For example: Say you’re writing for a company that offers closet organization services. You type in “How to organize a closet” and see that related search queries are about organizing small spaces, drawer organization, and DIY ideas. There are three potential topics. BOOM.



Added bonus: They’re more specific than your original high-level query so you can take a deep dive rather than skimming the surface of a broad topic.



3. Use BuzzSumo



BuzzSumo lets you find at the top 10 most shared pieces of content via keyword search, which can be filtered by date, content type, country, and more. If you want to see what’s working for other writers and getting lots of social traction, this tool can help you kick off your research. The free version is limited, but the paid version has much more in-depth results.



4. Look at the news



When working to brainstorm topics that are on the cutting edge of your niche, you’ll need to study the news and make notes of common trends and themes you’re seeing. Looking at this data, you can start to think of unique things you can bring to the conversation. Ask yourself:

Is there data you can synthesize to illustrate a point no one is making yet?

Are shifts within your niche opening the door to new challenges, nuances, and points of struggle? If so, what do people need to know about overcoming those obstacles?

Do you have original research you can publish that brings new insight to an ongoing conversation?

Be Original



Once you’ve gone through these steps and have a solid list of ideas you can start hashing out, remember that you need to contribute something fresh and original to the online conversation.



Don’t simply restate what’s already been said a million times--give it a new angle and draw original (and research-backed) conclusions. Also, remember to model your formatting at the folks who do this well. If you can do this, you can boost the relevancy, value, and often ROI of your content right away.

Have other questions you want me to answer in the future? Email me and let me know what topic you want me to cover next. I'll do my best to give a solid answer over the coming weeks.

This article originally appeared in my newsletter, A Cup of Copy. Sign up and get these free tips sent right to your inbox every other Wednesday.