Looking for efficient and effective ways to generate new blog ideas for your business? Discover how to stay creative and find ideas fast to keep your blog writing flowing.  

‍“An idea is no more or less than a new combination of old elements.”

James Webb Young

All blog writers love that lightbulb moment of inspiration where an exciting idea forms, and like magic, we’re once again driven to write with passion and purpose.

But while that magic might be where the best blogs write themselves, we can’t just push a button and “Hey presto!”.  

That said, there are some handy techniques to help you get there quicker without always relying on those eureka moments.

So, be our guest, dear business owner, and enjoy our devoted blog ideas generation guide.

How to generate blog ideas on your own

Finding blog ideas with/for SEO

SEO is a big part of content marketing, helping businesses drive organic traffic to their website by producing high-quality content that’s optimised to rank high in search engine results pages.

So, here are a few blog idea-generation tips with SEO in mind:

1.      Autocomplete

The autocomplete function on Google and other search engines is a quick and easy way to get blog ideas.

Simply, type your keyword in the search bar and look at the recommended searches below.

For example, when I type in “Copywriter”, my recommendations include “UK”, “needed” “unite”, “salary”, “near me”, “meaning”, etc.  

Try your keyword and see what other people are searching for in seconds.

2.      SEO Software

Going a step further would be to invest in some SEO software.

SEO software works as a keyword research tool and helps you find opportunities for blogs that can potentially rank high. At Content Chef, we use Semrush.

Type your keyword into the 'Keyword Overview' feature, and you should get a list of "all keywords", "questions" and "related keywords". You can then filter these keywords into“ volume” and “difficulty”.

Generally speaking, the higher the volume and lower the difficulty, the better your ranking opportunities. (But there are several other factors to consider. Speak to us if you want to know more.)

3.      Answer the Public

Answer the Public is a free search tool where you can receive instant search insights into your keywords and topics. Type in your keyword, idea or topic and see what information appears directly from the search results of your target audience. This platform is ideal for long-tail keywords – i.e. the longer, question-related searches we punch into Google.

4.      Google Search Console

With Google Search Console, you can see what search queries took your users to find your website. One of these questions could just become the title of your new blog.  

Finding blog ideas without SEO

Google may rule the world of search. But not all blog ideas generation has to revolve around SEO in method and execution.

Here are a few other ways of generating blog ideas without obsessing over keywords too much:

5.      Check out your competition

Yeah, classic marketing 101 is keeping an eye on your competition. But this observation should also include the types of blogs they publish. Now, we’re not saying steal their ideas, but perhaps borrow a couple and add your own spin. We call it, “swiping and deploying”.

It’s fine. We all do it, especially when we’re struggling for ideas.

6.      See what’s trending

As most marketing material spirals around the online ether, trends help keep content on the ground and ahead of the curve, even blogposts.

So, whether across social media feeds or sites like BuzzSumo, check to see what’s trending and link to what relates to your blog topic in some way.

And if you have no blog topic, see if you can make it from the latest trend.

Use social media to see what themes and topics are being discussed by your target audience. Search relevant hashtags and immerse yourself in the conversation of your consumers. Honing in on your audience's pain points can provide the next problem your blog aims to solve.

7.      Expose yourself to new material

Finally, for long-term blog generation, it’s about expanding your horizons. Reading the same authors, watching the same types of TV shows and listening to the same music will limit your imagination and influence.  

Be curious to read content unfamiliar to you and pay close attention to the language. If you’re a fiction guy, go non-fiction. If you love music, listen to a podcast. If you can’t get enough of thought-provoking, hard-hitting documentaries, watch some harmless reality TV.

Only by expanding our horizons can we expect new influences and ideas to unfold in our heads.

How to generate blog ideas with others

As they say, “more hands mean less work” and the more minds you can get on generating new blog ideas, the better.

So, here are some ways to generate blog ideas with the help of others:

8.      Speak to your sales team

Your sales team or customer services colleagues can provide valuable insights into the pain points that concern your target consumers.

Find time to ask them what important issues are being raised by your customers and apply this to your blog ideas generation strategy.

9.      Host a mind-mapping session

Arrange a meeting with your content creation team with a mind-mapping exercise. Here, you can visually assess concepts, consumer insights and trends currently relevant to your industry.

Establish an open, non-judgmental, and positive environment where your team feel willing and passionate to share their ideas. By combining the thoughts of everyone, you can make connections and inspire ideas suitable for your blog writing.

10.  Collaborate with other creators  

Approach other specialists in your field to form new blog ideas by asking for their opinions in return for linking opportunities, blog guest posting and quotes.

Need a hand coming up with blog ideas?

Whether you need a hand creating a blog strategy to enhance your site's SEO or with the copywriting aspect, look no further.

Get in touch today to find out more.  

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Written by Archie Edwards

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