Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
While it’s possible to build a successful blog without having a solid idea about what to create, having a purpose makes the process easier. Especially when it comes to design and content. Today, let’s dive into getting that idea to build something grand.
Keep in mind that I am doing this all on my own without the use of AI-generated content. That’s mostly because I don’t have a lot of extra money to hire a writer and I despise using AI to write blog posts.
But that’s a story for another time.
So, let’s dive into getting an idea about a new blog and see how far I can take it while putting in maximum effort.
How to Spark an Idea for a Blog
Every expert has their own process of deciding what to build. Some will focus intently on niches that make the most money while others just want to share their experiences.
It all comes down to your blog’s purpose and what you view as “success.”
If you’re new to blogging in general, there’s nothing wrong with starting off with personal experiences and moving on from there. After all, that’s how this website started.
In my case, I am setting up a new blog idea to help others and hopefully generate a bit of income. Then again, that’s pretty much the basis of every blog I create for myself.
However, this time, I am leaning a bit more toward actual monetization.
What Will Hold Your Interest (Primary Topic)?
The primary topic is the one that you want to be associated with your blog. For instance, WriterSanctuary’s primary topic is “writing.”
When coming up with an idea for your blog, it’s best to find something that will hold your interest. Write about something you know or are very interested to learn.
The reason for this is because of motivation. If you pick a niche simply because it performs well in general but you have no interest in the topic, you’re less likely to commit to content.
If you don’t have a steady flow of content, there’s nothing for Google to present to searchers. Not to mention how Google prioritizes blogs that are active.
First, create a list of primary topics that you are interested to learn or already know. In my example, I listed YouTube, bearded dragons, retro gaming, 3d printing, and golf.
So, which one will I choose for the new blog idea? Well, that’s when we take to a few different tools starting with Google Trends.
Using Google Trends for the Blog Idea
Google Trends will show you the trends of search terms since 2004. However, I doubt you’ll need to go further back than a year or so.
The idea is to see if there is a trend for the primary topic or if it has a steady flow of interest.

As you can see, there is far more interest in “youtube” than anything else. But this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good primary topic for the new blog.
Because of how popular YouTube is at the moment, I already know it’s going to have a lot of competition for keyphrases.
Once we decide on a primary topic, we’ll use Google to see just how much people are actually looking for specific information.
Using Autocomplete in Search
The Autocomplete feature in Google can help us determine if a topic idea is worth exploring for the blog. Essentially, it’ll display common results that others have fed into the search bar regarding the keyphrase.
For example, let’s start with “how to youtube.”

Just from the initial search, I can see all kinds of ideas for blog posts. But let’s take it a bit further.
This time, let’s use our primary topic and start with the letter “a.”

By using every letter in the alphabet, I can get a slew of ideas for blog posts concerning my primary topic. This tactic works a number of ways depending on what you want to create.
For instance, what would a “how to youtube a” appear in Google?

Based on using the Autocomplete feature in Google, I can see that I have quite an inventory of possible blog posts. Then, I can click into each one and take a look at what others have created.
Unfortunately, Autocomplete doesn’t provide the full picture. Sometimes, Google will show results that have very low traffic volume per month. Since I am trying to gain search traffic with this new blog idea, I’ll need to take a look at some keyword tools.
Using Keyword Tools for Content Ideas
The Internet is full of keyword tools for blogging. Each has its benefits and drawbacks, so you need to find one that works perfectly for you.
In this instance, I’m going to take a look at Google’s Keyword Planner in Ads. I am just looking to see how many people are actually looking for relevant content for my primary topic.
You can use this tactic in virtually any keyword tool.
As before, I am going to start with the phrase, “how to youtube.”
From the results, it looks like there are a lot of “how-to’s” for my primary niche.

Next, we can search other elements using our primary topic to see what kind of interest there is overall. Use terms such as how, can, would, will, what, is, are, etc., or a combination thereof.
What usually piques my interest is any phrase that has more than 100 average monthly searches. These are often easier to rank on the top of Google.
In reality, though, I’ll write about virtually any topic that I feel is of interest to my target audience regardless of searches or competition.
The Competition and Their Content
The last stage before committing to a new idea for your blog is taking a look at the competition. Use any search term that you came across up to this point and search it in Google.
What kind of competition is there for the search and what kind of content do they cover overall?
Now, you shouldn’t be afraid of the competition. You may be surprised by how many followers and subscribers you get simply because people like how you deliver content.
Keeping an eye on the competition shows what they believe is of great interest to their audiences. Then, you can do what’s called the Skyscraper Technique. This is when you take a look at what other people have created and consider how to make it better.
In other words, you’re trying to one-up the others by providing better and more detailed content. Don’t copy what they have done. But see what you can do to make your article stand out.
I’ll go over that a bit later when I start talking about a content strategy.
What About an Idea for a Personal Blog?
I know a lot of creators who have experienced a great deal of success with personal blogs. Simply sharing your day and/or experiences in an entertaining manner can keep people coming back for more.
The downside to these kinds of blogs, however, is that it could take a great deal longer to build up an audience.
The upside is that you don’t have to worry too much about aiming for SEO or understanding search intent. Personal blogs are so much easier to write, in the end.
As I said before, “success” is subjective. If you’re happy with the idea of building a blog just to vent, share, or explore with others, then that’s all that matters.
There are a lot of people who manage to make a living from personal blogs. The main difference is just the type of content you focus on creating and the speed at which certain levels of success are achieved.
What Would You Like to Blog About?
While you may not necessarily need an idea to start your blog, it will make a difference in how you set it up and structure the content. From personal blogs to those focused on making money, blogging is not necessarily difficult to start.
It mostly comes down to what you want out of the website and what kind of goals you set in place.
What kind of blog are you building?
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