Coming up with ideas for what to blog about is one of the most challenging parts of running a blog. With over 600 million blogs out there competing for readers‘ attention, how do you make sure your content stands out?
This ultimate guide will walk you through a strategic process for choosing blog topics that hook readers and keep them coming back for more.
Why Choosing the Right Blog Topics Matters
Your blog topics are the backbone of your content strategy.
Choose the right ones, and you‘ll reap these benefits:
- Increased traffic: Posts that resonate with readers naturally attract more visitors through shares and searches.
- Improved conversion rates: On-target content keeps visitors engaged so they‘ll be more likely to take your desired action (like buying a product).
- Enhanced authority: Publishing amazing content focused on your niche establishes you as an expert.
- More social shares: Helpful, entertaining posts get passed around social networks bringing you referral traffic.
- Valuable backlinks: Other sites will want to reference your high-quality content with a link back to your site.
In other words, your blog topic ideas determine whether you build a thriving blog or write into a vacuum.
So how do you come up with winning ideas? Follow this 6-step process:
Step 1: Define Your Target Audience and Buyer Personas
To create content that resonates, you need to know who you‘re creating it for.
Start by defining your target audience in terms of demographics like:
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Income level
- Education level
- Marital/family status
Then create detailed buyer personas. Outline fictional representations of your ideal customers like:
- What motivations and challenges do they have?
- What goals are they trying to achieve?
- What questions do they ask?
- What educational background and life experiences do they have?
This will give you insights into what blog topics will appeal most to your readers.
For example, a blog aimed at single college grads earning entry-level salaries would choose vastly different topics compared to a site targeting married middle-aged moms or retired couples.
Step 2: Perform Keyword Research to Identify Topic Ideas
Now that you know who you’re creating content for, the next step is researching what topics they’re actually interested in.
Keyword research reveals the searches prospective readers are entering into Google around your niche. These become fodder for blog topics.
Start by finding main themes using a keyword research tool like Ahrefs.
Type a core term related to your niche like "budget travel tips" and look at the suggested phrases:
Look for topic clusters around potential post ideas like:
- Cheap places to travel
- Packing lightly
- Affordable accommodation
Drill down on each cluster to find more specific phrases like:
- how to pack for 2 week trip in small suitcase
- best hostels in europe for solo travelers
- backpacking southeast asia on a budget
Analyze the search volume and difficulty to rank for each phrase to choose which ones make good targets.
This gives you real data on topics readers care about instead of just guessing.
Step 3: Tap Into Trending Conversations Around Your Niche
The keyword research process outlined above suggests evergreen blog ideas guaranteed to attract traffic for years to come. This should make up ~80% of your posts.
But you should also stay on top of latest hot-button issues by following news sites, influencers and hashtags related to your niche.
For example, Travel + Leisure and backpacker influencers might weigh in on the ethics of voluntourism. Finance blogs debate whether we‘re headed for a recession. And eco sites track emissions regulations.
These could inspire timely response posts even if they don’t target high-volume keywords. As long as you provide a novel perspective, trending topics translate into traffic and engagement.
Here are some ways to keep your finger on the pulse:
- Google News: Set up Google Alerts for your main keywords to receive trending stories right in your inbox.
- Industry publications: Follow websites like TechCrunch (tech) or Food Network (culinary) for breaking news.
- Forums and communities: Check platforms like Reddit and Quora to learn what real people are discussing.
- Social listening: Monitor hashtags and influencers in your space for emerging conversations.
Use these tools to catch wave-worthy issues as they happen.
Step 4: Compile Topic Ideas in an Editorial Calendar
At this point, you probably have a running list of blog post ideas. Now it’s time to get organized.
Transfer potential topics into an editorial calendar template along with key details like:
- Headline
- Keyword targets
- Content outline
- Optimal word count
- Calls to action
- Due date
- Writer assigned
Planning out posts in advance ensures you have a steady pipeline of content in the works at all times.
It also holds you accountable for staying consistent with publishing.
Here are some tips for populating your calendar:
- Include different types of posts: Mix evergreen how-to’s and lists with timely news commentary. Throw in high-effort guides plus quick opinion pieces. Variety keeps every visitor engaged.
- Revisit ideas: Some topics warrant regular updates to account for evolving reader interests. Tech posts may need revising annually while lifestyle content has more longevity.
- Leave gaps for flexibility: Having 20 pre-planned posts is great, but leave room to slip in reactive commentary on trending news that week or month too.
Take the guesswork out of deciding what to write next by content mapping everything in advance.
Step 5: Enhance and Repurpose Top Post Ideas
Once you‘ve nailed down blog topic ideas and scheduled them in your editorial calendar, take it a step further to maximize value.
For evergreen pillars and guides, consider:
- Beefing it up into an epic resource: Turn a 1,500-word post into a 5,000+ word definitive guide by expanding on additional subtopics and supporting points.
- Creating a series: Divide up one big subject like "Becoming an Instagram Influencer" into a 10-part tutorial tackling individual milestones.
- Developing related assets like videos or quizzes: Produce a YouTube tutorial to complement your written piece or quiz readers to reinforce key takeaways.
- Repackaging into other formats: Transform finished posts into an infographic, podcast episode, slideshare presentation and more.
For more timely posts, extraction can give existing content new life.
This makes every blog topic twice as valuable with multiple touchpoints for visitors across channels.
Step 6: Promote Your Blog Topics to The Right People
You did the work crafting amazing content…but it won‘t attract an audience on its own. Promotion is key for every blog, especially new ones looking to establish themselves.
First, nail on-page SEO so Google sends you traffic when there‘s a search match. This means:
- Publishing posts under keywords you want to rank for
- Including those terms in titles, meta descriptions, image ALT text, headers, body text and URLs
- Optimizing page speed
- Embedding schema markup
Then actively get your blogs in front of prospective readers including:
- Sharing excerpts on your social channels
- Reaching out to influencers to request shares or backlinks
- Distributing links within online communities
- Running social media and search ads pointed to specific posts
- Sending post recaps in your email newsletter with CTA‘s to read the full piece.
This amplifies your message and gets content to the audiences most likely to appreciate it.
Keep experimenting to discover which promotion channels yield highest engagement and conversions. Then double down on those while cutting ones producing lackluster results.
Choosing Topics That Align With Your Niche and Goals
Deciding what to blog about doesn‘t need to be an endless quest. By clearly defining your audience and their interests through smart keyword research, you‘ll discover a wealth of targeted blog post ideas.
Remember to incorporate a variety including evergreen how-to tutorials, curated resources, and timely commentary. Look for opportunities to expand upon and repurpose quality posts too.
While the creative process differs by blogger, following an intentional strategy for generating and developing ideas leads to content that performs. Your blogs will better resonate with readers as a useful and entertaining resource right in their wheelhouse.
Focus on producing remarkable content around topics that matter most to your audience. Consistency and promotion will take care of the rest, driving website growth as followers in your space look to you as their trusted expert source.
So take time to research before asking "What should I blog about?". When your clear understanding of readers guides topic selection, you’ll attract and engage an audience that keeps coming back for more.
