How to Find a Niche Topic For Your Blog

In blogging, the topic you write about is, perhaps, the most important part of your work as a blog owner that defines the blog's success. When there are so many blogs, newspapers, and magazines to follow, your blog needs to stand out, and a carefully chosen niche topic allows you to do just that. But while 10 years ago there were plenty of topics to choose from, nowadays almost every topic is taken. So how do you choose a blog topic that will be read, followed and would allow you to make your financial dreams come true? Here is a step-by-step guide to blogging success:

Finding a niche topic for your blog

1. Choose a topic you're passionate about

A blog requires substantial time and effort commitment. We all want to spend our time on something we are passionate about, and it's going to be hard to write thousands of blog posts on a topic you hate. That's why it's important to listen to your heart when you choose a blog topic. You might be tempted to do keyword research right away and see what people are searching for, and this is a logical strategy. However, in the long run, if you are writing all posts yourself, you might experience procrastination and lack of motivation when you write on a topic that has nothing to do with what you're passionate about.

Additionally, if you pick a random topic you aren't an expert in, you might end up with low-quality articles. Always remember that for a blog to be successful, it has to provide value to the reader. Spotting profitable topic opportunities is a great skill, but building a sustainable blog is another part of the success that solely depends on how passionate you are.

2. Research Google Trends

To know how profitable your chosen topic can be in the long run, head to Google Trends. Google Trends is a tool provided by Google that shows you how many search queries were registered for a certain topic or search term. Enter your chosen topic into the search field and see if there were any search queries in the past. If the number of search queries is substantial and the trend graph is going up, then you've chosen a good topic. Try to avoid topics that show a declining graph line, as this is a sign that public interest is decreasing.

Try to play with different keywords, topics, and phrases that are relevant to your topic. You might find out that there is no search volume for the chosen topic, but there were plenty of search queries for another closely related topic. Google Trends isn't going to give you the right answers straight away so you need to explore different word combinations before you land on the exact phrase that will return Google Trends results.

3. Check the competition

Now, you might have a great topic that you're passionate about, and Google Trends is telling you that people are constantly asking questions about your topic, but considering the amount of content produced these days, your topic might have been already fully covered by competitors. Before you start writing blog posts, you need to check the competition for the topic. Enter your topic into the Google search field and see how many results Google will return. You can then get an idea of how competitive the topic is. Of course, Google results contain some irrelevant pages, but at least you'll roughly know how much content there is on the topic.

As you check the competition, look at keyword suggestions at the bottom of the page. These might contain some rare keyword phrases that can lead to an idea for a blog topic.

4. Find relevant keywords

Once you find your general blog topic idea, it's time to generate some ideas for your blog. Head to Google Keyword Planner and search for all the keywords related to your topic. You want to find those long phrases that people type in a search for information. These usually start with "how" or "what is." Also, look out for keywords that have high search volume and low competition - these might be great to create a blog post about. You can try spying on your competitors by typing in their blog's URL into the keyword planner as well.

When doing the keyword research, remember that you don't have to produce blog posts solely based on the chosen keywords. Sometimes writing an opinion piece on a pressing issue will have more effect than posting an article about something people are often searching for. Keyword Planner reveals a lot about people's search habits, but that also means that this data is available to everyone, so it's highly possible that every single keyword from the ideas list has already been used by your competitors. Writing an opinion piece, on the other hand, doesn't take into an account what people are searching for, but helps support your image of an opinion leader.

5. Come up with headlines, write and edit

There are three things that make a great blog post: an idea that is supported by keyword research, an attractive headline, and great writing style. As you work through the process of blog post creation, keep those things in mind. Make sure you did thorough keyword research. Write a headline that sticks. Your headline must contain a keyword and make the reader want to click on the title. Lastly, create an outline for your blog and have a clean and easy to read writing style. If you're writing a guide and want to teach people how to do things, it's especially important to have an outline. The outline helps you stay on topic and give as much value as possible to the readers. Free flowing writing style can be great for opinion and thought-leadership pieces.

Final Word

Picking a niche topic for your blog can become an impossible endeavor, considering how much content is already out there. But don't despair. If you consider yourself an expert in the field, you can find a highly specific niche topic and drive visitors to your site. Approach niche topic research from a scientific standpoint and test your assumptions using the multiple online tools available. Most importantly, remember why you're writing and who you're writing for. Passion for a topic will keep you going in the long run, while understanding your audience will help publish content that will be of interest to your readers.