Finding good blog ideas can be challenging, especially when you're just starting out or hitting a creative block. However, with the right strategies, you can consistently come up with engaging topics that your readers will enjoy.
In this guide, I'll share my best tips for how to find blog ideas through brainstorming, current events, reader questions, and more. By the end, you'll have a full toolbox of ideas to fuel your blog for months to come.
Use a blog topic generator
One easy way to spark ideas is by using an online blog ideas generator. These tools scour trending topics and keywords to automatically spit out potential posts you could write about. While they won't guarantee gold every time, they're a low-effort place to start brainstorming.
Some free blog topic generators I recommend checking out include:
Don't expect these generators to do all the work for you. Think of their outputs as loose inspiration to refine into fully formed blog posts.
Analyze search trends
Looking at what's driving search traffic right now can point you toward timely, relevant blog ideas. Tools like Google Trends and SEMrush allow you to see exactly which topics and keywords are spiking in searches.
For example, you might notice that searches for "NBA playoffs" increase drastically every spring. An "NBA playoffs preview" post could ride that wave of interest. Or if a viral news story sends searches for a particular term sky-high, consider explaining or expanding on that topic for your readers.
Paying attention to what's trending in searches ensures your blog ideas will be timely and meet people where their interests currently lie.
Leverage social media
Most of us spend way too much time scrolling social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. So why not put that screen time to work brainstorming fresh blog post ideas?
Pay close attention to what kinds of posts and topics seem to resonate best across different networks. What consistently generates a lot of engagement? What topics are your followers actively discussing? These signals can point you toward blog ideas likely to appeal to your audience.
You can also proactively search hashtags, see what's viral at any given moment, and take note of popular questions people are asking to spark potential how-to's, explanations, or Q&As. Social media thrives off current events too, so stay alert for breaking news or memes you could comment on.
Research audience questions with a blog ideas generator
Another effective method is directly involving your readers in the idea stage. Run a poll or ask an open-ended question in your social profiles, email list, or on your site to generate feedback.
For example, you could ask:
"What topics would you most like me to cover in future blog posts?"
"What questions do you have that you'd like me to answer or explain?"
"If you could ask me for advice about anything, what would you ask?"
This crowdsources ideas directly from the people you're trying to serve content to. It also gives you insight into their interests and information needs that a blog ideas generator couldn't provide. Just be sure to follow up on interested leads from the feedback you receive.
Mine your business or expertise for evergreen blog ideas
If you're an expert in a particular field like finance, design, or health, your industry knowledge is a goldmine of potential blog post ideas. Brainstorm commonly asked questions, problems, or concerns within your realm. These can become the basis for evergreen, audience-pleasing content.
For example, a fitness blogger might write posts on:
"5 Exercise Myths You Should Stop Believing"
"A Beginner's Guide to Meal Prepping"
"How to Stick With a Workout Routine"
These topics would remain relevant for years, tapping into common struggles and knowledge gaps. Your experience and authority in the space lend such content extra credibility and usefulness.
Look to your competitors for blog post ideas
Monitor what your competition in the industry or niche is publishing. See which of their posts generate the most social shares, comments, and backlinks. These are likely popular, proven blog topics.
You can then cover similar ground with your unique spin or additional insights. For example, if a competitor's "10 Tips for Online Security" post is a hit, consider expanding on their list with a few more tips tailored to your readers' specific needs.
Competitive research not only sparks new ideas but also helps you plug any coverage gaps relative to your peers. Covering essential topics they may have missed positions you as the go-to expert.
Capitalize on current events for quickly trending blog post ideas
Staying plugged into what's happening in the news gives you a constant stream of potential hot-button issues, celebrities, and innovations to discuss on your blog.
Major current events like product launches, celebrity controversies, political happenings, and natural disasters spark enormous interest online. Weighing in promptly with an angle tailored to your niche can tap that momentary surge of search traffic and social shares.
For example, a Fashion blog could dissect a viral red carpet look. A Fitness blog may examine the health impacts of an urgent medical development. And a Tech blog could break down implications of new company policies or legislative proposals.
With current events, timeliness is critical. So focus your coverage quickly while public attention remains high on that particular storyline or talking point.
Use guest posting and collaboration for new angles and links
Guest blogging on other relevant sites while also inviting peers to contribute to yours is a win-win way to spark fresh angles and collaborations.
It gets your byline and brand in front of new audiences, while their contributions bring range to your content. And each new post effectively births several new related blog post ideas to continue conversations readers are already having on your site.
Reach out to fellow bloggers, influencers, experts, and publications in your industry or place of business. Pitch relevant and mutually beneficial topics for cross-promotion. Guest spots introduce you to communities with different perspectives too.
Deploy SEO keyword research for profitable blog post ideas
Study search volumes and commercial potential of various keyword phrases with tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs. This will highlight opportunities to create content around in-demand, low-competition terms.
Ideas at the intersection of search popularity and lack of coverage by others present chances to rank and draw new visitors. For example, focusing a series of posts on common misspellings, related searches and long-tail phrases extending your most trafficked pages could significantly boost traffic over time.
The research also sheds light on new questions or niches with existing search potential to address on your blog. Make profitability and user demand—not just inspiration—central to idea vetting.
Continually refine blog post ideas with data
Once you start implementing ideas from these methods, pay close attention to analytics for each new post. Which ones drive the most views? Time on page? Shares? Comments? Backlinks?
These successes point to topics your audience truly engages with. Refine poorly performing concepts or scrap them entirely. And mine the winners for related angles, questions within those realms, and new posts likely to benefit from their proven appeal.
Analytics provide ongoing feedback to iteratively boost the relevance and popularity of your content lineup over time. The more data you collect on what grabs attention, the better your long-term blog idea generation will become.
Regularly brainstorming with proven methods like the ones above ensures you always have fresh, engaging blog post ideas in the line. Test concepts, see what sticks, and continuously refine your approach using audience signals and data. With the right ideation habits, blog post creation need never feel like tiresome again. Read next: What Are Marketing Channels? Definition, Types, & Examples
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