How to Find SEO-Friendly Blog Post Ideas (13 Clever Ways)
There it is! A blank screen and a blinking cursor. Starring back at you as the precious minutes from your toddler’s nap vanish away. For the life of you, you cannot come up with ANY blog post ideas.
Sound familiar?
I hear you my friend. Not a good feeling.
It happens to all of us at one point or another.
As bloggers, we either run out of blog post ideas or become completely paralyzed at the overwhelming options.
And even when we do have some ideas in mind, we think…
Is this a good blog post idea?
Is this an SEO-friendly blog post idea?
What are great blog post ideas? What are quick blog post ideas?
What ideas for blog posts will my readers find interesting?
What blog post ideas are popular?
I know, I know… is a lot to think about when creating awesome content. And quite honestly it could feel a bit intimidating.
Because after all, writing a blog post isn’t enough. If no one cares to know, then no one will care to read.
Well, today I’ve got you covered.
Grab a pen and paper and write these down, because after today you will have plenty of blog post ideas to write about.
But, not just any blog post ideas. SEO-friendly and popular ideas that will resonate with your audience.
Today we will be covering 13 clever ways where you can find awesome blog post ideas.
How to Find SEO-Friendly Blog Post Ideas
Because I find it a bit tedious to find one blog idea at a time, I like to gather many blog post ideas simultaneously.
I like to call it, blog post idea shopping.
I do so by applying the strategies we will cover shortly, and creating a blog post idea spreadsheet or list.
By doing it this way, you will save yourself a lot of time and will be looking at really productive toddler naps from here on out.
Having a list of blog post ideas allows you to just focus on content creation without the added guess-work of finding a topic.
Ready? Let’s get started…
1. Google suggested search terms
Google is the mothership of ideas. After all, Google is the most visited multi-platform web property in the United States with 246 million U.S. unique visitors.
Our ideal readers, customers, and clients ALL use Google.
But how exactly do we search blog post ideas on Google?
Simple.
Google will do all the dirty work for you. All you have to do is tell Google what you what know.
Based on your topic of interest, Google will then generate the most popular search queries based on that topic.
Here’s how…
Let’s say you blog about Health and Fitness, and lately you’ve heard a lot of buzz about the Paleo Diet.
You know about Paleo but have no idea what exactly, would interest your readers about Paleo.
So, you go to Google and type Paleo in the search bar.
Without clicking enter, notice how Google populates suggestions based on popular queries.
That is blog post ideas GOLD! You can use any of those keywords and key phrases to generate a blog post.
Not only is it giving you ideas, but it is also telling you the most popular Google keywords and phrases for that topic.
Can somebody say SEO perfection?
You can go a bit further into your idea research and type diet, and more suggestions populate.
In addition to the search suggestions in the search bar, you can click enter and take a look at the following… more suggestion!
Here are the top of the page Google suggestions:
Here are the bottom of the page Google suggestions:
I don’t know about you, but out of this Google search alone, I can take away at least 5 awesome and popular blog post ideas.
Related Articles: 7 Best SEO Courses for Bloggers (Comprehensive to Basic)
2. Pinterest suggested search terms
Much like Google, Pinterest acts as a search engine, and much like Google it is a top contender as one of the most used platforms in the world.
Recent data shows that 200 million people use Pinterest on a monthly basis worldwide.
That is one of the many reasons Pinterest is an amazing place to find blog post ideas. That’s because it is the platform where people go to find ideas and information on particular topics.
Let’s say you are a travel blogger and that you have run out of content ideas.
You are open to suggestions, but have no idea what to write about that might be a hit with your audience.
So, off to Pinterest we go!
In the Pinterest search bar, we are going to type our general topic of interest (keyword, key phrase, niche, idea, etc.). In this case is, travel.
Without pressing enter, make a note of all of the suggestions and start formulation blog post ideas that might interest you.
For instance:
- Travel Tips
- Travel Destinations
- Travel Hacks
Are you with me? Good… Hold on to that thought!
Now, let's get more ideas from Pinterest so that we can make these travel blog post ideas ever better!
3. Pinterest keyword suggestions
Ok, so now we have key phrases we can use in our search for blog post ideas.
Let’s take a look at the first example above (Travel Tips) and see what Pinterest suggests.
In the search bar type Travel Tips and click enter.
Do you see all of the colored keywords? That’s Pinterest SEO at its finest.
Use those keywords to include in your initial search suggestion and make them an interesting blog post tittle.
Travel Tips:
- 7 Travel Tips to Implement When You Are On a Budget
- The Hassle-Free Packing Guide (10 Travel Tips)
- Airplane Travel Tips and Tricks when Traveling with Kids
Now, do the same search for Travel Destinations.
Travel Destination:
- Top 10 Cheapest Travel Destinations in the US
- How to Make the Most Out of your European Travel Destination
- The Ultimate Travel Destination Bucket List for 2018
You get the point. You do this as many times as you want, for as many terms as you think best fit your niche and your knowledge base.
Are you starting to see what I mean by gathering many blog post ideas from just one search?
That’s why creating a list or spreadsheet is a great idea.
In addition to including these Pinterest keywords in your blog post titles consider adding them to your Pinterest board titles and descriptions, and pin titles and description. That is one of the most important things to implement in order to increase your blog traffic using Pinterest.
Related Article: The Best Pinterest Courses for Bloggers (Beginner to Advanced)
4. Search for top blog posts in your niche
I am sure you follow people in your niche which you consider amazing at what they do. Check out their work and pay close attention at what makes them so great.
Then recreate it by giving it your own spin.
You can also do a Google search on your topic of interest and see who lands in the first page of the search results. Again, scan the content and see how you can improve it.
This is something that Brian Dean from BackLinko.com calls the Skyscraper Technique.
Basically, the way it works is finding the best content in your niche for a particular topic, and making it much, much, much better.
As Brian explains in his Skyscraper Technique case study, you do so by:
- Making the post longer
- Bringing it up to date (some posts, even in the top pages of search results are older and outdated)
- Including better images / graphic design
- Making the content more thorough and detailed
Remember, the purpose here isn’t to write a post for the sake of writing. In that case you are wasting your precious time.
This technique ensures that you make the best effort at creating amazing content that will rank high on Google and gets shares and engagement.
Trust me, hard work pays off!
The ultimate goal of a successful blogger is bringing organic traffic to their blog.
If you are new to SEO and would like to learn all there is to ranking on Google check out Stupid Simple SEO by Mike Pearson.
This robust yet incredibly beginner friendly course takes you from the basics of understating SEO all the way to implementing key strategies that will get your blog thousands of organic page views from search engines.
Check out the Table of Contents so that you can see for yourself the incredible value this course provides.
5. Look at your most popular post
Nothing will validate a possible blog post idea more than one that’s already been proven to be successful.
If we have a super popular blog post that people are continuously drawn to, then why not use that topic and expand it into other blog post ideas?
For instance, if you are a mommy blogger and one of you most popular blog posts is, The Best Labor Advice I Have Ever Received, then why not break that down even further into:
- Best Labor Advice for First Time Moms
- 10 Labor Tips for a Hospital Birth
6. Re-purpose content from your email list
This technique is one I use often as it allows me to kill two birds with one stone.
In order to nurture and grow your email list it is important that you make your subscribers happy.
You do that by providing valuable and helpful information sent to their inboxes on a continuous basis.
Often times I send my list profitable blogging and social media strategies that can help them grow their blog.
This information is typically sent in the format of a small post, bullet points, or numerical list which makes it very easy to convert into a blog post later.
Here is an example…
Because I have been focusing on SEO lately, I wanted to share with my email list last week the SEO strategies they should be implementing for on-post SEO.
At some point this month I can use that same information as the basis of a blog post and just simply elaborate further on each individual point.
This way, I keep my email list happy because I am sending them new, fresh information to their inbox. And, I’m happy because that’s one less blog post idea I have to worry about.
I love win-wins!
If you would like to become part of my email community you can sign up for free below.
As a subscriber you will receive profitable blogging and social media strategies, along with blogging resources discounts and promotions straight to your inbox. 🙂
7. Ask your email list
Another great way to find blog post ideas is to ask your audience directly.
If you don’t have an email list yet or don’t know much about the importance of email marketing for bloggers, check out this post.
If you do, use your list to ask them what they are interested in learning. Ask them what struggles they are facing and write about it.
That will ensure that whatever you write about, will be successful.
8. Use your own learning
Often times we don’t realize that something we just recently learned could very well become a blog post idea.
A lot of bloggers shy away from writing about a particular subject because they feel they aren’t “experts” on that topic.
That way of thinking could hold you back from your true potential.
You don’t have to be an expert to share your thought, ideas, experiences, and newly acquired skills with others.
Remember, there is always someone just one step behind you who could truly benefit from your input.
Take a new mom for example who blogs about parenting.
She is a new mom, BUT as she walks through her motherhood journey, she learns and experiences things that could potentially help other moms, even more experienced ones.
Here is another example.
Let’s say you are an Arts and Crafts blogger who recently attended a Crafting Workshop.
In this workshop you learned how to create a flower wreath.
Why not write a “How to Create a Flower Wreath for Beginners (A Step-by-Step Tutorial)” blog post?
In essence, use your new acquired skills to pass on the knowledge.
Always remember to use your Google and Pinterest keyword and suggested terms strategies to formulate SEO-friend blog post titles.
9. Use your affiliates as inspiration
Another great way to find blog post ideas is to use your affiliate products and services as inspiration.
Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make money blogging.
So, using your affiliate products and services as blog posts inspiration will not only provide you with ideas on creating content, but it will help you make more money.
A few ideas are:
- Write an affiliate product review
- Write an affiliate personal success story
- Write an affiliate round-up review (of other bloggers who have used and loved that product or service)
- Write a “Top 10 Favorite List (courses, toddlers toys, etc.)”. This is a great way to promote your affiliate links all at one time.
10. Create roundup blog posts for popular topics
As you get to know you niche you will start to realize what kind of blog posts resonate better with your audience.
A popular topic on mommy blog might be breastfeeding tips.
A popular topic on a personal finance blog might be money-saving tips.
A popular topic on a blogging blog might be how to make money blogging, and so on.
Use one of those popular topics in your niche to create a roundup post.
Roundup blog posts are posts that are composed of a collection of expert bloggers input on a particular topic.
The way roundup posts work is the following:
- The author asks a general question to a group of expert bloggers on the subject (e.g. what is your best breastfeeding advice for new moms?)
- Whoever would like to participate sends the author their response along with a link to their blog as the credit source for their response or input
- The author then puts together a blog post with all of the expert responses
Benefit of roundup posts:
- You will get more traffic to your site because most of the contributors will share your blog post with their own audience
- It is a great SEO strategy because you are linking to other blogs and hopefully some of the contributors will link back to you as well
- You didn’t have to create much of the content yourself
- Your blog post topic is backed up by expert opinions
- You make great connections with other bloggers in you niche
A great place to find roundup post opportunities (as the author and contributor) is to join Facebook Group for Bloggers.
11. Use Facebook Groups in your niche
Facebook Groups in your niche are one of the best ways to find blog post ideas.
These are the kind of Facebook Groups you can join which share you blog’s niche and topics of interests.
Facebook Groups within your blogging niche allow you to be amongst your ideal audience. And that is an incredible opportunity to do market research and find new blog post ideas.
You can do so by either posting a question directly in the main feed or doing a group search.
In the search bar of the group, type a keyword or key phrase you are interested in finding.
For instance, let’s I am a member of New Moms and Advice Support Group and I would like to know what kind of questions new moms are asking about.
On the group’s search bar, type question. Facebook will automatically generate all of the member’s posts that match that search criteria by highlighting that particular keyword.
12. Check what’s trending in your niche
There is no better boost in SEO than writing about a topic that everyone is currently into.
Pay attention to social media trends. If there is a topic that is getting a lot attention and fits your niche, write about it.
Great places to check for trending topic are Google Trends and Pinterest.
You can find Pinterest Trending topics by clicking on the search bar. Notice at the bottom of the drop-down trending ideas.
13. Map out the Holidays year round
Last but not least, keep an eye out for upcoming holidays.
Much like trending topics, holidays tend to bring in a large amount of traffic and engagement.
Whenever you are out of blog post ideas look at your calendar for a popular upcoming holiday.
Depending on your niche, think of blog post titles that would resonate with your audience.
This holiday blog post ideas strategy works great in conjunction to the Pinterest suggestions and keyword strategies described earlier in this post.
Simply type the holiday in Pinterest search bar and look to see what suggestions and keywords could be used for your niche.
Then generate SEO-friendly blog post titles.
★ Related Articles:
Final thoughts
I know that writer’s block is a real thing, and I know it can happen to all of us.
However, when the blank screen stares at you again, you know exactly what to do to snap out of it.
Now you have the tools you need to not only find blog post ideas, but find SEO-friendly AND popular blog post ideas that will resonate with your audience and increase engagement.
As always, if you found this blog post helpful, please share it. And if you have any thoughts or questions feel free to leave a comment below.
How do you find SEO-friendly blog post ideas?
