Content Marketing: How to Find Content Ideas

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Read the Comments on YouTube Videos

The comments under YouTube videos are a great place to find new topics because, besides the insults, people also ask plenty of questions that the video didn't answer or request more details about something that was explained too quickly.

Find the most popular videos in your industry and read the comments where people ask questions or complain that an important topic was left out.

Also check the comments on recently published videos because they can help you understand which topics are attracting attention right now.

Don't focus only on the comments with the most likes, because even a question that received little attention can become an excellent article if it addresses a real problem your audience faces.

And don't stop at the comments themselves; read the replies as well, because sometimes someone asks a question and other people explain that they're experiencing the same problem or describe why the solutions suggested in the video didn't work for them.

These conversations allow you to create content that's much more specific than the original video.

Find the Most Frequently Asked Questions on Reddit and Quora

Reddit and Quora are two extremely useful platforms for content marketing because people use them to ask for advice about problems they can't solve on their own.

Search for topics related to your industry and focus on questions that receive the most replies or are repeatedly asked by different people.

On Reddit, I also recommend searching smaller, more specialized communities because you'll often find much more specific questions than those posted in general communities.

Read the entire discussion to understand which answers people find useful and which ones are challenged by users who have already tried a particular solution.

If you notice that many people still have questions even after receiving several answers, you've found a topic worth covering in an in-depth article.

You can use the original question as the starting point for your title and develop an article that provides a clearer, more complete answer.

Analyze Newly Published Books on Amazon Kindle

This is a technique I use all the time when creating my courses.

Books published on Amazon Kindle can help you discover which topics authors are exploring in greater depth within your industry.

Look for the most recently published books in your category and pay particular attention to their titles and descriptions because they reveal the specific problems the authors have decided to address.

When a book preview is available, check the table of contents as well, because each chapter could suggest a topic worth developing on your blog.

Then move on to the reviews and read those rated three stars or lower, because they often contain much more detailed feedback than entirely positive reviews, which on Amazon can sometimes be fake or purchased.

Obviously, ignore people who simply write, "This book is a rip-off," and focus on reviewers who provide detailed explanations of what they liked or disliked and why.

Follow Industry News Every Day

Following major newspapers and specialized industry news websites is an excellent way to find timely topics to write about.

Choose reputable sources that regularly cover your industry and check them every day so you can identify new developments before all your competitors start writing about them.

Don't make the news itself the focus of your article; summarize it in no more than three or four lines at the beginning, because your content needs to explain what the development actually changes for your audience.

For example, if you work in marketing and Google announces a major update, you can write an article explaining the potential consequences for website owners, mentioning the announcement only briefly to provide context.

Another recommendation is to follow developments after the initial announcement, because new information often emerges that allows you to create more useful content than the articles published in the first few hours.

However, avoid chasing every news story just because everyone is talking about it.

If it isn't relevant to your audience and the problems they face, it won't produce results for your content marketing strategy.

Use Google Search Console to Discover What Your Readers Are Searching For

If you already have a website, Google Search Console can help you find new topics based on what people search for on Google.

Open the Search Results section and examine the search queries that cause your website to appear on Google, even when nobody clicks on your articles.

You might discover that one of your articles appears in search results for a question you haven't fully answered yet, which could be a good reason to create a dedicated piece of content.

Focus on queries that generate a lot of impressions but for which your website still ranks relatively low, because they could reveal topics where you have an opportunity to improve your rankings.

Before writing a new article, however, check whether you already have a page that addresses that question.

In some cases, updating existing content is far more useful than publishing another article on the same topic.

Analyze Your Competitors' Articles

The goal isn't to copy your competitors but to understand which topics are already being covered in your industry.

Identify websites targeting the same audience as yours and examine the articles they publish, paying particular attention to topics you haven't covered yet.

You can also use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to discover which of your competitors' pages receive the most traffic from Google, allowing you to identify topics that have already demonstrated their ability to attract search traffic.

Read their articles and try to understand what's missing from their explanations.

If a competitor covers a topic too broadly, you can create more specific content that helps readers solve a real problem.

However, if your website is still small, I recommend avoiding overly broad topics where you're already competing against well-established websites, because it's easier to achieve results by starting with more specific questions.

Turn Customer Questions Into Articles

The questions you receive from customers are among the most valuable sources of content ideas because they come directly from people who might buy your products or services.

Write down the questions customers ask during your conversations and pay particular attention to those you find yourself answering repeatedly.

If someone asks how long it takes to achieve a particular result, other people probably have the same question and might be searching Google for an answer.

Pay especially close attention to the concerns of people who decide not to buy, because their objections can suggest interesting content ideas.

Here's a simple example: if several potential customers think your service is too expensive, you could write an article explaining what determines its price and under what circumstances the investment is worth making.

The advantage of this approach is that you can create articles that help people decide whether to buy from you.