With thousands of new pieces of content published daily, coming up with interesting, engaging, and valuable blog ideas is challenging. Where can you find inspiration?
This article shares five excellent places to search for blog ideas that can bolster your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.
5 Amazing Locations for Inspirational SEO Blog Ideas
Doing SEO ensures you can place your brand front and center for millions of users on Google or Bing. But to get it right, you need to do content marketing.
One of the best content types for SEO is blogs. These are a huge hit for many reasons:
• They are easy to read and share on social media platforms.
• Blogs cater to different readership levels, from beginners to pros.
• The topics include helpful tips, news updates, and industry developments.
• You can link your blog content with other webpages for improved SEO.
• They can deliver organic traffic.
• You can optimize them through targeted keywords and visuals.
In other words, blogs are a powerful tool for SEO.
But to use them correctly, you need ideas. Marina Turea of Digital Authority Partners (DAP) shares five places. We will expound on some of them and add a few more:
1. Google for Search-Friendly Keywords and Trends
Do you know that Google is already a treasure trove of blog ideas if you know where to look? Start with the following:
Google Trends. This tool lists current topics that are trending globally or in specific countries. You can dig deep into the data to learn more about them and craft interesting blogs around them.
Google Autocomplete. Type your keyword into Google search, and you will see a drop-down list even before you finish typing. Look at the options. Explore.
People Also Ask. In the middle of the search results is the People Also Ask section. This one contains four questions related to the keyword you just typed. Sometimes you can get fresh ideas here. But if you want more, click the link beside “search for.”
Related Searches. Also known as “Searches related to,” these are usually at the bottom of your search results page. This feature suggests topics that may have been overlooked by other users performing similar searches, so use it to get unique ideas.
Google Alerts. You can set up alerts using your Gmail account to get notifications on topics of your choice. Google Alerts will inform you whenever new content is published online about a particular keyword.
Google News. It is the place to go if you are after breaking news and updates, especially in your industry. It covers a variety of topics, including business and technology.
2. Podcasts for Unique Topic Perspectives
Podcasts are great for blogs because they provide unique and entertaining content. They can be highly informative, delving into specific topics with the help of experts or providing behind-the-scenes insights. It helps prevent rehashing ideas.
At the same time, they are incredibly engaging for listeners, bringing about a feeling of connection with their speakers. As marketers, you can understand the information more effectively and gain an advantage from the conversations.
To use this information in a blog:
• Summarize a discussion from a podcast and insert it into an article format.
• Link to the podcast itself so readers can listen directly or analyze various points discussed during the podcast to explore their theme further.
• Reach out to the subject-matter expert to expound, explain, or debate a point. In the process, you can potentially get a new angle or perspective worth sharing on a blog post.
3. Mind Maps to Explore Related Concepts
Mind maps are visual representations of your thoughts and ideas. They are great for brainstorming, and they help you come up with topics quickly.
• Start by writing the topic in the center of a page.
• Then jot down related concepts around it, linking them together as you go along.
• Keep going until all your thoughts have been mapped out. You can even draw arrows and lines to signify relationships among them.
You can create mind maps using pen and paper or software such as Coggle. Either way, sitting down, allowing your brain to run wild, and charting out all your ideas is a surefire way to develop blog post ideas.
4. Webinars for Wider Subject Knowledge
Webinars are a great source for blogs because they provide succinct, relevant information you can use as content to engage your readers.
Further:
• They often give detailed yet concise insights on a particular topic from an expert’s perspective.
• You will have access to the latest ideas, trends, principles, and philosophies from field experts and a unique opportunity to share their knowledge with your followers.
• They broaden your worldview on different topics.
Use webinar materials in the following ways:
• Rewrite a discussion from the webinar and include relevant links back to it.
• Analyze research data or results related to the topics discussed during the webinar.
• Include quotes from the hosts or speakers as part of your blog post.
• Create illustrated summaries of salient points raised in a webinar, which you can then share on your blog.
• Share your opinion and analysis of the webinar topic in a blog post.
5. Personal Experience to Demonstrate Expertise
Want more ideas on using content marketing to boost SEO? Sometimes all you need is to look back on your past experiences.
In fact, one of the best ways to meet the E-E-A-T guidelines is to use what you know from personal experience. After all, it showcases your expertise on the subject.
• Look through the notes or slides from previous seminars, conferences, or classes you have attended.
• Recall any mind-blowing books or articles you have read.
• Think about meaningful conversations you have had with people in the field: friends, colleagues, and mentors.
• Review the projects you have worked on.
• Dig up any research papers or surveys that you might have done.
• Ask that lingering question.
• Share an opinion or comment on another person’s thoughts.
Summing Up
Finding ideas for blog content can be overwhelming and intimidating, especially if you are dealing with writer’s block. But using the tips above can make your task easier and help you create more original, quality content.
Remember to always keep an open mind and never let yourself get stuck in a creative rut. If you need help, work with an SEO firm to get the most out of your content marketing efforts.