You’ve set up your website, created a blog page, and now…you have to actually write some posts. Blogging is one of the best ways to grow your business: it provides value to your readers, shows your authority, and helps convert leads. According to DemandMetric, “companies with blogs produce an average of 67% more leads monthly than companies that don't blog.”

But when it comes to sitting down in front of a blinking Google doc, sometimes it’s just crickets. So how do you think of high-quality blog post ideas? In this post I’m sharing some tricks I use to help spark ideas for blog post topics.

The ideas I share below will help spark general ideas, but always keep in mind the end goal of each post you write. Each post is an opportunity to strengthen your other business goals so it’s best to play the long game when blogging. Clear writing, consistent posting, and citing your sources are all great ways to further cement your authority in the area you blog about. With that said, lets’s get into some of my favorite idea-generating tactics:

Writing down Google searches

This is such an easy trick but gives me such high-quality ideas for writing blog posts. When I was starting my Etsy shop, I would be spending all my time Googling various sources and trying to piece together the right method. I started writing down what I Googled and use that list to inform my how-to articles

Brainstorming by “buckets”

I remember in design school how we learned that limitations are often the key to good design. Limitations? Doesn’t that make it harder? Nope! Think about shopping at Trader Joe’s vs. going to somewhere like Walmart with a giant selection. Trader Joe’s might only have 2 types of plan greek yogurt to pick from, while Walmart might have 18. Options are fun, but having less of a selection is one of the reasons why Trader Joe’s is so successful. This same mindset should apply to how you think about your content.

If I can write about every option under the sun, my mind gets flooded with all of the ideas and potential that it’s hard to narrow in on what to actually write. Instead, I created my own content pillars to guide which topics I write about. That term sounds fancy, but it’s basically saying “My name is Nicole and I write about x, y, and z.” For me I write about Squarespace, Design, and my design Etsy shop.

What does this have to do with coming up with new ideas? Well, if I know I have 3 topics I can use those terms as a jumping-off point to spark my brainstorming. Rather than frantically searching the web, I can simply think “what would be helpful to share with someone about Squarespace?”

Keyword searches

This is the most technical way of coming up with ideas and is a great route to help guarantee that what you’re writing about is actually being searched for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to get started. Simply search for keywords related to topics your business is about and look for commonly searched keyword phrases that you could blog about. The goal is to look for keywords that are high volume searches and low competition. Hit that sweet spot and you’ll have a better chance of your content ranking higher in Google.

Do a little strengths-searching

Ask yourself: what unique things do I have to offer? What am I an expert on? What’s something I do really well?

We’re going from being very technical to very YOU! Think about your core strengths. You can use your Enneagram, Meyers Briggs, or whatever. How can you apply those strengths to improving or clarifying something in your industry? For me, one of my strengths is organization. I could write posts on how to better organize a design workflow, how to store files, you name it. As Oprah Winfrey says, “You have a gift that only you can give the world– that’s the whole reason you’re on the planet.” Put your gift to work, friends!

Keep a running list in 1 spot that’s easy to access

Shower thoughts, amiright? I once heard a designer say she collects ephemera all the time so she can have her own personal archive because it’s easier to search through her own collection than trying to find the exact right thing on Pinterest. The same thing applies to blog ideas.

Find an app that you use regularly that can be easily accessed on all devices. Even better if it’s able to be used with Siri or Alexa. Anytime a spark pops in your mind, add it to the list right away. I can’t tell you how often I’m out and about where an idea jumps into my mind!

Don’t reinvent the wheel

You might be wondering “how am I going to stand out if I don’t do anything new?” Sometimes it’s not about coming up with something revolutionary, but presenting the information in a new or better way. For example, is there a complex idea that you could design helpful graphics to explain? Is there a way you could document the process of a task for someone who is new to the program? I find it’s easy to forget that lots of times the answers we’re all Googling are quite simple. Find those, make them clear, and your audience will thank you.