Once I used to work at a advertising and marketing company, I might learn professional trade blogs, corresponding to HubSpot, Advertising and marketing Brew, and Backlinko (to call a couple of).
One among my important questions every single day was, “How do these manufacturers do it? How do they continuously give you sensible 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 crew comes up with weblog concepts, a number of groups are concerned together with Search engine optimisation, Weblog, and Monetization.
Due to this, we divide our brainstorming course of into two elements: non-organic and trend-responsive analysis and Search engine optimisation subject analysis.
We then mix these efforts in our Insights Report on a month-to-month foundation (which you’ll be able to obtain a replica 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 Put up Concepts
“Weblog subjects that relate to developments, analysis, or thought management yield bursts in non-organic site visitors that may provide help to achieve guests when you’re ready for Search engine optimisation-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 also can 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, developments, and analysis in your trade, you place your weblog as a supply for thought management.”
“Somewhat than being a weblog individuals simply discover when doing Google searches, you improve the probabilities of audiences following you, subscribing to you, or visiting your web site to search for the most recent trade info,” Bump provides.
Nonetheless, whereas non-organic content material gives many strong development alternatives, discovering fashionable or research-driven put up subjects for a selected viewers is not all the time easy.
In actual fact, it usually requires hours of brainstorming.
She says, “Whereas our Search engine optimisation crew makes use of specialised instruments to establish weblog posts that may pull in natural site visitors, I leverage numerous development analysis techniques to establish put up concepts that may pull in non-organic site 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 kind of highway map in thoughts.
Select a very powerful clusters, or weblog classes, that you simply wish to concentrate on for the quarter and develop concepts round them.
Instantly, simply realizing the clusters you wish to concentrate on may spark a couple of concepts for thought-leadership or data-driven analysis posts.
Every month, our crew chooses a handful of clusters for every weblog property. For us, that is advertising and marketing, gross sales, service, and web site. Often the clusters relate to issues like enterprise targets or trade developments.
Moreover, we embody different classes in addition to these clusters, corresponding to Viewers Development, Lead Acquisition, and Person Acquisition to assist us brainstorm subjects which are associated to our lead era targets.
2. Assessment the content material you have already written to encourage new subjects.
Now that you simply‘ve achieved a fast brainstorm of some new concepts, let’s see what‘s already been written in every cluster that you simply’re specializing in.
To do that, search your website for the cluster. We do website searches at HubSpot, by typing in “website:weblog.hubspot.com/service buyer expertise” in Google, for instance.
With this formatting, you’ll be able to change the hyperlink and alter the key phrase to be no matter you are on the lookout for. Then, Google will discover posts on that key phrase on that website particularly.
Once you‘re developing with weblog concepts, looking the positioning to see if the subject has been coated is essential. The rationale you’ll wish to do that is that you’ll find high-performing posts that offer you inspiration for brand new angles or you’ll find posts that you simply wish to replace with extra quotes, knowledge, or new analysis.
This will even provide help to keep away from key phrase cannibalization.
Caroline Forsey, Principal Advertising and marketing Supervisor and lead of our thought management weblog program, says. “Consider completely different angles for common subjects you‘ve already coated. As an example, let’s say you’ve loads of content material relating to LinkedIn — however you’ve none from a thought chief within the area.
Maybe you would conduct an interview with a LinkedIn worker for a thought management angle, like ‘High X Suggestions from a LinkedIn Marketer’.”
Forsey provides, “I additionally like to consider some subject 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 area 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 robust contender.”
“You may additionally think about 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 consider 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. It will provide help to fill in gaps that your opponents are lacking and maybe enhance on weblog subjects they’re discussing.
This additionally lets what‘s happening in your trade. 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 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 development higher, give stronger insights on it, or in any other case put our personal spin on it.’”
Forsey provides, “I really like seeing what’s being written about, after which considering of an alternate 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’ll be able to browse social media because of this as effectively. Social media can let the ache factors of your viewers and check-in with what is going on on along with your target market.
Staying up on trade information is likely one of the greatest methods to brainstorm weblog concepts.
Forsey provides, “When new options change into out there for a social media platform or software, there’s usually loads of alternatives to discover new angles there, as effectively.
Like when LinkedIn launched its personal model of Tales, that was a possibility 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 subject concept standards.
As soon as you have created some weblog concepts, it’s best to verify and ensure every weblog put up subject is aligned along with your general weblog standards.
When you don‘t have weblog standards but, possibly it’s time to set some requirements round what every weblog subject ought to cowl.
For instance, with the guidelines of standards Bump’s created, all our weblog put up concepts want to offer worth to our weblog viewers.
They need to additionally both align with a cluster or lead-gen aim, embody non-organic components corresponding to knowledge or authentic quotes, be both trend-responsive or evergreen, and have some key phrase alternatives.
5. Keep organized.
You need to monitor your weblog concepts in an organized vogue. At HubSpot, we use an concept era spreadsheet the place writers and editors can brainstorm concepts for quarterly clusters, or simply write down ongoing concepts.
In the end, this course of helps maintain us organized in terms of producing constant weblog put up 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, fascinating 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 technique or one other, you want to choose subjects that hook and assist — ones that command your reader‘s consideration and allow you to profit from it with perception that they’ll have the ability to apply, going ahead.”
Now that the HubSpot course of in terms of producing non-organic weblog concepts, let’s dive into the Search engine optimisation aspect.
Brainstorming Search engine optimisation-Optimized Concepts
Whereas Bump and the weblog writers brainstorm non-organic concepts, our Search engine optimisation crew is tough at work creating weblog subjects which have an natural aim in thoughts. That is their course of:
1. Take a look at your organization’s merchandise, targets, and buyer base.
To start out, HubSpot’s Search engine optimisation crew will evaluation our merchandise, targets, and buyer base.
Amanda Kopen, an Search engine optimisation Strategist at HubSpot, says, “When developing with weblog put up concepts, first you want to take a look at your organization’s merchandise, targets, and buyer base.
At HubSpot, we brainstorm weblog posts as they relate to our completely different merchandise (advertising and marketing, gross sales, service, and so on.). Then, we slim it right down to subjects the place we’ve experience however are potential ache factors for our clients (social media advertising and marketing),” Kopen provides.
Throughout this section, our Search engine optimisation crew is reviewing our personas, prioritizing weblog clusters (determined by Search engine optimisation and monetization groups), and brainstorming what can be useful to our viewers.
Moreover, the Search engine optimisation crew will establish massive 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 optimisation greatest practices — like conducting key phrase analysis and operating content material hole analyses — to see precisely what individuals wish to study (how usually ought to I put up on LinkedIn), and we begin writing from there.”
Throughout this a part of the method, our Search engine optimisation crew will collect domains with comparable 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 persons are trying to find. Then, we’ll establish alternatives the place we are able to replace previous weblog posts or recycle the URL (so we do not lose the Search engine optimisation juice, however have up to date content material for that subject).
3. See if there are any linking alternatives.
Lastly, the Search engine optimisation crew will even talk with HubSpot’s product and academy groups to see if there are linking alternatives corresponding to any programs or merchandise of ours we must be linking to.
Creating Visitors-Producing Concepts
And that is how the HubSpot weblog comes up with high-performing weblog put up concepts persistently.
By taking the time to do strong analysis and concept brainstorming, you’ll be able to give you weblog subjects that drive hundreds of readers in, like me, whereas boosting site visitors, authority, and credibility.
