Once I used to work at a advertising and marketing company, I might learn professional business blogs, resembling HubSpot, Advertising Brew, and Backlinko (to call a couple of).
Certainly one of my major questions each day was, “How do these manufacturers do it? How do they consistently provide you with sensible weblog concepts?”
In the present day, 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 staff 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 elements: 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 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 Pattern-Responsive Weblog Publish Concepts
“Weblog matters that relate to traits, analysis, or thought management yield bursts in non-organic visitors that may assist you to acquire guests when you’re ready for Website positioning-driven posts to rank,” says Pam Bump, the HubSpot Weblog’s Viewers Development Supervisor.
“As a result of they typically embody information, quotes, or different unique data, 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 permits your weblog content material to be extra trend-responsive. By giving your insights on the most recent information, traits, and analysis in your business, you place your weblog as a supply for thought management.”
“Fairly than being a weblog folks 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 business data,” Bump provides.
Nevertheless, whereas non-organic content material gives many strong progress alternatives, discovering fashionable or research-driven publish matters for a selected viewers is not all the time easy.
In actual fact, it typically requires hours of brainstorming.
She says, “Whereas our Website positioning staff makes use of specialised instruments to determine weblog posts that may pull in natural visitors, I leverage a lot of development analysis techniques to determine 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 necessary to have some kind of street map in thoughts.
Select crucial clusters, or weblog classes, that you simply need to concentrate on for the quarter and develop concepts round them.
Instantly, simply figuring out the clusters you need to concentrate on might spark a couple of concepts for thought-leadership or data-driven analysis posts.
Every month, our staff chooses a handful of clusters for every weblog property. For us, that is advertising and marketing, gross sales, service, and web site. Normally the clusters relate to issues like enterprise objectives or business traits.
Moreover, we embody different classes moreover these clusters, resembling Viewers Development, Lead Acquisition, and Person Acquisition to assist us brainstorm matters which are associated to our lead era objectives.
2. Overview the content material you’ve got already written to encourage new matters.
Now that you simply‘ve executed 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 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 website particularly.
Whenever you‘re arising with weblog concepts, looking out the positioning to see if the subject has been lined is essential. The explanation you’ll need to do that is that you will discover high-performing posts that provide you with inspiration for brand spanking new angles or you will discover posts that you simply need to replace with extra quotes, information, or new analysis.
This can even assist you to 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 common matters you‘ve already lined. For example, let’s say you’ve loads of content material concerning LinkedIn — however you’ve none from a thought chief within the house.
Maybe you could possibly 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 think about some matter angles that really feel like they’d 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 ’Finest Practices for Lead Technology on TikTok’ is a powerful 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 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 need to copy your opponents, it‘s necessary to see what matters they’re writing about. This may assist you to fill in gaps that your opponents are lacking and maybe enhance on weblog matters they’re discussing.
This additionally lets you understand what‘s happening 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 matters have come from aggressive analysis, or 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 development 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 consistently writing about how AI might take our jobs, I wish 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 doable.”
Moreover, you may browse social media for that reason as nicely. Social media can let you understand the ache factors of your viewers and check-in with what is going on on along with your audience.
Staying up on business information is among the finest methods to brainstorm weblog concepts.
Forsey provides, “When new options turn into obtainable for a social media platform or software, there’s typically loads of alternatives to discover new angles there, as nicely.
Like when LinkedIn launched its personal model of Stories, that was a possibility to brainstorm a subject like ‘X Finest LinkedIn Tales We‘ve Seen’, or ‘LinkedIn, Instagram, or Fb Tales: Which is Finest?'”
4. Have a guidelines of weblog matter concept standards.
As soon as you’ve got created some weblog concepts, you must verify 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 resembling information or unique quotes, be both trend-responsive or evergreen, and have some key phrase alternatives.
5. Keep organized.
It is best to observe 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.
Finally, this course of helps preserve us organized in terms of producing constant weblog publish concepts.
Jay Fuchs, Gross sales Weblog Editor at HubSpot, describes his course of.
He says, “I attempt to discover matters that reconcile partaking material with practicality when arising with analysis or trend-based weblog matters.
Meaning 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 bit about one thing like avoiding widespread pricing errors or gross sales methods that may turn into outstanding within the close to future.
A method or one other, it’s good to choose matters 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 understand the HubSpot course of in terms of producing non-organic weblog concepts, let’s dive into the Website positioning facet.
Brainstorming Website positioning-Optimized Concepts
Whereas Bump and the weblog writers brainstorm non-organic concepts, our Website positioning staff is difficult at work creating weblog matters 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 Website positioning staff will assessment our merchandise, objectives, and buyer base.
Amanda Kopen, an Website positioning Strategist at HubSpot, says, “When arising with weblog publish concepts, first it’s good to have 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 on.). Then, we slender it all the way down to matters the place we have now experience however are potential ache factors for our clients (social media advertising and marketing),” Kopen provides.
Throughout this section, our Website positioning staff 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 staff will determine giant matters, underperforming matters, and outdated 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 have now a possible ache level in thoughts, we use Website positioning finest practices — like conducting key phrase analysis and operating content material hole analyses — to see precisely what folks need to find out about (how typically ought to I publish on LinkedIn), and we begin writing from there.”
Throughout this a part of the method, our Website positioning staff 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 have 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 outdated 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 staff can even talk with HubSpot’s product and academy groups to see if there are linking alternatives resembling any programs or merchandise of ours we ought to be linking to.
Creating Visitors-Producing Concepts
And that is how the HubSpot weblog comes up with high-performing weblog publish concepts constantly.
By taking the time to do strong analysis and concept brainstorming, you may provide you with weblog matters that drive 1000’s of readers in, like me, whereas boosting visitors, authority, and credibility.
