Once I used to work at a advertising company, I’d learn knowledgeable business blogs, reminiscent of HubSpot, Advertising and marketing Brew, and Backlinko (to call a couple of).
Considered one of my primary questions daily was, “How do these manufacturers do it? How do they continuously give you good weblog concepts?”
Right now, I’m pulling the curtain again for you right here at HubSpot.
How the HubSpot Weblog Comes Up With Concepts
Earlier than we get began, it is vital to know that when the HubSpot workforce comes up with weblog concepts, a number of groups are concerned together with Search engine optimization, Weblog, and Monetization.
Due to this, we divide our brainstorming course of into two elements: non-organic and trend-responsive analysis and Search engine optimization matter analysis.
We then mix these efforts in our Insights Report on a month-to-month foundation (which you’ll be able to obtain a duplicate of under).
Featured Useful resource: Search Insights Report Template
Let’s dive into each these processes under.
How the HubSpot Weblog Generates Development-Responsive Weblog Publish Concepts
“Weblog subjects that relate to tendencies, analysis, or thought management yield bursts in non-organic visitors that may make it easier to acquire guests whilst you’re ready for Search engine optimization-driven posts to rank,” says Pam Bump, the HubSpot Weblog’s Viewers Development Supervisor.
“As a result of they usually embody knowledge, quotes, or different unique info, these posts can even earn backlinks, which not directly enhance your search authority.”
She continues, “On high of the potential referral advantages, non-organic content material additionally allows your weblog content material to be extra trend-responsive. By giving your insights on the most recent information, tendencies, and analysis in your business, you place your weblog as a supply for thought management.”
“Slightly than being a weblog folks simply discover when doing Google searches, you enhance the possibilities of audiences following you, subscribing to you, or visiting your web site to search for the most recent business info,” Bump provides.
Nevertheless, whereas non-organic content material supplies many strong progress alternatives, discovering fashionable or research-driven publish subjects for a selected viewers is not at all times simple.
In truth, it usually requires hours of brainstorming.
She says, “Whereas our Search engine optimization workforce makes use of specialised instruments to establish weblog posts that may pull in natural visitors, I leverage numerous pattern analysis techniques to establish publish concepts that may pull in non-organic visitors from sources like e-mail, social media, and referrals.”
Under is one brainstorming course of we’ve used right here at HubSpot.
1. Begin by focusing in your weblog classes.
Earlier than you get began, it is vital to have some form of street map in thoughts.
Select an important clusters, or weblog classes, that you just wish to deal with for the quarter and develop concepts round them.
Instantly, simply realizing the clusters you wish to deal with may spark a couple of concepts for thought-leadership or data-driven analysis posts.
Every month, our workforce chooses a handful of clusters for every weblog property. For us, that is advertising, gross sales, service, and web site. Normally the clusters relate to issues like enterprise objectives or business tendencies.
Moreover, we embody different classes in addition to these clusters, reminiscent of Viewers Development, Lead Acquisition, and Consumer Acquisition to assist us brainstorm subjects which might be associated to our lead technology objectives.
2. Assessment the content material you have already written to encourage new subjects.
Now that you just‘ve executed a fast brainstorm of some new concepts, let’s see what‘s already been written in every cluster that you just’re specializing in.
To do that, search your web site for the cluster. We do web site searches at HubSpot, by typing in “web site:weblog.hubspot.com/service buyer expertise” in Google, for instance.
With this formatting, you possibly can change the hyperlink and alter the key phrase to be no matter you are in search of. Then, Google will discover posts on that key phrase on that web site particularly.
Whenever you‘re developing with weblog concepts, looking out the positioning to see if the subject has been lined is essential. The rationale you’ll wish to do that is that you will discover high-performing posts that offer you inspiration for brand spanking new angles or you will discover posts that you just wish to replace with extra quotes, knowledge, or new analysis.
This may even make it easier to keep away from key phrase cannibalization.
Caroline Forsey, Principal Advertising and marketing Supervisor and lead of our thought management weblog program, says. “Consider totally different angles for well-liked subjects you‘ve already lined. As an example, let’s say you’ve gotten loads of content material relating to LinkedIn — however you’ve gotten none from a thought chief within the house.
Maybe you might conduct an interview with a LinkedIn worker for a thought management angle, like ‘Prime X Ideas from a LinkedIn Marketer’.”
Forsey provides, “I additionally like to think about some matter angles that really feel like they might hit on a reader‘s greatest ache level. If you wish to write about TikTok, one of many greatest challenges within the house is producing leads — so one thing like ’How These TK Manufacturers Generated Leads on TikTok‘ or ’Greatest Practices for Lead Technology on TikTok’ is a powerful contender.”
“You would additionally contemplate extra case-study-esque content material, like ‘This Model Generated 5,000 Leads on One Viral TikTok Video: Right here’s How’,” Forsey continues.
“When brainstorming, I like to think about a serious stressor for entrepreneurs first and work backwards from there.”
3. See what the competitors is doing.
When you by no means wish to copy your opponents, it‘s vital to see what subjects they’re writing about. This may make it easier to fill in gaps that your opponents are lacking and maybe enhance on weblog subjects they’re discussing.
This additionally lets you already know what‘s occurring in your business. What’s the most recent information and do you have to be writing about it?
“A few of our highest performing weblog subjects have come from aggressive analysis, or taking a look at newly revealed knowledge or research from credible magazines, web sites, or publications we like to observe,” says Bump.
“Whereas we do not attempt to repeat precisely what opponents or different publications are doing, we do ask ourselves, ‘How can we cowl this pattern higher, give stronger insights on it, or in any other case put our personal spin on it.’”
Forsey provides, “I like seeing what’s being written about, after which considering of another angle. For instance, if publications are continuously writing about how AI may take our jobs, I prefer to spin my very own angle on the highest-paying jobs ensuing from AI.
Lean into subjects different publications are writing about, however take an opposing or distinctive twist when attainable.”
Moreover, you possibly can browse social media for that reason as properly. Social media can let you already know the ache factors of your viewers and check-in with what is going on on along with your target market.
Staying up on business information is without doubt one of the greatest methods to brainstorm weblog concepts.
Forsey provides, “When new options change into out there for a social media platform or device, there’s usually loads of alternatives to discover new angles there, as properly.
Like when LinkedIn launched its personal model of Tales, that was a chance to brainstorm a subject like ‘X Greatest LinkedIn Tales We‘ve Seen’, or ‘LinkedIn, Instagram, or Fb Tales: Which is Greatest?'”
4. Have a guidelines of weblog matter thought standards.
As soon as you have created some weblog concepts, you need to test and ensure every weblog publish matter is aligned along with your general weblog standards.
If you happen to don‘t have weblog standards but, perhaps it’s time to set some requirements round what every weblog matter ought to cowl.
For instance, with the guidelines of standards Bump’s created, all our weblog publish concepts want to offer worth to our weblog viewers.
They need to additionally both align with a cluster or lead-gen purpose, embody non-organic parts reminiscent of knowledge or unique quotes, be both trend-responsive or evergreen, and have some key phrase alternatives.
5. Keep organized.
You must monitor your weblog concepts in an organized vogue. At HubSpot, we use an thought technology spreadsheet the place writers and editors can brainstorm concepts for quarterly clusters, or simply write down ongoing concepts.
Finally, this course of helps hold us organized in the case of producing constant weblog publish concepts.
Jay Fuchs, Gross sales Weblog Editor at HubSpot, describes his course of.
He says, “I attempt to discover subjects that reconcile participating material with practicality when developing with analysis or trend-based weblog subjects.
Which means discovering buzzy, intriguing material that lends itself to an article with a compelling title, attention-grabbing supporting supplies, and — maybe most significantly — actionable recommendation.”
Fuchs explains, “That would imply a chunk about one thing like avoiding widespread pricing errors or gross sales methods that may change into distinguished within the close to future.
A method or one other, it’s worthwhile to decide subjects that hook and assist — ones that command your reader‘s consideration and allow you to take advantage of it with perception that they’ll be capable to apply, going ahead.”
Now that you already know the HubSpot course of in the case of producing non-organic weblog concepts, let’s dive into the Search engine optimization aspect.
Brainstorming Search engine optimization-Optimized Concepts
Whereas Bump and the weblog writers brainstorm non-organic concepts, our Search engine optimization workforce is tough at work creating weblog subjects which have an natural purpose in thoughts. That is their course of:
1. Take a look at your organization’s merchandise, objectives, and buyer base.
To begin, HubSpot’s Search engine optimization workforce will assessment our merchandise, objectives, and buyer base.
Amanda Kopen, an Search engine optimization Strategist at HubSpot, says, “When developing with weblog publish concepts, first it’s worthwhile to take a look at your organization’s merchandise, objectives, and buyer base.
At HubSpot, we brainstorm weblog posts as they relate to our totally different merchandise (advertising, gross sales, service, and so forth.). Then, we slender it right down to subjects the place we’ve experience however are potential ache factors for our prospects (social media advertising),” Kopen provides.
Throughout this part, our Search engine optimization workforce is reviewing our personas, prioritizing weblog clusters (determined by Search engine optimization and monetization groups), and brainstorming what can be useful to our viewers.
Moreover, the Search engine optimization workforce will establish giant subjects, underperforming subjects, and previous however high-performing subjects.
2. Conduct key phrase analysis and run a content material hole evaluation.
After the preliminary brainstorm, it is time to do your key phrase analysis and content material hole evaluation.
Kopen explains, “As soon as we’ve a possible ache level in thoughts, we use Search engine optimization greatest practices — like conducting key phrase analysis and operating content material hole analyses — to see precisely what folks wish to find out about (how usually ought to I publish on LinkedIn), and we begin writing from there.”
Throughout this a part of the method, our Search engine optimization workforce will collect domains with related audiences and conduct a content material hole evaluation (discover out what these websites are rating for that HubSpot is not).
We‘ll additionally take a look at associated searches on Google to see what individuals are trying to find. Then, we’ll establish alternatives the place we will replace previous weblog posts or recycle the URL (so we do not lose the Search engine optimization juice, however have up to date content material for that matter).
3. See if there are any linking alternatives.
Lastly, the Search engine optimization workforce may even talk with HubSpot’s product and academy groups to see if there are linking alternatives reminiscent of any programs or merchandise of ours we needs to be linking to.
Creating Site visitors-Producing Concepts
And that is how the HubSpot weblog comes up with high-performing weblog publish concepts persistently.
By taking the time to do strong analysis and thought brainstorming, you possibly can give you weblog subjects that drive hundreds of readers in, like me, whereas boosting visitors, authority, and credibility.
