1. Find posts that are already performing well on other sites.
Browse through popular sites in your niche and identify their top-performing posts. This will give you a good idea of which topics and themes your audience is actually interested in.
2. Identify weaknesses in those posts and then write a better one.
Once you’ve identified a topic that has already proven to be popular, read through the related posts to see how strong they are. Some questions to ask yourself are:
- Can I add my own voice or opinion to this topic to take the conversation to the next level?
- Can I cover this topic in more depth and detail than the original author(s)?
- Can I add elements of interest like infographics, videos or quizzes?
- Can I update it to make it more timely and relevant? (You can do this through referencing the latest research or statistics.)
- How is the on-page SEO of these posts? Are there things I can do to rank higher? A tool like the MozBar SEO plugin can help with this.
Keep in mind you’re not copying these posts, or even using the same structure for your new content. What you are doing is using them, or an idea you get while reading the post as a jumping off point to create your own, original take on the same topic.
Read: Suck at Writing Quality Content…?
3. Find popular headlines and turn them into your own “headline template”
An amazing post with a crappy headline is doomed to failure. Your titles don’t have to be earth-shattering, but it never hurts to base them off of headlines that have already proven popular. Keep in mind, if people don’t click on your title, they will never see the amazing content you posted. Your title should be your main focus.
For instance, if I want to write about something in the tech field, I might reword that title into “How Hackers Are Killing Our Sense of Security Online.” The key here isn’t to use the actual topic of the headline, only its structure. And the best part is that because you’re changing up the title to suit your topic, you can often use this same ‘template’ to come up with titles for multiple future posts.
4. Write 2 titles for your post, and let someone else choose.
Up to this point, you’ll have come up with a great topic and post, with a killer headline; or at least you hope it’s a killer headline. While you’ve based your headline on one that’s already proven popular, it never hurts to get a second opinion.
So here’s what you do: For each post you write, come up with at least one alternate title. Now consult with a friend or colleague, giving them the two headline options and asking them which one works best.
Ask them to choose the headline that immediately catches their attention – not the post they think others will prefer. Of course, you have the final word on which headline gets used, but sometimes it helps to get a fresh perspective before you decide.
Read: The Key to Writing an Amazing Blog Post
Conclusion
Coming up with new content ideas is no joke. Anything you can do to streamline the process of finding popular topics and headlines can help. I hope this post has given you a framework for finding your own killer content ideas!
Very helpful.
Great ideas!
Great ideas! Thanks for your sharing your advice. Mind checking my blog too?? https://sweetroxieee.wordpress.com/2016/04/05/my-go-to-outfit-?/
This is really helpful! Thanks so much 🙂
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I will check out yours.. Would you like to check out mine?
Of course!!! Already did!!
Great advice!
Please read my lastest blog on : https://360southamerica.wordpress.com/
This really helped me, thankyou! Excited to get my blog up and running, so many ideas! one new one coming today and reading this has helped!
Hey can you look at my blog and tell me what you think I would love your input. Thank you so much.
I just started my blog and finding this is really helpful .thanks.
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If I can have one post that gets the amount of likes and comments, yours usually get, then that will have a killer content.
Amazing blog post! I learnt a lot
amazing! thank you!!!
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This has helped me so much!
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Can you check out my blog??
Thanks for this advice, it’s really helpful!
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AH! this was so helpful thanks!!! Please check out my blog, me15lb.wordpress.com I’m quite new to it so would love some feedback!
please checkout my Fashion and lifestyle blog, you won’t be disposed. I follow back xo
Thanks 🙂
great information for me to know..I love to blog..!Happy Tuesday Jackie
No regret really for following this blog. It has been an amazing experience
You are so right about the titles, if you have a crappy uninteresting title. No one, to very little people are gonna click on it, and it’s not gonna get a lot of views or engagement. The title has to be on FLEEK!?
So helpful
Educative
Reblogged this on Wyrdwend.
Bravo! What a fantastic, well written post this is!
Thank you so much for writing this. I will share it on Writer’s Work Lab on WordPress.com. I will not only read this, put put to use all of the new things I’ve learned.
Be blessed and have a wonderful rest your weekend.
From Paulette Le Pore Motzko, Las Vegas, Nevada.
http://www.TotallyInspiredPC.wordpress.com
This works great: 2. Identify weaknesses in those posts and then write a better one.
Thanks for the tips!
Jane at http://www.theblurbspot.com
[ Smiles ] I never thought about writing two headlines and let someone else choose the better of the two.
Lovely suggestion!
Good advice for new bloggers like me. On my blog I want to inspire people and tell them they can do more. I will be grateful if you checkout my blog and let me know what do you think 🙂 cheers
loved it! Hoping to implement these steps into my website: https://econica.ca. ?
Very helpful
Thanks for sharing!
http://magdahfleur.com/
This was very helpful.. I’m new to blogging and this post was like a blessing 😀 thank you !
Thanks for the tips. It’s funny how a blog post can be written in 10 more ways by different people. Perks of being a writer or a budding writer ?..
https://phayteaspulse.wordpress.com/
i like how everyone likes helping other people its great
Thank you so much!
very helpful, thank you
Great post
Ebonydebbie.com
This post is so so helpful!! I will certainly refer to this post in the future when making new posts on my blog megkemmagic.com.
Content quality also help in site ranking.
Thanks, but my words are for few people. 🙂
Very useful!
Inspiration from reading others. Got it!
Great information. Thanks.
Really helpful. Thanks
great advice
Helpful indeed – sometimes forget to check other blogs – thanks for the tip ?
Great tips, very helpful. Thanks a lot.
https://herunicornisland.wordpress.com