Once I used to work at a advertising and marketing company, I might learn knowledgeable trade blogs, resembling HubSpot, Advertising Brew, and Backlinko (to call a number of).
One in all my foremost questions each day was, “How do these manufacturers do it? How do they consistently give you sensible weblog concepts?”
At this time, 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 necessary to know that when the HubSpot workforce comes up with weblog concepts, a number of groups are concerned together with Website positioning, Weblog, and Monetization.
Due to this, we divide our brainstorming course of into two components: non-organic and trend-responsive analysis and Website positioning 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 Submit Concepts
“Weblog matters that relate to developments, analysis, or thought management yield bursts in non-organic site visitors that may assist you acquire guests whilst you’re ready for Website positioning-driven posts to rank,” says Pam Bump, the HubSpot Weblog’s Viewers Progress Supervisor.
“As a result of they typically embody information, quotes, or different unique data, these posts may also earn backlinks, which not directly enhance your search authority.”
She continues, “On high of the potential referral advantages, non-organic content material additionally permits your weblog content material to be extra trend-responsive. By giving your insights on the newest information, developments, and analysis in your trade, you place your weblog as a supply for thought management.”
“Fairly than being a weblog folks simply discover when doing Google searches, you enhance the probabilities of audiences following you, subscribing to you, or visiting your web site to search for the newest trade data,” Bump provides.
Nevertheless, whereas non-organic content material supplies many strong progress alternatives, discovering fashionable or research-driven put up matters for a selected viewers is not all the time easy.
The truth is, it typically requires hours of brainstorming.
She says, “Whereas our Website positioning workforce makes use of specialised instruments to determine weblog posts that may pull in natural site visitors, I leverage quite a lot of pattern analysis techniques to determine 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 necessary to have some type of street map in thoughts.
Select crucial clusters, or weblog classes, that you simply wish to give attention to for the quarter and develop concepts round them.
Instantly, simply understanding the clusters you wish to give attention to may spark a number 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 and marketing, gross sales, service, and web site. Often the clusters relate to issues like enterprise objectives or trade developments.
Moreover, we embody different classes apart from these clusters, resembling Viewers Progress, Lead Acquisition, and Person Acquisition to assist us brainstorm matters which are associated to our lead era objectives.
2. Assessment the content material you’ve got already written to encourage new matters.
Now that you simply‘ve accomplished 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 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 may 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.
While you‘re developing with weblog concepts, looking the positioning to see if the subject has been lined is essential. The rationale you’ll wish to do that is that yow will discover high-performing posts that provide you with inspiration for brand spanking new angles or yow will discover posts that you simply wish to replace with extra quotes, information, or new analysis.
This may also assist you keep away from key phrase cannibalization.
Caroline Forsey, Principal Advertising Supervisor and lead of our thought management weblog program, says. “Consider completely different angles for widespread matters you‘ve already lined. As an example, let’s say you might have loads of content material concerning LinkedIn — however you might have none from a thought chief within the area.
Maybe you possibly can conduct an interview with a LinkedIn worker for a thought management angle, like ‘High X Ideas from a LinkedIn Marketer’.”
Forsey provides, “I additionally like to consider some matter angles that really feel like they’d hit on a reader‘s largest ache level. If you wish to write about TikTok, one of many largest challenges within the area is producing leads — so one thing like ’How These TK Manufacturers Generated Leads on TikTok‘ or ’Greatest Practices for Lead Era on TikTok’ is a robust contender.”
“You would 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 significant stressor for entrepreneurs first and work backwards from there.”
3. See what the competitors is doing.
Whilst you by no means wish to copy your opponents, it‘s necessary to see what matters they’re writing about. This may assist you fill in gaps that your opponents are lacking and maybe enhance on weblog matters they’re discussing.
This additionally lets you realize what‘s happening in your trade. What’s the newest information and must you be writing about it?
“A few of our highest performing weblog matters have come from aggressive analysis, or taking a look at newly revealed information 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 really like seeing what’s being written about, after which pondering of an alternate angle. For instance, if publications are consistently 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 matters different publications are writing about, however take an opposing or distinctive twist when potential.”
Moreover, you may browse social media because of this as properly. Social media can let you realize the ache factors of your viewers and check-in with what is going on on together with your audience.
Staying up on trade information is without doubt one of the finest methods to brainstorm weblog concepts.
Forsey provides, “When new options change into accessible for a social media platform or device, there’s typically 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 concept standards.
As soon as you’ve got created some weblog concepts, it’s best to examine and ensure every weblog put up matter is aligned together with your general weblog standards.
For those who 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 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 resembling information or authentic quotes, be both trend-responsive or evergreen, and have some key phrase alternatives.
5. Keep organized.
It’s best to observe your weblog concepts in an organized style. 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 preserve 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 matters that reconcile partaking subject material with practicality when developing with analysis or trend-based weblog matters.
Meaning discovering buzzy, intriguing subject 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 outstanding within the close to future.
A method or one other, it’s essential to decide matters that hook and assist — ones that command your reader‘s consideration and allow you to benefit from it with perception that they’ll have the ability to apply, going ahead.”
Now that you realize the HubSpot course of in terms of producing non-organic weblog concepts, let’s dive into the Website positioning aspect.
Brainstorming Website positioning-Optimized Concepts
Whereas Bump and the weblog writers brainstorm non-organic concepts, our Website positioning workforce is tough at work creating weblog matters which have an natural aim in thoughts. That is their course of:
1. Have a look at your organization’s merchandise, objectives, and buyer base.
To start out, HubSpot’s Website positioning workforce will evaluation our merchandise, objectives, and buyer base.
Amanda Kopen, an Website positioning Strategist at HubSpot, says, “When developing with weblog put up concepts, first it’s essential to take a look at your organization’s merchandise, objectives, 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 forth.). Then, we slender it all the way down to matters the place we now have experience however are potential ache factors for our prospects (social media advertising and marketing),” Kopen provides.
Throughout this part, our Website positioning workforce is reviewing our personas, prioritizing weblog clusters (determined by Website positioning and monetization groups), and brainstorming what can be useful to our viewers.
Moreover, the Website positioning workforce will determine massive matters, underperforming matters, and previous however high-performing matters.
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 now have a possible ache level in thoughts, we use Website positioning finest practices — like conducting key phrase analysis and working content material hole analyses — to see precisely what folks wish to find out about (how typically ought to I put up on LinkedIn), and we begin writing from there.”
Throughout this a part of the method, our Website positioning 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 persons are looking for. Then, we’ll determine alternatives the place we are able to replace previous weblog posts or recycle the URL (so we do not lose the Website positioning juice, however have up to date content material for that matter).
3. See if there are any linking alternatives.
Lastly, the Website positioning workforce may also talk with HubSpot’s product and academy groups to see if there are linking alternatives resembling any programs or merchandise of ours we must be linking to.
Creating Site visitors-Producing Concepts
And that is how the HubSpot weblog comes up with high-performing weblog put up concepts constantly.
By taking the time to do strong analysis and concept brainstorming, you may give you weblog matters that drive 1000’s of readers in, like me, whereas boosting site visitors, authority, and credibility.
