Content creation is one of the most important aspects of any business or brand. However, coming up with fresh and engaging content ideas can be challenging.
In this article, we’ll explore some tips and tricks to help you never run out of content ideas again!
1. Use Google suggestions
If you’re looking for interesting blog topics, simply start typing anything into a search engine and some of the auto-complete suggestions will likely catch your attention.
For even more ideas, try adding a question word like “which”, “when”, or “how” into the search query.
However, typing each letter of the alphabet 26 times to generate suggestions can be tedious. That’s where keywordtool.io comes in handy.
This free tool scrapes suggested queries from search engines, allowing you to quickly see every phrase that would have been suggested had you typed the next letter of the alphabet.
Keywordtool.io can also be used to see suggestions from other search engines like YouTube and Bing, as well as social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest, and marketplaces like Amazon, Google Play, and Ebay.
Every topic generated using this method has a natural SEO advantage because Google suggests the phrase based on people’s search habits. Essentially, it’s like keyword research made easy.
2. Use the “Others want to know” questions
After finding a few intriguing suggested keywords or topics, take the next step and search for them to uncover even more potential content ideas.
A valuable resource for discovering new topics is the “People also ask” (PAA) box that appears on over 90% of Google search results pages.
While SEO experts may not be thrilled about it because it reduces clickthrough rates to websites, content creators love it for its wealth of topics and research opportunities. For example, searching for “which cakes are healthy” yielded a diverse mix of related questions and answers in the PAA box, each of which could become a search-optimized article on its own.
Expand a question to reveal more related questions and topics, and keep doing so to reveal hundreds of potential ideas. While not all of them may be useful, some will spark inspiration for new posts or ways to expand upon the original topic.
3. Use social media
Social media networks offer a wealth of possibilities for generating blog topics. There are countless ways to mine social media for ideas:
- Search for a trending hashtag and use it to promote your topic.
- Analyze influencers’ social streams to identify engaging content and reach out to them for quotes to include in your article.
- Join relevant groups and listen for discussions that inspire ideas.
- Create a roundup of popular images.
- Observe which of your own social posts generate the most engagement and use that as inspiration for an article to share with your followers.
Prior to starting the writing process, you can enhance traffic and engagement by “priming’’ your audience. You do so by posting a related question and then interacting with the people who engage. When your blog post is ready, let them know by mentioning them in your post.
4. Use Online communities
If you’ve established your online community on platforms like Facebook, Slack or Circle, it can be a valuable source to identify common queries. You can simply inquire about the topics that they want to read about, where they are facing difficulties or even run a poll. This approach can offer potential ideas for your blog post.
Alternatively, if you don’t have your own online forum, you can explore websites like Reddit or Quora to observe discussions within your niche. Note the popular topics and plan your content accordingly.
💡Quora is a great option. When you find an interesting question, you will have immediate access to credible expert responses. The questions are your topics, the answers are your research, and the writer is your subject matter expert.
5. Use Google tools
While Google tools may appear daunting initially, they can quickly become one of the most valuable resources in your content marketing toolbox and help you discover fresh content creation ideas.
One of the key Google tools is Google Analytics, which allows you to access detailed reports on your website traffic and identify your strengths.
Here are some essential things to focus on:
– Where are your page visitors coming from?
Go to Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels on your Google Analytics dashboard to see how people are landing on your website. This will help you identify which types of content, such as email newsletters or social media, are generating the most traffic.
For instance, if you discover that email is generating a significant amount of traffic, you can adjust your content marketing strategy to focus more on newsletters.
– Which website content is performing well?
To determine which content is hitting the mark, you must first define your goals. Determine what you want to achieve, whether it’s more sales, newsletter signups, or something else entirely. Then, look at the Goals metrics and create your own.
Click on Admin > View > + New Goal to create a goal from a template or customize it based on your needs.
There are also other useful tools offered by Google. Such as:
Google Autocomplete (aka the search bar): A simple and effective method for generating fresh content ideas is to type in your topic or keyword in the Google search bar and examine the suggested searches that appear. These popular search terms provide immediate inspiration for your content strategy.
Google Keyword Planner: By entering a keyword related to your topic or industry, the tool provides a list of relevant keywords and phrases along with their search volume and competition level. This data can help you understand which topics are popular and in-demand.
Google Trends: Google Trends is a powerful tool for discovering the most popular topics and queries related to your niche. By analyzing search data from Google, it provides insights into the interest level for specific topics, as well as their geographic distribution and related topics. You can also compare the interest levels for different search terms, helping you to identify the most relevant and in-demand topics for your content.
This information can guide your content creation strategy, helping you to tailor your content to the interests and needs of your target audience, and increase the chances of your content ranking higher in search engine results pages.
6. Repurpose your existing content
Instead of constantly pressuring yourself to generate novel ideas, consider revisiting your content calendar from last year. You may find that some of your past content can be updated and re-shared to reignite your audience’s interest.
Moreover, this helps prevent content decay, where outdated content loses organic traffic from Google, unless it is regularly refreshed.
💡Before selecting content to refresh, consider these 2 things:
- Is the content evergreen or does it need frequent updates? For instance, a blog post on “The best budget smartphones of 2023” may require several updates per year as new models come out. In contrast, a blog post on “What is lead generation” might only require an update once a year since best practices don’t change as frequently.
- Consider how the content is performing by analyzing it with tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush.
If you notice a previously successful piece starting to decline, it could be a good candidate for a refresh. However, if the content has a steady upward trend, you can leave it for another time.
To wrap-up
In conclusion, coming up with fresh and engaging content ideas can be challenging, but there are various methods to never run out of ideas again. By utilizing these tips and tricks, you can generate a wealth of content ideas that will keep your audience engaged and drive traffic to your website.