Keyword Brainstorming (how I find + choose winning topics)
Let’s talk about keyword brainstorming. Because good keywords make for a great post (and great posts make for an epic blog).
Learning how to do keyword research and filter out the best opportunities is an awesome skill.
But worry not, this won’t be painful at all.
This guide walks you through my exact strategies for discovering unique low-competition, high search volume search queries.
Now let’s get it.
Table of Contents Show
Hey there, just a heads up that some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. That means I earn a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you, but helps me keep the lights on. Thank you for your support!
Intro (definitions + all that)
Keywords, topic ideation, creative brainstorming – these things are my bread and butter.
(nerd alert, I know…)
So let’s answer a few FAQs before moving into the strategy part of this post.
What Are Keywords In Blogging?
Can anything be a keyword?
Where does a good phrase start? (and where does a bad one end?)
The keyword spectrum is pretty wide — and not every phrase is a keyword.
So here’s a quick definition.
Keywords in blogging are specific phrases that people are typing into search engines (like Google).
For example, “keyword brainstorming” is a targeted phrase people are actively searching for (hence this post).
The cool part is there are literally billions of phrases being searched on Google every single day — and new ones are always popping up.
So rest assured, there are more than enough easy-to-find opportunities waiting for you.
We just need to know how to find them.
(enter keyword brainstorming)
What Is Keyword Brainstorming?
The purpose of brainstorming is to come up with fresh ideas and to solve problems.
It’s a strategic and intentional creative process.
Keyword brainstorming is a type of keyword research for blogging and topic discovery.
It’s the exploration of niche-specific search queries for the purpose of topic ideation, content creation and blog organization.
A main part of our job as bloggers is to find topics and competitive opportunities based on our niche, expertise, goals and audience problems or interests.
Keyword brainstorming helps us get there.
So let’s look at my favorite ways to do it.
How I Find Winning Keywords (5 ways)
The methods below will give you systems you can hop between and take as far as your goals require.
These are my go-to moves for researching and discovering awesome blog topics and keyword opportunities.
This is keyword brainstorming.
1. Google
Google is usually my first (and last) stop when keyword brainstorming.
(I talk about why it’s my last stop in the next section)
It’s the number 1 search engine in the world (with over 80% of the market share) and provides a ton of free data and insights (if you know where to look).
Here’s how I use Google (and the alphabet soup technique) for keyword brainstorming:
Start typing in a general seed keyword into Google search
For example, “keyword”
Hit the spacebar and start typing the letter “a”
For example, “keyword a”
Look at the suggestions that pop up to complete your search phrase
This is Google telling you “hey, a lot of people are searching for these topics”
Do the same for each letter of the alphabet
For example, “keyword a/b/c…”
Branch out and use prepositions and synonyms for your seed keyword
For example, “keywords for” or “topics that”
Hit enter and review the search results page for interesting ideas
Look at the People also ask and Related searches sections for more ideas
Click on and review currently ranking articles
What keywords are they using and what topics are they covering?
2. Community Forums
If inspiration isn’t striking with Google, a good place to look next are community forums.
These are places like Quora, Reddit and Facebook groups. They can be a treasure trove of blog topics and keyword ideas to write content on.
For example, if your blog is about travel, start exploring travel groups and threads. Look for commonly asked questions and popular topics.
These groups are your audience.
They’re literally telling you what type of information and content they want.
Bonus points if you step in and start engaging by offering real value and genuine conversation.
This can be a great way to start growing your socials and attracting new readers to your blog.
3. Social Media
This method is pretty similar to how we do research on community forums.
Two of my favorite social media platforms for keyword mining are YouTube and Twitter. I’m always brainstorming new topics here.
So if you’re needing inspiration for what to write about, try this:
Find some accounts whose content reflects your own blog goals
Review their videos and threads and make a list of your favorite topics
Turn those topics into keywords by dissecting and analyzing their content
Create your own unique titles and topic directions
4. Keyword Research Tools
You don’t need to use a keyword research tool.
But they can help a lot – especially for keyword brainstorming.
For example, I like to use the “Related Keywords” feature of Ahrefs to unlock thousands of related keywords from my seed topic(s).
It completely streamlines my keyword research process to the point I barely need to think about new ideas anymore.
My go-to keyword research tools are:
Ahrefs (some free)
This is my favorite tool for overall accuracy and deep keyword analytics
You can get basic data by using their free Keyword Generator tool
Scalenut (some free tools)
This is a one-stop shop for adding AI into your blog workflow
From SEO and keyword research to content planning and more, this is definitely a tool worth checking out
Google Keyword Planner (free)
Another good place to start (*but you’ll need to set up a Google Ads account)
Frase ($15/month)
This is the best tool for building out super-optimized posts for ranking
There are a ton more options out there (such as Ubersuggest, Semrush or Moz), but I think it’s best to not get too overwhelmed.
5. AI
No brainstorming list would be complete without mentioning the latest addition to everyone’s tool kit: artificial intelligence.
AI will impact every corner of society and our human story. Its capabilities are insane.
And it’s available to everyone right now and for free.
Suffice to say, I’ve been using it a lot – especially for keyword brainstorming and topic ideation.
It’s a great tool for inspiration and working through my creative blocks.
For example, I can quickly prompt ChatGPT to:
“Give me 100 unique blog topics for a new travel website. My audience is 20-40 year olds who prefer off-the-beaten-path adventures, unique locations in Southeast Asia and meeting other travelers”
The trick is in knowing which questions to ask and how to cross reference the responses to know if they’re even worth your time.
So let’s talk about that next – how do you know when a keyword is actually good?
Hot Tip: Remember, digital sources aren’t the only sources. Books, shows and cafe conversations are also great places for inspiration.
How I Choose the Right Keywords
I mentioned above how Google is usually where I start for keyword brainstorming.
Well, it’s also my last stop.
Because we need to check if our keywords are actually good opportunities.
We need to check for three key things:
The competition (keyword difficulty)
We want low competition
The keyword search volume
We want high(ish) search volume
The keyword search intent
Our blog post needs to match the user’s search intent
The goal is to find the perfect blend of these three things.
We want to find low competition, high search volume keywords whose search intent matches our goals and niche.
Here’s how.
Check the Keyword Competition
Check the pages currently ranking for your keyword
Are they from big and popular sites (or from smaller blogs)?
Do the results include forums like Quora? (this sometimes indicates lower competition)
Check the domain authority of the ranking sites (here’s a free tool from Moz)
Lower competition keywords will have smaller blogs and sites with lower authority
Check the content that’s currently ranking
Is it short and/or unhelpful?
Is it good or bad?
How can you make it better?
If you’re finding a lot of opportunities to make better content, that’s usually a good sign
Check the Keyword’s Monthly Search Volume (MSV)
Check the MSV with a keyword research tool
Refer back to keyword brainstorming method #4 for my short list of tools
Look for keywords with decent MSV
I look for keywords with at least 10 searches per month
This sounds low, but these are usually easier to rank for and seriously add up over time
But of course, the higher the MSV the better
Check the Keyword’s Search Intent
Why are people searching for this term?
Are there double meanings to your keyword?
For example, the keyword “solo blog” is all about traveling, not personal blogging
So double check that the Google search results match your expectations
Open up and skim the currently ranking articles
What are they talking about?
Do the articles reflect what you’ll be covering?
What other related topics are they including?
This is also a great way to get inspired (just don’t copy or steal though — differentiate)
Keyword Organization
Before we wrap up this guide, let’s talk briefly about keyword organization.
Because having a central location for managing all your stuff is important for your productivity and efficiency.
(and your sanity)
How I Organize My Keywords
I organize all of my keywords into general categories — my content pillars. My content pillars are basically my core audience subsets.
For example, some of my main pillars are:
Mindset topics
Creativity topics
Productivity topics
Creative entrepreneurship topics
So when I’m inputting new keywords, I just make sure that I’m filing them in the content bucket that makes the most sense.
Of course, you can break things down even further if you want.
For example, my main Creative Entrepreneurship pillar could include sub-pillars for blogging, social media growth and business management tips.
And my Productivity pillar could be broken down into time management, goal setting and building habits.
So spend some time building out a keyword organization system that works best for you.
(and don’t be afraid to change things as you grow)
Where I Keep My Keywords
Finally, we need an actual platform to save and organize things.
We need a home for our keywords.
I mean, we can’t just gather phrases and store them in our heads all willy-nilly (right?).
It’d be chaos – madness.
But I’ll keep this brief.
My go-to keyword organization tools are (drum roll please):
Google
Google Docs is simpler and good for keeping notes and drafting
Google Sheets is better for complete tracking and organization
Notion
You can use pre-built templates or make your own
I also use this platform for organizing my other creative projects
Snag a totally free account here
Want More? Check Out These Sweet Reads!
