So, you started your blog and it’s been pretty exciting! You got into a nice routine of creating posts regularly, but suddenly everything stopped – you’re out of ideas!
It almost feels like you’ve exhausted all the possible topics and now there’s nothing left to write about.
Not to worry, this is something that almost every writer goes through.
The good news is that writer’s block isn’t as grave as you might think. It’s a temporary condition. Most writers will experience writer’s block from time to time, but with a desire to persevere, they will be able to conquer it and return to their creative work in due course.
Here’s what you can do to help come up with new blog post ideas.
Find your popular blog topics
Finding your most popular blog posts is one of the best ways to get future content ideas for your blog. You can look at your popular blog posts to see the type of content that is already working on your blog.
You can find your most popular posts in the Stats section under Stats > Posts and Pages > select a specific time period or “All time” to check for the most viewed posts.
Once you figure out what content is getting the most attention, you can come up with similar content ideas for your blog.
Create variations on your popular content
Armed with a list of your most popular posts, you can now think about possible variations of those posts by making a list of the topics (and sub-topics). Perhaps there are topics you mentioned briefly that you can now dig deeper into? Maybe you’re noticing patterns or keywords that stand out compared to others.
A great way to further explore these possibilities is to work with a brainstorming tool called mind-mapping. The Intro to Blogging course explores mind-mapping and other brainstorming techniques in the What content to include lesson.
Search console / Google analytics
The Search Console report in Google Analytics shows you the actual search queries used in Google search to find your website. This means that they are the search terms that triggered impressions and clicks for your site.
By analyzing the search queries report, you can get insights about the intention of your audience when they land on your site.
If you haven’t already, check out this guide on how to connect your site to Google analytics.
Using the search results, you can then write blog posts answering the search queries people have been using to find your site.
Search engines
You can also perform your own searches for the keywords you want to be found for to see what types of content other websites are producing. While you don’t want to copy their content, you may find some inspiration for additional topics you can blog about. Our Intro to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) course provides deep insight into how to do keyword research for your topic.
Forums
Another goldmine for content ideas are forums related to your niche. Forums are where people go to ask questions about something they need help with. You can browse through the forum inquiries to find questions that you can then “answer” by creating a blog post on your site. Sites like Quora and Reddit are other good resources for this type of searching.
Images
Are you working on story writing, like short fiction pieces, and looking for inspiration? Look no further than Pinterest! While Instagram may be well known as an image focused platform, Pinterest is a creative writer’s elixir. One of the reasons it works so well is the vast collection of boards that are searchable by keywords, and the related search ideas it offers. Find an image that appeals to you and write a short story inspired by the image that will appeal to your audience.
Most importantly, to help fuel your inspiration, remember that your content provides value to your readers. Module 3 of the Intro to Blogging course (Content is king) provides some useful tips on maximizing that value, including: how to plan your content, what to include, content design and how to write quality content. Be sure to check it out!