Starting a blog is cheap. All you need is a domain name and a stable WordPress hosting service.
But once you’re committed to blogging, you need to understand your competition or possibly find new keyword ideas to rank on.
Every niche blogger invests in a keyword tool at some point, or when they have made progress.
The majority of keyword tools are expensive, or you’re not willing to commit your money yet to a hefty subscription like SEMRUSH or Ahrefs.
And I think that’s reasonable.
- You’re not sure if blogging is the right path for you
- You’re overwhelmed by a learning curve
Even without a keyword or SEO tool, there are plenty of sources to find blog ideas.
- Google autocomplete
- People also ask feature
- YouTube
- Google Search Console
- AI agents
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Reddit Forums & Subreddits
Reddit, also known as the front page of the internet, has over 400 million weekly active users.
With 2 billion comments posted each year, it’s safe to say that this platform is a wealth of information.
For inspiration, I would:
- Join subreddits related to your niche
- Collect recurring questions and document them in your notes
- Collect the most upvoted answers
You can turn those questions into content and provide your perspective or opinion.
Google Autocomplete Feature
One of the most underrated tools for bloggers.
The autocomplete feature populates search queries the moment you start typing.
Used by seasoned SEO experts and marketers to discover important questions their audience is asking.
It’s based on real searches and makes it extremely useful when searching for longtail keywords that have a lower search volume, but are more specific to a subject.
Read also: Avalanche SEO: How To Rank New Blogs Without Backlinks
When I use Google Autocomplete, I aim for the longtail keywords displayed at the bottom of my search.
For example, I wouldn’t rank as fast or easily on a query like:
- “How to start a dropshipping business”
But I would increase my odds by being more specific:
- “How to start a dropshipping business with no money on Shopify”
The search term became more specific with a detailed search intent.
People Also Ask Feature On Google
A simple feature, underused by bloggers, based on real-time searches.
Let’s assume you have no idea what to write about, but your main subject is niche blogging.
You could do the following:
- Type in Google: “How to start a niche blog”
- Find the “People Also Ask” section
- Take notes or deep dive further for inspiration
Collect those questions and use them to find even more detailed topics.
You can go on an infinite search for keywords through this feature. It helped me a lot in shaping some of my content.
YouTube & Vimeo
Video platforms like YouTube and Vimeo are filled with information.
- Use keywords you found on Reddit or Google Autocomplete
- Copy and paste them on YouTube or Vimeo
- Do a quick browse, and save them into your playlists for the future
YouTube creators are great at explaining things. Here’s what I do:
- Listen and focus
- Take quick notes on the iPad when I am listening
- Use the info as a baseline for my blog content
An additional step I take is recording the transcript with Granola so I can process the information better.
- I play the YouTube video on an iPad or a Mac
- Let Granola transcribe the entire video (very accurate)
- Extract the most useful info for further research
If you plan to use tools like Granola, don’t just copy the YouTube creator’s work. Use it to process information and draw your conclusions.
Millions of active Pinterest users search for two things:
- To learn something
- To buy something
Every great blogger I met leverages Pinterest to drive organic social traffic to their blog posts, which I explain in a basic guide.
Read also: How To Use Pinterest For Your Blog: Beginner Tips & Basics
But here’s what separates Pinterest from Google search:
- The keywords are very different
- The keywords have a more specific intent
If you plan to use Pinterest (which I advise you to do) in the future, then I strongly recommend using Pinterest keywords to find a more specific audience.
Simply use the autocomplete feature and you’re in for a treat. The more specific you go, the better.
Google Search Console
On the condition that you have a blog published and have collected some data, I regularly visit Google Search Console and check terms I could rank for.
I like this method because I am a big advocate of starting with keywords that have zero or low search volume, or following the Keyword Golden Ratio strategy.
You could potentially use the data to find keywords through other methods I mentioned, including AI agents like ChatGPT for extra blog ideas.
AI Tools & Agents
If it wasn’t obvious, AI chatbots are incredibly useful. The most well-known tools are:
Use a simple prompt: Provide me some blog topic ideas around {insert keyword here}
You can start here, followed by Google autocomplete, and find out what kind of longtail, low-volume keywords you can find.
To be clear, I use AI as a writing aid to rewrite some sentences.
Especially now that Apple Intelligence has been released and has become a part of my workflow, I can write faster with Apple Intelligence by my side.
I don’t use AI to write blog posts for me. Only to find inspiration.
Read also: Should You Use AI To Write Your Blog Posts?
Each platform has free plans, but some limits reset every few hours or each day.
My preferences are:
- Perplexity for keyword ideas
- Claude for academic research and blog post writing
- ChatGPT for generic search
How To Find Keyword Search Volume For Free
The options are limited, but you can use:
- The free keyword generator by Ahrefs
- Use the SEMRUSH free account, which allows you to run 10 keyword searches per day
- Google Keyword Planner
Even though the free options provide limited results, they will help you get a bit further in your quest to find relevant blog topic ideas.
A low-cost alternative would be Ubersuggest.
The monthly subscription cost is reasonable for beginners, and the lifetime deal is worth it.
Some might argue that the data provided isn’t as accurate as Ahrefs or SEMRUSH, but I would consider Ubersuggest a stepping stone for beginners in SEO.
For $120, you get:
- An easy-to-use keyword tool
- Beginner-friendly, with a minimal learning curve
- A lifetime access without a recurring subscription
Final Word
Starting a blog doesn’t require much money. For around $50-$70 per year, you can start making money blogging.
All it takes is a cheap domain and WordPress hosting.
Read also: How To Start A Niche Blog: A Beginner’s Guide & Basics
Keyword tools are a necessity once you gain traction, so I would advise you to start saving up some extra cash for any SEO keyword tool that fits your budget.
If you can afford it right away, then great!
But even without any keyword tool, you will have no problem finding blog topic ideas using one or more methods I listed.
