Having trouble thinking about what topics will engage your viewers? Great website content will never go out of style. Not only will it engage your visitors and encourage them to share what they find, it’s also hugely important for SEO. That said, it’s not always easy to hit the topic sweet spot. Here are some tips that will help to develop compelling topic ideas for your web content:
1. Write what you know. The hardest question of content is what to write. The fact is, you probably already have the answer. Your content should be related to your specific industry or business, utilising your knowledge and experience. A lot of the things you take for granted may be fascinating to an outsider, and offering in-depth strategies and opinions will appeal to others in your field. Become an authority, an interesting voice, a place to come for new ideas and thoughts, and visitors will make a point to return.
2. Base your topic around a keyword or phrase. Even once you know your general subject, coming up with specific article ideas can be tricky. Google’s Keyword Suggestion Tool gives you the cold hard data on which keywords are frequently being searched, along with related queries (e.g. if you type in “double glazing”, you’ll see a bunch of variations like “what is double glazing” and “upvc double glazing”). These results can be run through Ãœbersuggest to present different topic ideas and opportunities.
3. Give something for free. Freebies can work a treat. Think about giving away digital downloads such as eBooks, PDFs or graphics, as well as coupons and discount codes for physical products and services. Think of a complementary business that may want to provide a discount to their service in exchange for being exposed to your viewers. Giving something worthwhile away is a nice way to thank your viewers and will build loyalty to your business.
4. Diversify your content types. Not all posts need to be made out of text: info graphics, videos, webinars and web links all count as useful content. Varying content type will get you thinking more creatively about topic ideas, and will be refreshing for the reader.
5. Lists, quick tips and how-tos are always popular. It’s always nice to have a staple to fall back on, and relevant, original lists and guides are useful and shareable. Utilise your industry knowledge to show readers something they might not normally know how to do, or create a list of top resources based on your experience and opinions (e.g. “6 Ways To Save Money With X”, “10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Y” etc).
6. Create a series. A weekly or monthly regular such as an in-depth look at a certain aspect of the industry, or a continued extended guide for setting up a strategy or campaign will create a regular reason for readers to check back. It also allows you to go into more detail and provide more specialised knowledge, making you the authority on that topic.
7. News updates. The internet moves fast and your content topics need to move with it. Stay well-versed in your industry’s news and developments, and try to pre-empt what the next big talking point will be. Aim to be the first to break a story, analyse a new product or development, or offer an intelligent, fresh opinion.
If that hasn’t helped you to smash writer’s block, then get in touch to talk about specific topic ideas for your website.