It used to be that you could just vomit out your thoughts to paper (or keyboard) and people cared about you (or your thoughts) enough to read it.
Those were blogging pioneers and those days are over…
Social media and the mass consumption of information online in our society today has changed everything.
It’s probably a good thing because while some people vomit out some great thoughts, a lot more people don’t…
Now, if you want people to read what you have to say, you have to create your content with a purpose.
One way to do this is through keyword research — aka creating content centered around keywords that people are actively searching for.
You can read more about how that works in our article on keyword research tools.
But that’s not the kind of content we’re talking about in this article.
Today, we’re going to talk about the other 20%.
The 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule is something that we made up but we very much believe in its importance based on our own experiences as professional bloggers.
80% of the content that you write should be based on keyword research and searchable content. The remaining 20% should be created with the sole purpose of connecting with your audience.
Why is it skewed so much?
Well, the majority of your content should be focused on keyword research because that’s what brings in your initial visitors.
It’s what drives the traffic in because it’s what helps your content get found on search platforms.
But the 20%… The content that connects… That’s what turns your readers into subscribers. And subscribers into buyers.
It’s what makes your audience connect with you and trust you and hang on your every word.
And maybe you’re thinking… Well, why can’t all of my content be like that?
It’s great if you can create perfectly keyworded content that also connects and some of the blog ideas that we provide below may be able to be used in that way.
But it doesn’t always work out that way.
In order for content to be found in search, it often has to be written in a certain way with a pretty specific set of secondary keywords and topics. It becomes a little technical.
The 20% is where you have more freedom to write it exactly the way that you want it — however that will best serve your readers.
And we’re going to give you our best blog ideas and topics for the 20% in this article:
Table of Contents
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In the article below, we’ve given examples of these blog post ideas and topics from our blog as well as our health and wellness blog, Avocadu.
1. How-To Guides
One of our favorite types of content to create is how-to guides.
These are usually very instructional in nature and can come in the following forms:
- Beginner guides — Very basic. Intended to start from square 1 and teach a complete beginner on a topic.
- Ultimate guides — Similar to the above but are often more comprehensive (or just differ in title)
- Tutorials — Because you are explaining “how to” do something, you can also structure these more like a tutorial with detailed instructions.
These posts can also be related to the following topics or ideas:
- Solving a problem — How to lose weight fast
- Achieving a goal — How to build an email list
The best place to get these blog post ideas is straight from your audience.
What kind of problems are they struggling with? What kind of goals are they looking to achieve? These are perfect topics for how-to guides.
One of the best examples of a how-to post that is also more like an ultimate guide is our post on how to make money blogging.
Another example from our health and wellness blog is our post on how to lose weight fast.
2. Experiences And Stories
This one is my personal favorite.
Personal experiences and stories are by far the best way you can connect with your audience because they serve as evidence that whatever problems your audience are dealing with, they CAN be overcome.
They are also what help your audience to see that you’re a normal person and not just some big influencer persona on the internet that just “got lucky.”
Following people on the internet is a little like watching people on TV. We tend to feel like they aren’t “normal” people with “normal” problems.
Sometimes you need to remind your audience that you were once living in their shoes. You KNOW how they feel because YOU have felt it before.
And then you tell them exactly how you overcame your struggle. Or achieved a goal. Or whatever else it is that you are writing about.
Just remember to highlight the feelings that you believe they are experiencing right now (or have felt at some point).
THIS is what will begin to make them feel like you understand them and how you can begin building a relationship with your reader (one built on trust).
One of our most popular posts that falls into this category is our post on the phases of blogging success.
3. Trending Topics And News
These are great because there is always some new fad or craze in the headlines every month, week, etc.
This gives you new and “fresh” ideas to share with your audience while also giving you the opportunity to weigh in on the topic. Your audience wants to know your opinion!
If you’re talking about the hottest new topic in your blog niche, it will catch your readers’ attention because fewer people are talking about it.
Rather than giving straight facts or a general overview about a particular topic, consider being a little more polarizing if you have a strong opinion. Your audience wants (and deserves) your honesty!
Here are some examples from various blog topics:
- Health: new fad diet
- Travel: latest news on carbon emissions
- Politics: election news (there’s always SOMETHING here)
- Pets: latest news on pets traveling on airplanes
- Beauty: anything on anti-aging technologies is always a hot topic to discuss
- Business: taxes and legal are topics that are always being updated
You get the idea!
This isn’t an area that we post often in but here’s an example of a blog post idea in which we provide a rather polarizing opinion on the topic of Google Adsense.
4. Lists And Round-Ups
Numbered lists are great because they give your content some organization and people love lists!
There seems to be something about knowing that there is some defined ending to your content. Something psychological there…
There has been a lot of testing on clickthrough rates of headlines and lists are without a doubt super popular and often more likely to get you clicks!
You can put anything you want into a list, including some of the types of content we are discussing in these articles.
Here are some popular types of lists for blog post ideas:
- 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make When…
- 7 Most Popular Myths About…
- 17 Best Tools For…
- 6 Ways to Use…
- 12 Reasons Why…
You can also do round-up posts in a list format.
A round-up post is a list that you put together of other resources (i.e. recipes, websites, products, etc.). You feature other people’s content with a link to the resource.
Our article on the successful bloggers is a good example of a round-up post that is formatted as a list.
Another example from our health and wellness website is our article on the 12 healthy dinner recipes.
5. Product Reviews
Product/service review articles are great because they serve two purposes:
- Provide helpful information for your audience
- Potential to make a few extra bucks on the side
You can earn a commission from certain products and services that you recommend on your blog when people click on your links to purchase that product or service.
This is called affiliate marketing, and it’s a major way that many bloggers monetize their content.
BUT remember that you are still essentially asking for a sale here…
In order for product reviews to be successful in creating a connection with your audience, you really need to include personal experiences with the product you’re discussing.
Linking products with descriptions isn’t generally enough to get people to buy your product.
Any article on the internet can do that much. You need to form that connection with them by discussing your personal experience with the product.
THAT is what will make them want to learn more about the product or service.
And remember that it isn’t just about making a sale. You need to provide the right kind of information that helps them make a decision about the product.
For example, we recommend ConvertKit as the best email service for our new bloggers. But a lot of them aren’t sure and want to try a free service first.
So, we created an entire review on ConvertKit with our experiences to help them make a decision about what is right in their business.
Another example from our health and wellness blog is our post on the top meal delivery services.
6. Interviews And Testimonials
Interviews and testimonial posts are great because it gives your audience a chance to hear from someone else, which can further add credibility to what you are teaching.
This type of post can be structured in a variety of ways, including…
- An interview — with a client, student, reader, another authority figure in your niche, or anyone else that can provide relevant insight for your audience
- A testimonial — with a client or student (this can help to sell your products)
Interviews and testimonials can be written, in video format, or in podcast format.
When you are interviewing someone or asking for a testimonial for your blog, these are some helpful questions to consider:
- What is their background? How is their story relevant to your audience?
- What questions can you ask that would provide the best insight for your audience?
- What problems did they struggle with in the beginning?
- How did they overcome these problems?
If their story is transformational in nature (i.e. reached a big goal), remember the points we discussed above in the blog post idea of personal experiences and stories.
Our best example is from one of our blogging students, Ramona. She took our blogging courses and explains how she started her fitness blog and made money in the first few months.
Her story provides inspiration for our audience while also providing proof that our courses work. We also allow her to add a link back to her blog, which helps her out as well.
It’s a win-win for everyone.
Another example of a testimonial post from our health and wellness blog is Lexie’s story of losing 100 pounds with our diet program.
7. Guest Posts
Guest posts can be similar to interviews and testimonials, but the main difference is that someone else is generally writing the entire guest post for you.
People generally offer to write guest posts for the following reasons:
- Backlinks — Getting a link back to their blog can help with Google SEO
- Brand awareness — Being featured on bigger blogs can help you get more recognition and traffic back to your own blog
- Sell products — That awareness can also be related to promoting a relevant product or service to someone else’s audience
The point is that people who write guest posts for you generally only take the time to do so because there is some type of gain in it for them.
But there should also be some benefit(s) in it for you, which could include:
- Great content for your audience to read (that you don’t have to take the time to write!)
- Selling products — you can earn a commission by selling the products as an affiliate
The best relationship you can hope for here is one in which both parties benefit from the exchange.
A great example is a guest post written by one of our blogging students, Amira Law, on how to protect your blog with legal pages.
In this post, Amira first provides a ton of helpful information on WHY bloggers need legal pages on their blogs, including what types are needed and where you can get them.
Then, at the end of the article, she briefly discusses the legal page templates that she sells. We are an affiliate for the templates, so we receive a commission if our readers purchase them from the article.
It provides helpful information for our audience, potential revenue for both of us, and a backlink to her blog and her products. Win-win-win.
8. Frequently Asked Questions
Wouldn’t it be great if you could write the EXACT content you knew your audience was the most interested in?
Well, you can! You just need to LISTEN.
What are the most frequently discussed topics you hear from your readers?
Are there any common questions that get asked more often than others?
There are a few ways that you can get blog post ideas from the questions your audience is answering, including:
- Comments on your posts
- Email responses
- Chatter in your Facebook community (link to ours)
The other thing you can do to get ideas is to simply ASK your audience what they want to hear more about!
You can end your articles or emails with a question that will help get the conversation started. Some of our favorite questions to ask include:
- What is the #1 thing you’re struggling with when it comes to (insert topic here?
- Did you enjoy this article? Do you have any questions about (insert topic here)? If so, please leave us a comment below! We’d love to hear from you!
When you answer your audience’s most important questions, it helps to build more trust in your relationship with them and make them more likely to purchase something from you.
An example of this in our business is the article that we wrote comparing two email marketing services: MailChimp and ConvertKit
A lot of our new bloggers on a budget are curious about MailChimp because it’s a free service and we get that question a LOT in our support groups for our courses.
So, we wrote an entire article to direct them to when we get the question.
It also helps to have a resource like this to direct your readers to so that you don’t have to answer the same question over and over again!
On our health and wellness blog, one question that we get a LOT related to our weight loss program is related to losing weight with hypothyroidism.
So, we wrote an article about it to help our readers that face that problem. And it also helps to well our weight loss program!
9. Myths
Last up on our list of blog post ideas is busting through the top myths surrounding some of the most common topics you are writing about.
People are skeptical of information and products online because they don’t generally know or trust you.
Busting common myths and misconceptions can help educate your audience and sell your products!
These posts can also provide a “shock” factor to your audience because you’re delivering information that is generally contrary to their belief.
The best example that we have on this blog about busting through myths is our article on how much bloggers make.
There is a common misconception that bloggers don’t make much… Or a common perception that they don’t make enough to earn a full-time income.
A lot of people believe that bloggers are just running their blog as a side project or hobby rather than as a full-time business.
One of our more popular articles on our health and wellness blog related to this post topic is related to weight loss myths debunked by science.
Okay, that’s it for our article on blog post ideas and topics!
We hope that creating this kind of content helps you better connect with your audience and build a more loyal and engaged list of fans and subscribers!
Which one was your favorite? Are you already using any of the above that you feel work really well?
We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below! We’re also here to answer any questions you might have!
About Alex Nerney
Alex has been a professional blogger since 2016. With a business degree and the expertise he has attained over time, he has grown two blogs to 6 and 7 figures, Avocadu and Create and Go. He’s an entrepreneurial adventure junkie who loves to teach bloggers how to achieve success. Read his inspiring story on how he went from broke and frustrated to $100k/month blogging in 3 years.
Awesome post
Thanks!
What if you have interests but are not an expert at any–how would you go about writing about an interest you have? For example, I have an interest in finding jobs I can do at home, but to write a post about that–it would be time consuming and exhausting to work for 10 companies that offer work-at-home jobs just so I can write about a post about it. I have an interest in crafts, but I’m not great at crafts–I think if I took pictures of my attempts it would be laughable–I’m an artist–and I make everything asymmetrical when it’s… Read more »
Hey Vanessa. You can always source guest bloggers for ghostwriters for your blog. Another option is to write from the perspective as someone who is learning a new skill. You have an interest in finding jobs you can do from home, so you can write about that experience and let your audience know of new sites and opportunities you come across. Eventually, you may be able to create a digital product outlining the process. For art and/or crafts, you can document your learning process and show your progress over time. You don’t have to start out as the expert to… Read more »
this article represent what we actually need to do in 2019. really creative and fresh idea. for me this is amazing tips. thankyou for sharing. really enjoy to read your article.
Thanks, Bella! Glad you enjoyed the article.
Hello Alex and Lauren. I love your blog mainly because it goes straight to the point.
I am just starting out on my own blog but I am having trouble deciding what content to write about.
I want the blog to serve as a Freelance Writer website but I also want to write about random topics that interest me.
Please, how do I go about it?
Hey Anju. Yes! You can absolutely use your own images to upload to your site 🙂 The tools and plugins are only recommendations, and you should choose what works best for you.
Hey, Durotimi. We recommend choosing a specific niche as opposed to random topics. Readers will follow a blogger for specific information. If you have a freelance writer website, but then write a post about your dog, it can confuse your audience. However, if you can tie the random topics back to your broad niche, then it can work. Hope this helps!
I am writing a blog about popularity, but no one has looked at it– and I started five months ago! What am I supposed to do?
Hey Abbie. What strategies are you using to promote your blog?
i am new , and have been looking for where i can get information, how i can start my own blog….but i think i have seen it in just 2mins …thanks for your info.
Great to hear! You are very welcome 🙂
Very nice and informative blog outsourcing training. Thanks for sharing.
Can’t wait to get started!
Awesome!
Great post. Thanks for providing a detailed article. Thanks for the List .. Its a good one, I always look forward to see your post.
Thanks, Priya!
Hi Alex, I have been reading your blogs and also watching your videos on Pinterest and Blogging. I am very impressed with your knowledge and way of teaching people. I have started a blog SmartBabyAdvice and have written some posts on comparisons of various baby strollers. I have also started a pinterest account. I would like you to have a look at the blog and the pinterest account and give me an idea if I am on the right track as far as both of these are concerned. I know this will take some time but I would really appreciate… Read more »
Looks good! Keep on pushing!
Hi, I’m from Bangladesh, wanting to be a millionaire through blogging, so I need tip & tricks, please………..
Check out what we have on the blog!
Hey! Finding a niche is KILLING ME (overthinkers unite!). I have several interests; ie homeschooling, food, fitness, and travel. Is it a mistake to blog about them all under a self-branded name? 🙂
Hey Rhea,
Definitely not! You can create a lifestyle blog under a self-branded name and write about several different topics. You can always niche down later when you start noticing that some topics may be more popular than others.
–Lauren
This is what i am going to do. I also overthink leading me to never start. Thanks
Hello CreateAndGo, if my main passion is music, what do you think about this niche and possibility to monetize it. I do not see any music bloggers basically i see music media publicists…
Hey, Kirill! We aren’t familiar with every niche out there and the potential for monetization because there are literally thousands of niches, but I would recommend doing some independent research using relevant keywords with the word “blog” attached to see if you can find any blogs similar to the one you want to start. If you find any, take a look at their content and how they appear to be making money with it to give you some ideas. If you can’t find any, you might just have to venture into the unknown! But that could mean a lot less… Read more »
Hey,
I’m thinking about starting a book blog. Is this a money-making niche too? Thanks!☺️
Hey, Ashley!
The best thing that you can do is to do some independent research on the type of book blog you might want to start. Take a look at what type of content is on those blogs and how they are monetizing them. This should give you some ideas on how you might be able to make one work for you!
l’ll try that! Thank you!?
I’m curious, did you start it? What kind of books are you thinking of doing? Would it be like book reviews or like a book club?
This is a very helpful post! Do you think blogging about how to make it as a young professional when you have depression would be a good idea to monetize? I would take readers on my journey.
Hey, Amy! Absolutely! It sounds like a great idea and telling your story is always the best route!
I would like to start an insurance blog but am not sure.
Hey, Stan! The best thing that you can do is to do some independent research on the type of insurance blog you might want to start. Take a look at what type of content is on those blogs and how they are monetizing them. This should give you some ideas on how you might be able to make one work for you!
I want to do one on the keto diet and IF since I’m heavily into that, but it seems soooooo oversaturated. Maybe if I can think of an angle on it could work.
A unique angle would be how you personally adapted the keto diet to fit your life. I know that the keto diet is pretty hard for many people and some of the “rules” surrounding the diet are pretty unclear and ambiguous depending on what “experts” you’re learning from. I think no matter what, people just want to know what worked well for you. Just remember not to ever stay away from a niche because it’s “oversaturated.” Weight loss very much was but we were able to earn six figures from our blog within the first year despite that. Good luck!
Thank you, Alex and Lauren, you are giving and inspiring me a lot to start a new blog.
You’re very welcome!! Glad we could help! 🙂
I am more of a crochet and craft person. — Definitely NOT Martha Stewart type. Is there hope for me?
Hey, Donna!
Definitely! There are tons of DIY blogs on Pinterest because it’s a very popular niche on that platform. I would run a few searches for popular topics on Pinterest related to what you want to blog about and see how other blogs are set up and monetizing their content to get some ideas.
How do you think a Self-Care/Self Love or positivity/motivational blog would do? I’m so hesitant about starting out and this is what I’m loving to post/pin about right now..hmmmm?
I think that’s a great idea! I would do some independent research on Pinterest to see what other blogs are out there, what kind of content they have, and how they are monetizing their blog to give you some ideas of whether it’s something you really want to do or not!
Hii alex and Lauren ,
Can you please give me a some kind of more information about ‘ learning herbs ‘ niche. I am very exiting from this point I should have some more information and tips about it.
Hey Rahul,
We don’t know too much about it other than a website that is very successful in that niche. I would do some independent Google research to find some popular blogs in that niche to give you some ideas on how others are doing it!
I would love to blog about movies and/or movie trivia, What would I need to consider in terms of copyright when references movies, films, famous figures?
Hey, Jen!
Unfortunately, we aren’t very familiar with this specific niche. I would do some independent research on copyright laws as it relates to blogs about movies and see what you find — before deciding to get started!
Hi Alex!
Thank you for this awesome list! I do have a question, would reviewing other courses on making money online be a good blog niche to try?
Thanks!
Hey, Diego. I wouldn’t recommend to get into the “make money online” niche at all until you have made some money online, and that includes reviewing courses. Some people have other business websites or lifestyle blogs and still write reviews of online courses. That’s fine, but I wouldn’t make your entire blog about it. Hope that helps!
Hi,
Thanks for this helpful post.
I really appreciate your effort for writing this us.
Pawan
Hi Alex!
Questions:
1. How did you come up with those 101 topics? What analysis methods were used? Could you please share the exact steps?
2. One of the topics is “Digital Nomad Spots and Workspaces Around The World”
A blog with that topic would definitely be super interesting, but how would you monetize it into a high earning (5 figure/month) blog though? I think display ads such as Adsense would work well, but beyond that, I don’t think there are affiliate programs in that niche?
Hey, Frank! We did our own independent research to come up with those topics. As far as monetizing it goes, AdSense would only be the start. You would want to partner with a premium ad network like AdThrive to earn more money on your ads. You could also sign up with all sorts of affiliate programs for co-working and co-living spots (both privately owned and even venture into hotels and other accommodations). Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi Alex, Thanks for sharing your thoughts and tips! 1. Does any of your blogging courses teach how to find profitable niches just like those 101 topics that you posted? 2. If a person has no specific skills or knowledge and has no good writing skills, is outsourcing the only way to develop the blog content/articles then? What other ways do you recommend for getting high quality content created, if we don’t want to write it ourselves? (I’m curious about Avocadu though….do you yourself have a lot of knowledge in health? Did you write the Avocadu articles yourself, or did… Read more »
1. Finding your niche is really a personal decision, so we don’t teach specifically about that in our courses because we have an article dedicated to that titled “Blog Niche Ideas – 3 Steps to Find a Fun and Profitable Blog Niche”. I honestly wouldn’t recommend blogging as a business if you feel that you don’t have good writing skills. You can definitely outsource the content, but we believe that you should start with your own content because as a blogger, you are a content creator at heart. Your content is what sells. It doesn’t mean that you have to… Read more »
Thanks for sharing this great list, Alex & Lauren. It really useful for me.
Hi when will it cost me money?
Joan, there are both free and paid options at every turn. The free options can be very limited and will only get you so far. If you want to take blogging seriously and earn an income from it, we recommend starting out with a paid hosting company. You can read more about our recommendations in our post titled “Blog Hosting Review: Which is the Best Blog Hosting Site for You?”.