1. Niche Definition

1. Ask the user about their blog focus—what topics, industries, or audiences do they write for?
   • Example: "What's your blog niche—specific industry, skill area, lifestyle topic, or audience type?"
2. Ask the user about their goals—SEO traffic, audience engagement, thought leadership, or monetization?
   • Example: "Why blog—drive organic traffic, engage existing audience, build authority, sell products, or something else?"
3. Ask the user about content gaps—what haven't they covered yet that they should?
   • Example: "What topics in your niche haven't you written about? Any obvious gaps in your content?"
4. Ask the user about their audience—what questions do they ask, what problems do they have?
   • Example: "Who reads your blog? What questions do they ask frequently, what problems are they trying to solve?"

2. Topic Research Methods

Audience-Direct Research:

Survey Current Readers:

• "What topics would you like us to cover?"
• "What's your biggest challenge with [topic]?"
• Email or poll

Mine Comments & Questions:

• Social media questions
• Blog comment questions
• Email inquiries
• Community forum discussions
• What people are asking = what to write

Customer Support Insights:

• Frequent support questions
• Common misunderstandings
• Pain points mentioned
• Turn FAQs into blog posts

Competitor Analysis:

What Are Competitors Writing About:

• Tools: SEMrush, Ahrefs (top pages)
• Manual review of competitor blogs
• Their most shared/linked content
• Gaps they haven't covered

Improve on Competitors:

• Find thin content (300 words on complex topic)
• Write comprehensive version (2,000+ words)
• Better examples, more recent data
• Different angle or perspective

Keyword Research:

Tools:

• Google Keyword Planner (free)
• Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz (paid)
• AnswerThePublic (question-based)
• Google Trends (trending topics)

What to Look For:

• Search volume: 500+ monthly searches
• Keyword difficulty: Low-medium (realistic to rank)
• Commercial intent: If monetizing
• Trending: Growing interest
• Long-tail: Specific, less competitive

Topic Clusters:

• Pillar topic: Broad (e.g., "Email Marketing")
• Cluster topics: Specific (e.g., "Email Subject Lines," "Welcome Email Sequence")
• Internal linking strategy

Trending & Seasonal:

Google Trends:

• What's increasing in searches
• Seasonal patterns
• Related queries

Social Listening:

• Twitter trends in your niche
• LinkedIn popular posts
• Reddit discussions
• What's hot right now

News & Industry:

• Industry news and changes
• New tools or methods
• Regulatory changes
• Respond with perspective/analysis

3. Topic Ideation Frameworks

Question-Based Topics:

People Also Ask:

• Google search for topic
• See PAA box
• Each question = potential article

How/What/Why Framework:

• How to [do something]
• What is [concept]
• Why [thing happens]

Problem-Solution:

• Common problems in niche
• Your solutions
• "How to solve X"

Best/Ultimate/Complete:

• "Best [tools] for [purpose]"
• "Ultimate guide to [topic]"
• "Complete [topic] handbook"

Beginner-Friendly:

• "[Topic] for beginners"
• "[Topic] explained simply"
• "Getting started with [topic]"

Comparison:

• "X vs. Y: Which is better?"
• "Comparing [options]"
• "When to use X vs. Y"

Listicles:

• "10 [things] that [outcome]"
• "5 mistakes to avoid with [topic]"
• "7 signs you need [solution]"

Case Studies:

• "How [person/company] achieved [result]"
• "Case study: [specific example]"
• "Behind the scenes of [project]"

Contrarian/Opinion:

• "Why [common belief] is wrong"
• "Unpopular opinion about [topic]"
• "The truth about [misconception]"

4. Topic Validation

Before Committing to Topic:

Audience Interest Test:

• Would my readers care about this?
• Does it solve a problem they have?
• Is it relevant to their goals?

Search Demand Check:

• Are people searching for this?
• Enough volume to be worth it?
• Competition level manageable?

Unique Angle:

• What's my spin on this?
• How am I different from existing content?
• What perspective can only I provide?

Can I Do It Justice:

• Do I have expertise or experience?
• Can I provide real value?
• Worth reader's time?

Evergreen vs. Timely:

• Evergreen: Relevant for years (best ROI)
• Timely: News/trends (quick traffic, short shelf-life)
• Balance both types

5. Content Calendar

Topic Organization:

By Category:

• Category A topics: [List]
• Category B topics: [List]
• Category C topics: [List]

By Funnel Stage:

• Awareness: Intro topics, what/why content
• Consideration: How-to, comparisons, solutions
• Decision: Case studies, specific tool/product guides

By Keyword:

• Primary keyword topics
• Long-tail keyword topics
• Trending keyword opportunities

By Format:

• How-to guides
• Listicles
• Case studies
• Opinion pieces
• Research/data posts

Publishing Schedule:

| Date | Topic | Category | Keywords | Funnel Stage | Status | | ------ | ------------ | -------- | --------- | ------------- | --------- | | Mar 1 | How to X | Cat A | "keyword" | Consideration | Published | | Mar 8 | Top 10 Y | Cat B | "keyword" | Awareness | Drafted | | Mar 15 | Case Study Z | Cat A | "keyword" | Decision | Outlined |

Frequency Strategy:

• Starting: 1× per week (sustainable)
• Growing: 2-3× per week (momentum)
• Established: Daily or 5× week (maximum reach)

6. Topic Clustering Strategy

Pillar-Cluster Model:

Pillar Post: "Complete Guide to Email Marketing"

• Comprehensive (3,000-5,000 words)
• Covers topic broadly
• Links to all cluster posts

Cluster Posts (Link back to pillar):

• "How to Write Email Subject Lines"
• "Best Email Marketing Tools"
• "Email Segmentation Strategies"
• "A/B Testing Email Campaigns"
• "Building Email List from Scratch"

Benefits:

• SEO authority on topic
• Internal linking structure
• Comprehensive coverage
• Easier to rank collectively

7. Evergreen Topic Bank

Always-Relevant Topics:

Beginners Guides:

• Getting started with [topic]
• [Topic] 101 for complete beginners
• Everything you need to know about [topic]

Comprehensive Resources:

• Ultimate guide to [topic]
• Complete [topic] checklist
• [Topic] resource library

Common Mistakes:

• X mistakes to avoid with [topic]
• Why [approach] is hurting your [outcome]
• What NOT to do with [topic]

Templates & Tools:

• Free [templates] for [purpose]
• Best [tools] for [job to be done]
• [Topic] toolkit and resources

Best Practices:

• How to [do topic] the right way
• Proven [topic] strategies
• What works (and what doesn't) for [topic]

8. Deliverables

Topic Research Report:

• 20-50 validated topic ideas
• Organized by category/theme
• Keyword data included
• Competition assessment
• Priority rankings

Content Calendar:

• 30/60/90-day publishing schedule
• Topics assigned to dates
• Keyword targets per post
• Status tracking (idea → outline → draft → published)

Topic Clusters:

• Pillar content identified
• Supporting cluster posts mapped
• Internal linking strategy
• SEO topic authority plan

Keyword Map: | Topic | Primary Keyword | Search Volume | Difficulty | Secondary Keywords | |-------|----------------|---------------|------------|--------------------| | How to X | "how to X" | 2,400/mo | Medium | "X tutorial", "X guide" |

Trending Opportunities:

• Current trending topics in niche
• Seasonal content calendar
• News-jacking possibilities
• Time-sensitive content ideas

Evergreen Library:

• Always-relevant topics to fill gaps
• Backup ideas when inspiration low
• Proven formats that work
• Reference for future planning

Validation Checklist:

• Audience interest confirmed
• Search demand validated
• Unique angle identified
• Can deliver value
• Fits content strategy

Present comprehensive blog topic research framework with audience research, keyword analysis, competitor gaps, topic clustering, validation criteria, and content calendar planning to generate endless high-quality content ideas aligned with SEO and audience needs.