How to Find Content Ideas: 21 Detailed Topic Research Guides

Are you struggling to find content ideas?

I know. Coming up with new topics can be a daunting task.

And with so much competition, it can be hard to create something that will stand out.

But don’t worry, I’m here to help!

From creative research techniques to clever methods for finding inspiration, this guide has something for everyone.

So if you’re stuck in a rut and need some new content ideas, keep reading to find out how you can start coming up with unique topics today!

IMPORTANT: Don’t miss to check #21, as I used this strategy to rank #1 for a long-tail keyword that is bringing nice organic traffic each month.

1. Reddit

Reddit is an excellent source of inspiration to find content ideas. Search through different subreddits and look for trending topics or receiving a lot of attention.

You can also join conversations on your chosen subject to discover what people are talking about and what they’re interested in.

This is a great way to find out more about any topic you may be unfamiliar with or gain more insights into what people are looking for.

For example, if you are in the blogging niche, you can visit the /r/blogging subreddit to see what other bloggers are discussing:

You may also want to filter the results by time to find the hottest topics that are currently being discussed:

In fact, I often filter posts by “all time” to read the top discussions and content posted:

Now, do the same procedure for your niche.

This way, you’ll be able to find questions that your audience is eager to find an answer for or trending topics to write about.

There’s also a guest blogging directory, as you can see:

The websites listed are in different niches, and right now, they mainly have low SEO metrics.

But if you are starting out with guest posting, it can be a good resource.

Plus, there is an “enroll” tab if you’re seeking guest blogging opportunities or if you’d like to be contacted by other bloggers for guest posting opportunities.

2. Google Image Tags

Another great source to find content ideas is Google Image tags.

You can use the search engine to look up images related to your topic.

For example, if you are in the health niche, type “health” into the search bar and then scroll down to see a list of related tags:

These tags can be really helpful for finding keywords, as they give you a better understanding of what people are looking for and allow you to come up with subjects that are relevant to your audience.

For example, you could use the “fitness diet” tag as a starting point for creating content about healthy eating and nutrition.

And if you select two or more tags, you can find more specific topics:

So if you combine “fitness” with “lifestyle choices”, you could create a post about healthy living habits, or dig down further into the tags to find more keywords.

3. Amazon

Amazon is huge to find content ideas, especially if you are in the e-commerce niche.

You can use it to research what products are popular and gain insights into what people are looking for.

Start by typing a keyword in the Amazon search bar, then look for sections like “Related Products” or “Most Wished For” to get an idea of what kind of products are popular.

You can also use Amazon’s “People Also Bought” section to find related items, as well as read customer reviews and product descriptions to better understand what people are looking for.

For example, if you are in the technology niche and looking for content ideas, visit the Best Sellers page about electronics and look for popular products:

You can then use the reviews to create content about how people are using these products and how they benefit from them.

You could also use the product descriptions to create buying guides and tutorials about using them.

The possibilities are endless!

4. Quora

Quora is a great place for finding questions related to your topic.

Simply type in your keyword or phrase into the search bar:

Then, scroll down to find questions that people are asking.

You can use these questions as inspiration for creating blog posts or videos that answer them.

For example, if you are in the SEO niche, type in “SEO” and you’ll see questions such as “What are the best SEO practices?” or “How can I improve my website’s SEO?”

You can also visit spaces related to your main keywords to find more specific ideas.

For example, if you search for “Google Ranking Factors” you’ll get different queries related to that topic:

Then, try to use any of these findings to create content that your audience will love.

5. Answer The Public

With AnswerThePublic, you simply need to type in a keyword or phrase and it will generate hundreds of questions related to that topic.

This is a great way to uncover common queries and topics that people are searching for, which can be used as content ideas.

For example, if you type in “content marketing” it will generate questions such as:

Scroll down to find the results listed in alphabetical order.

You can then use these queries to create helpful content for your readers.

6. People Also Ask

When you search for a keyword on Google, you’ll likely see a “People Also Ask” section in the results.

This is great to find content ideas or for discovering topics and questions that people are interested in.

For example, if your query is “SEO copywriting” you can see the different questions that users are asking:

You can use them as content ideas for blog posts, videos, and more.

You can also click on a question to find more related queries:

7. Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a great source of information and you can learn a lot from its website architecture.

Simply type your keyword into the search bar. For example, “HTTP status codes“.

You can then scroll down to the contents section to find ideas related to that topic:

You may also want to explore the end of the page, where you can dig into the “See Also” and “References” sections:

8. YouTube

YouTube can be a great source of inspiration when it comes to content ideas.

Simply type your keyword into the search bar and take note of the topics that come up.

You can also look for popular channels related to your industry, as well as trending videos, which could provide valuable insights.

For example, if you’re in the technology niche, you can type in “tech reviews” and see what topics people are talking about:

The videos can provide you with helpful information and insights that can be used to create content for your audience.

You could also use the comments section to find out what people are interested in learning about and use it to create content that answers their questions:

This way, you can ensure that what you offer resonates with your audience and meets their needs.

9. Blog Comments

This can be another clever way to come up with new topic ideas.

When you read the comments, you can get a sense of what your readers are looking for and what topics they’re interested in.

You can also use this information as a starting point for creating content that answers their questions or solves their problems:

Other than your blog comments, you can visit your competitor’s sites and read the comments there to find new content ideas:

10. Google Trends

Google Trends is a useful tool that allows you to see what topics are currently trending.

Simply type in your keyword and it will show you the topics related to it that have had the most search volume over time:

You can use these findings to create content for your audience.

For example, if the trend shows an increase in search volume for a particular topic, you can create content that semantically covers that subject and capitalize on the increased interest.

This is a clever way to ensure that your content reaches the right people at the right time.

11. Facebook Ad Library

The Facebook Ad Library provides insights into what topics are popular and relevant in your industry.

Simply type in a keyword related to your field, and you’ll see all the active ads that businesses have created around that topic.

You can then use these ads as ideas for content creation.

For example, if you type in “SEO”, you’ll see a list of active ads related to that subject:

You can use this information as inspiration for your content and understand what is popular in the industry.

This is a smart way to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and ensure that your content reaches the right people.

But wait – there’s more.

If you type one of your competitors, you can check the ads they are running and the posts they are promoting.

And in the text of the ad, you can read the exact words and phrases they are using to catch their audience’s attention:

Any variant of the focus terms found in your competitor’s ads may be used as LSI keywords in your next piece of content.

12. Google Autosuggest

Google Autosuggest can be really useful for keyword research (and to find content ideas too).

When you type in a word or phrase, Google will automatically suggest topics related to it that have been searched a lot.

For example, if you enter “canonical tags”, these are some of the topics that will appear:

By exploring the suggested topics, you can get a better understanding of what people are searching for and create content that answers their questions.

13. ProductHunt

Product Hunt is a popular platform for discovering new products and services and finding content ideas.

What you should do is take a look at what is trending:

And check which problems they are trying to solve.

By exploring popular products and services, you can get a better understanding of what people are interested in and use it to create content that resonates with them.

14. BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo can really help you find content ideas.

Simply type in your keyword and it will show you all the articles related to it that have had the most engagement over time.

For example, if we type “image SEO”:

It gives you a list of related topics.

You can use this information as inspiration for creating useful content for your readers.

Plus, there are other interesting sections like the “top shared and linked content”:

You can see my image SEO guide, there!

15. Keyword Planner

Google’s Keyword Planner is a free tool that you can use to come up with content ideas.

Simply enter your keyword to discover all the related terms with the average monthly searches.

For example, type “WordPress SEO“:

As you can see, it gives you more than 700 keyword ideas that you can filter based on the level of competition and the average monthly searches.

Important Reminder. Please note that Google Keyword Planner’s “competition” metric does not reflect SEO, but rather the amount of money advertisers are willing to pay for their ads to appear in search results.

16. Twitter Explore

Twitter is not just one of the biggest social networks.

Did you know that it functions as a search engine too?

All it takes is to type in your desired keyword or hashtag to easily discover anything from news articles to funny memes related to your particular niche.

For example, if you enter “voice search“:

You can read what people are saying about it, and what questions they have.

Or, simply visit the “Explore” tab to find out the most popular topics being discussed right now:

You can use this information to create content that is relevant to your audience and capitalize on current trends.

17. Feedly

Feedly is another clever way to keep up with the latest news and content related to your industry.

You can set up custom feeds, subscribe to your favorite publications, and get notified whenever something new is published.

For example, if you search for “blogging“:

You can get matching feeds with blogs to this keyword, as well as related topics.

By visiting Feedly every day or so, you can stay on top of the trends in your industry and use those as inspiration for your content.

And you can set up alerts to be notified about any mentions of your brand or competitors.

18. Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a powerful tool to get insight into what people are searching for.

It can also be used to find content ideas by seeing which keywords your website currently ranks for or the kind of queries that drive traffic to your pages.

For example, if you go to the “Performance” tab in Google Search Console:

You can get an overview of which keywords you’re currently ranking for and the click-through rate (CTR) associated with them.

By understanding which topics are already working well for your website, you can use this information to create even more content around those topics to further increase your CTR.

19. Pinterest

Pinterest is a massive social network for content discovery and research.

Simply type in your keyword or hashtag and you’ll see a wide variety of suggestions related to your topic.

For example, if you search “blogging”:

You can quickly get an idea of what kind of topics are popular on Pinterest and use that as inspiration for your content.

As for Google Images, you will see different tags based on your query.

You may also want to combine two or more tags to get even more specific topic ideas.

20. Pocket

Pocket is another great tool for discovering and saving content.

You can use it to save interesting articles, blog posts, and even videos that you find on the web so you can go back and read them later.

It also comes with a powerful search feature that helps you discover new resources related to your topic of interest.

Simply type in and you’ll see a wide range of content related to newsletters, ranging from blog posts to ebooks and videos.

21. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is one of the most powerful SEO tools that can be used to generate content ideas.

Although the juicy features are available only in the paid plans, there are still some useful options available on the free plan.

For example, the free keyword generator.

Simply enter a broad topic, for example, “keyword cannibalization“:

And you will get suggestions for content creation.

As you can see, each keyword is listed with its difficulty and volume:

This will help you brainstorm ideas for content.

How I Earned the Featured Snippet for This Keyword

Ahrefs also offers tons of features for verified projects (which are sites that you have access to).

Among the most interesting ones, you can find the backlinks profile (with new backlinks discovered each day) which is handy for monitoring your website’s incoming links, free of charge.

But what I found particularly fascinating is the organic keywords feature.

These are keywords for which your website is already appearing in the SERPs.

By digging deeper into this data, you can understand which topics can be the most relevant to your audience and create content around them.

What I do is filter the keywords by their difficulty, then check among the ones that have the lower score with a decent amount of search volume.

A couple of months ago, I found this sweet long-tail keyword:

Submitting it to the Ahrefs free keyword difficulty tool, I noticed it was easy to rank for:

So, I created this +3000 word guide that analyzes SEO without link-building and ten ways to rank without backlinks:

• Parasite SEO
• Topical Authority
• Keyword Research
• On-page SEO
• News
• Internal Links
• Organic CTR
• UX signals
• Schema Markup
• Core Web Vitals

And do you want to know what happened?

It soon ranked for the keyword and earned the sweet featured snippet spot:

And it’s now bringing a decent amount of monthly organic visitors:

In short, 

the keyword difficulty score told me an article around that term could have a good chance of getting featured and ranking. So, I created optimized, helpful content!

In conclusion, 

Ahrefs is a powerful resource for content ideas, as it offers tons of data to analyze and gain insights from that can be used for content creation.

So, even if you don’t have access to the paid plans, give it a try, and don’t miss the opportunity to start generating more ideas for your content.

FAQ

Q1. How do I come up with content ideas?

A. Content ideas can come from several different sources, such as customer feedback, industry trends, user surveys, and popular topics on social media. Other strategies include brainstorming with your team or interviewing experts in your field for their insights. Doing market research and analyzing the competition are also good ways to generate ideas. Additionally, looking through existing content and finding ways to improve it or expanding on particular topics can help you create new content.

Q2. How do I find out what my audience wants to read?

A. Understanding your target audience is key to creating content that resonates with them. Start by researching the demographics, interests, and behaviors of your readers. Listen to what they’re saying on social media and in other forums. Also, consider surveying them or conducting interviews to get direct feedback on the type of content they’d like to read from you. Analyze the data you collect to better understand their needs so that you can create content that meets those needs.

Q3. How do I make sure my content is original?

A. To ensure your content is original, start by doing research on the topic to determine what has already been written and what hasn’t. Then brainstorm new angles or perspectives on the topic so that you can create something unique. When writing, reference other sources sparingly and make sure to always cite any material that you use from outside sources. Additionally, avoid copying large sections of text from other sites or publications without proper authorization.

Q4. How often should I post new content?

A. The frequency of your content postings will depend on your goals and the preferences of your audience. You should post often enough to keep readers engaged, but not so often that they become overwhelmed. Consider experimenting with different schedules and see what works best for you. Pay attention to the feedback you receive from readers and adjust based on their preferences.

Q5. What types of content should I be creating?

A. There are many different types of content that you can create, such as blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, and eBooks. Consider the goals of your marketing strategy and what type of content would best meet those goals. Also, think about which types of content would be most effective for your audience. It may be helpful to experiment with different types of content and see which ones perform best.

Q6. How do I measure the success of my content?

A. You can measure the success of your content by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs). These include metrics such as page visits, time on site, bounce rate, social shares, and conversions. You can also use tools like Google Analytics to analyze the performance of individual pieces of content and find out which ones are most effective. Additionally, surveys or interviews with readers can give you useful insights into how your content is perceived by your audience. By tracking these KPIs, you can better understand the effectiveness of your content and make adjustments as needed.

Before You Go

Searching for topic ideas doesn’t have to be a difficult task.

With the right tools and skills, you can quickly generate topics your audience will love.

Try using these methods to find relevant content ideas for your audience and deliver added value.

In the alternative, use a Chrome extension for keyword research.

Did you know that with Keyword Surfer you can research keywords and get the average search volume, for free?

Learn how to do it here:

Good luck!

And please don’t forget to share and comment if you liked the post!

 

Related Reading:

• Bucket Brigade in Copywriting: How-to, Examples, Words List
• Google E-E-A-T: How to Boost Your Authority for Better SEO
• Learn SEO: All The FREE Resources You Need
• Rich Snippets: How to Make Your Content Stand Out in SERP
• SEO Copywriting: 15 Techniques to Write for Users and Google