of visitors etc.
- Are there any alternatives to your topic?
- What are the most common mistakes or problems related to that topic.
These 6 steps can give you many more ideas what to write about.
Tip 3: Use questions beginners have.
When considering various sectors or industries, envision each as a pyramid.
At the top of the pyramid are the experts, with advanced knowledge, only asking sophisticated questions. And at the base of the pyramid are beginners, where most inquiries are quite repetitive. This segment however, also has the highest search volume for topics.
As a result, beginner questions serve as valuable inspiration for generating new content ideas.
Questions like: Why, How, and When… can often be a great source for new ideas.
Tip 4: Use Facebook groups, Reddit, Quora and other forums
First a little warning.
Sometimes, you start reading and searching, and then totally forget what you were doing!
I have experienced this quite a few times, and found myself immersed in a passive ‘reading mode’, lacking critical thought on any specific subject.
So here are some tips if you use social media for new blog topics:
- Begin with beginners. As mentioned earlier, beginners tend to ask the most questions, which are often repeated. Therefore, general Facebook groups can sometimes provide better ideas than dedicated groups. For instance, regarding SEO, you might find more valuable questions in a broad group like “WordPress, SEO & Internet Questions” than in a specialized group like “SEO Signals Lab.” In specialist groups, beginner questions may receive less serious attention, leading to fewer such inquiries being posted.
- When reading questions, pay attention to each word. For example, consider a question like, “Will there be a duplicate content penalty if a blog post is also available as a PDF?” This single question can lead to various topic directions, such as duplicate content, penalties, blogging practices, or PDF indexing. Initially, such questions may seem unremarkable, but they can spark ideas for valuable topics.
- Remain vigilant. It’s essential to avoid slipping into a passive reading mode. Stay focused while reading and scanning topics, and refrain from delving too deeply into random discussions that catch your eye.
Tip 5: Questions from customers, family and acquaintances
Your inbox can also be a goldmine. Take a closer look at the emails from your readers or clients. Often, they pose questions about specific topics, indicating areas where your information may be lacking.
Use the search function in your email to find several emails on a specific topic. Emails can provide some very helpful insights and serve as a source for new ideas. Additionally, in phone conversations with customers/clients try to note down the questions they ask. These conversation can unearth a great number of topics you could possibly write a new blog about.
Tip 6: Write reviews!?
Writing reviews can be a valuable addition to your website. Whether it’s software, products, or services, you have personal experience with can be helpful to your readers as well. (And it can also be a source of income, if you use an affiliate link)
Even if the subject isn’t within the topic of your industry, it can still serve as a source of inspiration. Take accounting software, for instance. If you’ve recently transitioned to a new accounting system, consider writing a review, and combine it with your industry. For example: the best accounting software for XYZ, and XYZ being your audience.
Exploring ideas outside your industry, but related to it, can also be a great source. For example, what are the pros and cons of using a specific tool or software, and how can that help your readers. If you are writing about a tourist spot, you can also talk about the language, or culture etc.
Tip 7: Trending topics
Generating new topics is only effective if they resonate with your audience. Google Trends serves as an great tool for identifying trending topics within your industry. I like this quite a bit. And quite often, you will see topics that you were unaware of. It often serves new brands, new products, or new topics within your industry.
These topics can also play an important role for your SEO. Because, if you only focus on existing (old) topics, people are less likely to come back to your website. If they notice you have fresh, new and engaging topics, they are more likely to come back.
Bonus: Never lose sight of your SEO goals!
Simply churning out blog posts serves no real purpose. After all, blogging should be purpose-driven, and you should ask yourself: Why do I want to write a blog? What are you trying to achieve?
Are you getting paid by showing ads on your site? Do you want them to sign up for a newsletter?
Addressing the following fundamental questions to see if your content does actually work.
- Who are the competitors for your new blog (quality, strength)
- Do your competitors have many backlinks?
- Do I have a chance of a high ranking in Google?
- How often is this topic searched? (search volume)
- How long should the text be?
- Which keywords should I use?
- Where should I put all the keywords I found
- What should the page approximately look like? Images, etc.
- How long does it take to write about this topic
There’s a big distinction between blogging on a new website vs an existing website with lots of followers and readers.
For websites that are already popular and attract many visitors, the primary focus of the blog content is to be engaging, without focusing too much on SEO strategies. However, for new websites, randomly generating content on various topics may be bad use of your time.
Before writing a new blog, make sure you have answered all the above questions.
And never loose sight of the reason why you want more visitors.