Four ways to generate new content ideas from data and search queries

In our last blog, we talked about how to generate new content ideas from audience discovery calls. Now we’re looking at another key source of inspiration for new content ideas: data and search queries.

This kind of research – also known as desktop research – is relatively quick and easy to do, so it’s a good option if you want to come up with new content ideas without a fully fledged research project.

Here are our top four ways to find content ideas for your business using data and search.

1. Check Google Analytics

We know that Google Analytics is fairly old hat now, but it should always be your starting point. It’s a foundational part of this kind of data research – skipping it would be like trying to bake bread without flour.

Why is Google Analytics still so important? Because it provides an unbiased look at what content is actually popular on your site.

The biggest challenge when sourcing new content ideas is overcoming your own personal preference for the topics or type of content you think your audience wants to read. Google Analytics forces you to focus on the cold hard data.

If you’re fairly new to Google Analytics, all you need to do is go to your Analytics home page, hit Behaviour > Site Content > Content Drilldown. From there, choose the URL that houses your content – it might be /blog/ or /articles/.

Set the date range at the top. You’ll want at least a year to give you a good overview of what people are reading. Then, look at the page views and see what’s most popular on your site.

Once you know what’s popular, you can find out ways to build out this content. For example:

• What related topics could you cover?

• Can you go into popular subjects in more depth?

• What assets could you include in top articles to provide extra value? (think checklists, templates etc)

2. Read customer service enquiries

One of the easiest ways to source content ideas is by checking what customers have been asking your business and viewing on your site.

If you have a customer service or support department, or you use software like Zendesk, you should be able to identify common issues or topics that affect your customers.

Most enquiries can feel too niche to create effective content. For example, a web agency might receive lots of questions about how to tweak a specific template or integrate a new plugin. However, these questions can be easily packaged together to create genuinely useful articles.

Roundup pieces (“The most popular questions we’re asked about…”), listicles (“Five free plugins that will allow you to…) and step-by-step tutorials (“Experiencing this problem on your site? Here’s how to fix it”) are often very popular with users.

The most important lesson from this research step is not to overlook the value that you can provide to current customers or the content that could make their lives easier. This content is helpful for customers looking for a really specific answer, but it also reassures new customers that you know your stuff.

3. Track related search queries 

A simple way to use search queries for content ideas is to type a query in and scroll to the bottom, where Google will display related searches. This can give you an idea of similar questions that people have searched for. 

We also like to use a plugin called Keywords Everywhere. By inputting your search term, you get a list of related keywords that other people have searched for. 

The free version is almost an extension of Google’s related searches. However, if you buy £10 worth of credits (which will probably last you a lifetime) you can also see the volume of each search.

Being able to see the volume of each query is valuable, because you can determine which of those topics or questions are most popular. While the high-volume searches tend to be very competitive, there’s often a lot of opportunity in the middle ground. 

4. Look at your competition for more inspiration

It’s never a good idea to carbon copy what a competitor is doing, but you can learn from what works for them and apply those lessons to your own strategy.

The best place to start is with their social media. Look at what content is being shared and what’s generating the most engagement. Make a list of topics that resonate with their followers and what isn’t drawing much attention.

Don’t forget to look at content formats for the future, either. Is the content being shared around short and snappy or an in-depth guide? How well is video doing? This is a really easy way to test the waters before you invest your own time and resources.

We also recommend using a tool called Uber Suggest. This provides insights into what’s most popular on your competitors’ sites, including:

• The most highly trafficked pages on the site

• Where the traffic is coming from (eg. organic search, social media platforms etc)

• The keywords driving traffic to the site or page URL

Once you know which pages and keywords are most popular, you can think about where your competitors might be vulnerable. In other words, what opportunities are there to leapfrog competitors with better content.

Want more guidance on sourcing content ideas and building a robust content strategy? We’re here to help. Email chris@inkwellagency.co.uk or get in touch via our contact form.