Creating content is supposed to be fun! When you’re knowledgeable and genuinely interested in the industry you’re writing content for – whether it’s a blog post, social media post or webpage – writing engaging copy should be a breeze.
Except when writer’s block strikes.
Even when you’re the local expert in your area of specialism, knowing what to write and how to write it can be tough. You might have a seed of an idea, but when it comes to beginning the post, there’s nothing.
One of content writing’s greatest challenges is writing content that actually resonates with your ideal reader, who is usually your customer base. Knowing what level to pitch your article, or what to explore within your chosen topic, is tough – but there is one quick tip I always use before I start writing that helps me get my content flowing in the right direction, no fancy tools needed. It’s… Google.
Simply analyse the Google result for your topic idea and you’ll discover a whole range of questions and related topics that will help you flesh out your article from your initial keyword, all while tackling your classic SEO strategies when it comes to content marketing.
Let’s put this into practice with the following scenario: my estate agent client wants me to write about first time buyers as they are particularly lucrative right now.
By seeing what comes up in the Google result for the term you want to write more about, e.g. “buy first house”, I get the following questions come up in the “People Also Ask” section, which is usually just below the first set of ads:
- How do I start buying my first house?
- Should you buy a cheap house first?
- What age should you buy your first home?
- Is it smart to buy a house right now?
- If you click on the questions that are displayed, you’ll also get some more questions served, so even more ideas!
And if you scroll down to the end of the search page, you’ll find “Related Searches”, which displays the following:
- buying first home checklist
- buying your first home in your 20s
- rightmove
- buying a house on your own single
- zoopla
- first-time buyer
- shared ownership
- help to buy equity loan
What to do with these results?
Well, as they’re based on real-life search habits and search intent, you can now plan my content that either answers some of these questions, ensuring that the content is really tailored to helping your customers, or you can use the related searches to widen your article’s focus. In this case, a related search result is a checklist, which is genius! Now, as well as writing that blog post, you can also create a checklist that guides your first time buyers through the process, knowing that this is a popular tool to use.
Just remember that Google is a guide, and that your expertise comes into play when working out how to make the content unique to your brand or your customer. And don’t forget to use your heading tags correctly to help with your SEO efforts!
Want more help creating effective content for your website? Get in touch with me here.