5 Places To Get Ideas for Your SEO Content

Short on content ideas? Feeling uninspired? Never fear. I have five places where you get ideas for your next webpage or blog article.

1. Keywords + search results
2. Internal subject matter experts
3. Sales, marketing, or the customer
4. Competitors
5. Existing content

FAQ: How can I find compelling content ideas for my website or blog?

1. Keywords + Search Results

One of the best places to start for content ideas from an SEO perspective is your keyword list. Of course, keyword phrases can look like “blah” to a writer and leave much room for interpretation.

So the goal here is to understand the angle for any given keyword. For this, you can turn to the search results (or use SEO tools for better accuracy) to view the content on Page 1 of the search results for a keyword.

Creating great content then might be as simple as reviewing all the ranked content on Page 1, compiling ideas and then putting your expert spin on it.

Using keywords plus search results for inspiration is a great way to generate ideas for your next piece of content. But remember: No duplicate content. The content should still be original enough to stand out among the content that is already ranking.

2. Internal Subject Matter Experts

There is a treasure trove of information right at your fingertips if you turn to the subject matter experts (SME) at your company or the client’s company you serve.

If you haven’t already, consider building a list of subject matter experts within the company and their areas of expertise.

You can use this list in different ways:

• Engage them for ideas to write about.
• Use them for expert quotes or a sounding board on the content you are creating.

To formally set up these SMEs into a content program that will generate ideas for you, you are going to need buy-in from the top. In other words, make sure the higher-ups make it clear that content is an important initiative companywide.

It can be hard for people to want to divert their resources toward website content for the company when they have competing deadlines.

But permission from the boss can open up more opportunities for them to contribute. And some people may get excited about being able to share their ideas publicly.

You might consider creating a simple form where people can submit their content ideas as they have them, so you can add them to a backlog and use those ideas when you need them.

3. Sales, Marketing, or the Customer

The people inside the company who are closest to the customer can offer a lot of ideas that can turn into great content.

It’s not uncommon for the sales team, for example, to be short on the content they need to give to the prospect to either address their FAQs or move them further down the sales funnel. Why not help them out by creating a web asset they can use?

The marketing team should be well-versed on the customer and their needs as well. What sort of web content would help them in their efforts to reach the target audience?

If it’s appropriate, reach out to the customer directly. Create an interview template you can ask of a small pool of customers or prospects to dig into their pain points, why they buy, why they don’t buy, etc.

Speaking to these three groups can offer a ton of inspiration for content that will help the company succeed.

4. Competitors

Have a list of your top competitors for the company. This could be both market competitors and the competitors you are up against in the search results for your target keywords.

I already wrote about how you can spy on content per keyword in Step 1, but here you can go a step further and click through to their blogs and websites. Take the time to note the topics they’re writing about.

Of course, not all SEO content is for blogs — you might also want to look at your competitor’s navigation and main landing pages. When you are creating these types of pages for your company or client’s website, you can reference what they are doing well and what you’d do differently.

Start a spreadsheet with webpages/topics and URLs from competitors that you can reference when you need inspiration for content. (Again, I’m only talking inspiration here — the content needs to be original.)

5. Existing Content

You can repurpose any existing content you have for your website. Here are some ideas of content assets you can use to create webpages:

• Training materials
• Podcasts
• Brochures
• Catalogs
• Videos
• Tutorials
• Help resources
• Customer service logs
• Manuals
• Marketing materials
• FAQ sections on the website

You can even repurpose previously published webpages into a new webpage. For example, you could start collecting URLs that are on the same or similar topic.

Do a site search using the website’s search functionality or use the advanced search operator “site:” to discover the webpages that exist on the site for a topic.

You might then decide to turn many URLs on the same or similar topic into one large guide, and then 301 redirect all those other pages to the new URL.

Repurposing content takes advantage of all the hard work you or someone else has already put into a content asset. And it’s an easy way to get ideas for web content.

Coming up with enough content ideas to fill your SEO program can be a struggle, especially if you’ve been at it for a while. But revisiting the places outlined in this article when you’re feeling short on creativity can fill your publishing schedule up quickly.

Ready to take the next step toward creating SEO-rich content for your company’s blog or website? We can help. 

FAQ: How can I find compelling content ideas for my website or blog?

Generating fresh and compelling ideas for websites and blogs is an important part of an SEO strategy. Finding inspiration can be challenging, but fear not, for I have curated valuable tips to help you discover content ideas that will engage your audience and boost your website’s success.

To begin, tapping into the vast potential of SEO is crucial. Keywords + search results are a goldmine for content ideas. Start by exploring your keyword list, but don’t stop there. Delve deeper into search results to understand the best angles for each keyword. By analyzing what content ranks on Page 1, you can compile unique ideas and add your expert touch to stand out from the crowd.

Another excellent resource for content ideas lies within your organization – the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Engaging with SMEs allows you to access a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Create a program that encourages SMEs to contribute ideas, provide expert quotes, or even become sounding boards for your content. Harnessing their insights will add credibility and value to your website or blog.

The sales, marketing, or customer support teams can also be invaluable sources of inspiration. Conversations with these teams can uncover frequently asked questions or pain points that your content can address. By creating web assets that assist sales or marketing efforts, you provide valuable content and enhance your website’s authority.

Analyzing competitors’ content is a strategy that can give you an edge. By exploring what your top competitors are writing about, you can identify gaps in the market or uncover new angles to approach common topics. Remember, this is for inspiration only; ensure your content remains original and adds value to your audience.

Repurposing existing content is a treasure trove of untapped potential. Gather training materials, podcasts, videos, or customer service logs to create new web pages. Combine similar topics into comprehensive guides or consolidate multiple pages for a better user experience. Repurposing saves time and effort while delivering valuable content to your audience.

Generating compelling content ideas for your website or blog requires a strategic approach. Utilize SEO insights, engage with SMEs, listen to your customers, analyze competitors and repurpose existing content.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Find Compelling Content Ideas for Your Website or Blog

1. Conduct thorough keyword research to build a comprehensive list of relevant keywords.
2. Analyze search results for each keyword to identify popular topics and angles.
3. Compile unique content ideas by adding your expertise to the existing content.
4. Establish a Subject Matter Expert program to engage experts within your organization.
5. Collaborate with SMEs to gather insights, expert quotes and valuable content ideas.
6. Gain buy-in from higher-ups to ensure support and resources for the content program.
7. Create a simple form for team members to submit content ideas for future use.
8. Communicate the importance of content creation companywide to encourage participation.
9. Initiate conversations with sales, marketing and customer support teams.
10. Identify FAQs, pain points and areas where content can support their efforts.
11. Craft web assets that cater to the needs of these teams and provide valuable content.
12. Utilize competitor analysis to explore topics and angles that resonate with the audience.
13. Avoid duplicating content and always add a unique perspective to your ideas.
14. Identify top competitors for your target keywords and explore their content.
15. Document the topics and URLs from competitors that can inspire your content.
16. Create a spreadsheet to organize competitor ideas and use them for inspiration.
17. Repurpose existing content assets such as training materials, podcasts and videos.
18. Identify content pieces that can be combined into comprehensive guides.
19. Improve user experience by consolidating multiple pages with similar topics.
20. Always ensure that repurposed content is updated and adds value to your audience.

Bruce Clay is founder and president of Bruce Clay Inc., a global digital marketing firm providing search engine optimization, pay-per-click, social media marketing, SEO-friendly web architecture, and SEO tools and education. Connect with him on LinkedIn or through the BruceClay.com website.

See Bruce's author page for links to connect on social media.