“What to blog about?” At some point, or even on a regular basis, every blogger asks this question. Don’t worry, writer’s block is common. We know that writing a blog post can be tricky. Some think blogging for beginners is tough, but we know that even the most seasoned bloggers sometimes have trouble coming up with ideas to write about. But we have some good news: there are an endless amount of blog subjects!
In this article, we will help you learn how to find the right blog topics for your audience. No matter what type of blog you have, we can help you discover the perfect topics ideas for you to write about. Whether you’re ready to start a blog, or you’ve written hundreds of posts on various subject matter, there are ways to find new blog subjects. How? The answer is through keyword research, social media, competition research, generators, analytics, or even directly from your audience.
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Use Keyword Research Tools to Find Blog Topics
Did you know that keyword research isn’t just used for search engine optimization? Keywords are a powerful tool in a variety of ways. You can use keyword research to find blog topics. We’ll tell you how:
Use Google Suggestions
Anytime you type a search query into Google, the search engine will auto-complete your search with a longer phrase. You can check these suggestions for ideas for your next blog post. Let’s say for example you are a cook. Try typing into Google “which quiche” and see what Google auto-completes your query with. Boom, there’s your next blog topic. It may be something you never thought of. As an added bonus, you know before you even start writing that you are working on a topic that people are interested in.
Try Google’s Keyword Planner
If you have a Google account, you can use Google’s Keyword Planner to research your next blog topic. You can type in your general blog topic, and see what related keywords pop up. This is an easy way to create content.
Check Out Trending Topics
Want to know what to blog about today? If you want to know what your readers might be interested in today, you can use Google Trends. Google Trends show you today’s trending daily searches and more. You can also utilize it to compare two terms. For example, you can search and see if more people are searching for breakfast casserole or french toast. It also helps you check seasonality. Many more people are searching for “how to cook a turkey” around Thanksgiving than other times of the year.
Get Blog Ideas from Social Media
As a blogger, it’s important to use social media not just for sharing your content, but also for listening to your readers. You can use social media to find ideas for your next blog post.
Choose a Topic That is Getting Shared Frequently
Did you know there is a tool you can use that can help you with social listening? BuzzSumo has both a free and a paid version to help you see the most shared posts on social media on any given topic. It breaks the posts down by platform and shows where each piece performed the best. Or, you can use the BuzzSumo Facebook Analyzer to find trending subjects. Plus, you can use it to see who liked the original post you found that was popular. If they liked that post, chances are they’ll like yours, too.
Use Quora to Find Commonly Asked Questions
Every great blog post answers a question. To find a question that your readers might want to know the answer to, try Quora. Quora is a platform to ask and answer questions. You can find possible blog topics in Quora questions and answers. The questions are a ready-made topic for you to write about, the answer gives you a jump start on your research. Not to mention, “Quorans,” members of this network, might make for great contributors to your blog post.
You can even use Quora to post about your potential blog topic and see what Quorans think about it. This is an easy way to get feedback before you even start writing.
Find Good Blog Topics from Competitive Analysis
Another way to find what to blog about is through your competitors. You can use competitive analysis tools to get ideas for what to write about in your next blog from other websites in your blog niche.
What Keywords are Your Competitors Ranking For?
As you might know, search engine rankings are public. There are several tools available online to show you the rankings for any website. Yes, really! One option in SEMrush. Simply enter our competitor’s website into the tool, and you can see a list of the keywords they rank for. This not only will give you several ideas for blog posts, but each one will also give you an SEO advantage, too.
Use Other Websites’ FAQs
Another trick to try is to use a tool that looks at websites and finds popular questions for you. Enter a topic or keyword on FAQ Fox, choose a category, and it will give you a long list of questions, all of which can be blog post ideas. It searches all kinds of websites for you, or you can choose which sites you’d like to search.
What’s Working for Other Blogs?
Next, try entering a website into the BuzzSumo tool mentioned earlier. Perhaps it’s a famous site that writes on a similar subject as you and has a similar target audience. BuzzSumo will show their most-shared articles, which will tell you what’s working for them and can perhaps spark some inspiration for your own blog. (It’s fine to use other blogs to find ideas, but be careful to never plagiarize! If you wish, even link back to the post you found and mention that it was your inspiration. They might share it, and either way link building is a great tactic!)
Use Aggregators or Idea Generators
There are several tools available that were actually created by bloggers who were once facing the same quandary you are now. Here are a few we recommend:
HubSpot’s Blog Topic Generator
All you have to do is enter a few words, and they’ll give you a list of five possible headlines for your next blog article.
Jon Morrow’s Headline Hacks
This tool has 52 different templates for headlines and topics.
Portent’s Content Idea Generator
Head to Portent’s Content Idea Generator, type in a keyword, and get a blog idea!
Find Topics from News Aggregators
A news aggregator can also work as a search tool to help you find new blog topics to write about. Try using Feedly or Alltop to search your general topic, and see what recent headlines there are about it. You can find some newsworthy content to write about for your own blog.
What’s Happening Today?
Check the calendar! What’s happening on the day your blog post is scheduled to go live? Check Chase’s Calendar of Events and see what happened on that date historically, or for important birthdays or anniversaries. Or, Google “National (insert topic here) Day” and go from there. Planning your blog posts around the calendar allows you to jump on timely and trending topics. Not to mention, it gives you hashtag ideas for when you eventually share your article on social media.
Utilize Your Own Analytics
When all else fails, check your own website’s analytics. For these steps, you will need to use your Google Analytics account.
Write About Topics You Already Rank For
What keywords or phrases does your website rank for? Any keywords you are already ranking for tell you what topics are already working for your blog. This is a key way to expand on the topics your readers like to hear about from you. Head to your “Queries” report in Google Analytics and see all of your keywords and their rankings. We recommend filtering out the keywords that include your blog, brand, or company name. Then, create a list of your most popular keywords. Don’t forget to link back to related posts on the subject you’re writing about on your blog! This will help your SEO.
What Topics are People Searching for on Your Site?
Hopefully, your website has a search tool. If so, this is a valuable tool for you to know what your audience wants from your website. You can see everything people have searched on your site in Google Analytics, too. Go to Behavior, then Site Search, and finally Search Terms. What are these search terms? There is your next blog post!
Recycle Well-Loved Topics
What are your most popular topics of all time? You can see those in Google Analytics. Go to Behavior, then Site Content, and finally All Pages. This report will tell you your most popular web pages. If you want to see only blog posts, you can set a filter. Do you see any patterns in your most popular pages? What topics are your readers most interested in? Are there any related topics you can write about?
Create an “Evil Twin” Post
Have you already written a popular how-to post? Now, recycle the topic by writing a post from a different perspective. If you already wrote a how-to, next write “Mistakes to Avoid.” For example, did you write an article on “How to Cook the Perfect Quiche?” Now, write “The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Making a Quiche.”
Get Ideas Directly from Your Readers
Listen to your readers. What do you hear about from them the most?
Email Inbox
Your inbox is full of blog post ideas – you just might not realize it yet. Have your readers ever emailed you to ask a question? Every question from your readers is a potential blog post. You can even create a Q&A post with frequently asked questions! Save these emails with questions into a folder, so you always have a plethora of ideas waiting for you. When you’re creating a blog, create an open letters space on your website, so you’ll hear from even more readers.
Conversations with Your Readers
Whenever you are already in conversation with your readers, whether it’s in-person, over the phone, or even on social media, what do they ask you? What topics are the conversation centered around? Compile a list of these subjects. Any of these conversations can be turned into a blog article. Then give the reader credit for helping you! People love to feel engaged by their favorite bloggers.
Try Guest Blogging
Have you tried guest blogging? Content marketing is all about collaboration. Consider using a guest post (and give yourself a break!) Maybe a friend of yours has a popular blog on a similar topic, and you can each write a post for each other’s site.
Get Blog Writing Help from SEO Design Chicago
If you still need help with blog writing, or you’re interested in outsourcing your blog writing to someone else, contact us today! SEO Design Chicago provides blog writing services for a variety of websites and companies on all different topics.
FAQs about writing the Best Blogs
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