12 Proven and Tested Topics for Content Writing
To achieve digital marketing success, you need a robust strategy and some great topics for content writing.
It's easy to hit the wall when coming up with topic ideas. But don't give up.
If you’re learning how to create topic clusters, start a new blog, or promote your business online, here are 12 amazing content topic ideas to get the ball rolling.
Importance of choosing topics for content writing
If you don't craft content that encourages engagement, you can easily come unstuck. Check out the reasons why you need to pick topics carefully for content writing:
Tip 1: Build a solid readership
The first (and perhaps most important) reason to choose content topics wisely is to capture the interest of your target audience.
To do this, build a content marketing strategy around their problems and goals.
You can write about your own products or services every once in a while. However, the bulk of your content should benefit your readers without requiring them to buy from you.
Tip 2: Analyse your target audience’s content preferences
Testing topic ideas will help you understand the content preferences of your target audience.
Implement a content tracking system and compare the performance of existing content. Double down on topics that get the best results and decide whether to tweak or eliminate weak-performing topics from your strategy.
Tip 3: Reduce the cost of your content development
Identifying your best topics and formats helps optimise your content development strategy.
This lets you avoid wasting time, money, and manpower writing content that won’t benefit your digital marketing goals. More importantly, you can allocate the right resources to creating content pieces that are proven to get results.
Tip 4: Refine your team’s content-writing skills
Content writers can consistently improve the quality of their output by focusing on a set of relevant topics.
Each assignment is a learning experience that builds their expertise. This makes them capable of producing high-level content packed with original information.
12 Proven and tested topics for content writing
Here are the top 12 topics that make content research an absolute breeze:
Topic Idea 1: “Top” listicles
Top listicles are the bread and butter of most businesses that do content marketing.
They’re easy to research, even easier to write, and are always in demand by users in search of easily digestible information.
Listicles are also flexible and can be moulded for almost any subject. You’ll find many top listicles about tools, strategies, websites, and other resources.
Here’s an example of a top listicle from the Semrush blog:
Image Source: Semrush.com
Top listicle title examples:
- Top X [resource category] to help you achieve [goal]
- X Best [resource category] for [target readers]
- The ultimate list of X [resource category] for [year]
- X ways to do X
Topic Idea 2: How-to guides
How-to guides are just as popular as top listicles in search engines. They’re the perfect format for users looking to solve a specific problem.
To create an effective how-to guide, ensure your content can help readers accomplish their goals by the end. Include detailed instructions and use visuals whenever possible to make the steps easier to understand.
Some examples of visual content are screenshots, videos, infographics, and still images.
Here’s an example of a comprehensive how-to blog post that includes informative screenshots:
How-to guide title examples:
- How to [goal] for beginners
- [Resource name] ultimate guide: How to use [Resource name] to [goal] like a champ
- How to [goal] in X easy steps
Topic Idea 3: Life hacks
Life hack posts do great on social media platforms, particularly if they’re attached to visual content like short-form videos or infographics.
A life hack is a strategy that solves a common problem using accessible tools and everyday objects. It should be easy to do and can be considered a “shortcut” to accomplishing something that normally takes more work.
Multiple life hacks are usually combined in a single listicle.
For example, here’s a compilation of social media hacks by Inkbot Design:
Image Source: InkbotDesign.com
Life hack title examples:
- This simple hack lets you [goal] like a pro
- Use this life hack to [goal] in minutes
- Top X [resource category] hacks to maximise your [goal]
Topic Idea 4: Industry news
Writing industry news articles can provide you with a quick spike in traffic.
They may not have evergreen value. But publishing a news post about trending topics is a surefire way to boost your brand’s relevance in your particular niche.
An industry news article is also a straightforward assignment for any content writer.
You don’t need to share a step-by-step strategy that readers can follow. Just report the news as accurately and honestly as possible while chipping in original insights.
If the news can affect your readers, share a few tips on how they can adjust to the changes.
Search Engine Journal regularly posts SEO industry news on its blog. This enables them to capitalise on the latest news in the digital marketing world to generate consistent traffic.
Image Source: SearchEngineJournal.com
Tip: Use Google Trends to search for trending topics based on Google queries. This can point you to newsworthy information that makes for an interesting content-writing topic.
Industry news title examples:
- [Name] releases [resource]: Here’s what you need to know
- [Name]: “[quote]” — what it means for [target readers]
- The rise/fall of [name]: What happened in the [event]
Topic Idea 5: Customer success stories
Customer success stories are relatable, inspirational, and powerful in lead generation.
Before you start writing your first success story, reach out to your customer first and get their permission. Not all customers are happy to share about the brands they use online.
With their approval, prepare a list of questions about their experience or schedule a phone call. Any means of communication between you and your happy customer will help you craft a compelling success story.
Google Workspace has an entire library of customer success stories on its website. In each story, they highlight how their clients benefit from their platform’s specific features.
Image Source: Workspace.Google.com
Customer success story title examples:
- How [customer] achieved [goal] using [your product] in X days
- “[Quote]”: Customer success story featuring [customer]
- How [your product] helped [customer] get [goal] and how you can do it, too
Topic Idea 6: Interviews
Interviews are more versatile than you think.
Aside from promoting another brand, interviews can also provide valuable and expert-level insights to your audience.
Ask your interviewee for any advice they can give your readers whenever possible. To ensure the content stays on-brand, you can organise interviews with your business executives or managerial staff.
That’s exactly what Infrastar did when interviewing their CEO, Glen Griffin.
It has the added advantage of being shared by the interviewee so you can reach their audience.
Image Source: Infrastar.co.uk
Interview title examples:
- X takeaways from our interview with [position], [interviewee]
- We interviewed [interviewee] about [goal]: Here’s what we learned
- Interview with [position], [interviwee]: “[quote]”
Topic Idea 7: Pain points
Your audience’s problems are a never-ending supply of content writing topics.
Focus on their pain points and help them understand where things went wrong. To make your article more compelling, incorporate a list of solutions that address their problems.
Here’s an example of a pain point article from MakeUseOf:
Image Source: MakeUseOf.com
Pain point article title examples:
- Here’s why you’re not [goal] (and ways to fix it)
- X reasons why your [resource] isn’t working
- Why [goal] is hard: X reasons and strategies to improve
Topic Idea 8: Case studies
Case studies feature hard facts and proven results to win the audience’s trust. They also function as natural link magnets—earning backlinks from other websites that cite data from your study.
If you have the resources, create a case study using original research about a specific strategy or product.
Here is a case study from Marketing Labs about their SEO, PPC, and social media marketing campaigns with Croft Vets:
Image Source: MarketingLabs.co.uk
Alternatively, create content about existing case studies by other reputable brands in your niche. This is a more cost-effective strategy considering the time, money, and extensive research it takes to publish an original case study.
Case study title examples:
- The most common reasons why [statement]: Case study [year]
- Case study: X things about [resource] you don’t know about
- Case study: The truth about [topic] and why you should care
Topic Idea 9: Statistics
Statistics posts offer another opportunity to organically win backlinks from other sites.
Start with a relevant topic or question that matters to your audience. From there, compile data from various third-party sources—including your own case studies—to build another link-worthy post.
Statistics posts are usually presented as a list.
To maximise linkability, insert data visualisations or entire infographics. These visuals will also make your content more shareable on social media.
Here is an example of a statistics post with an infographic from Business2Community:
Image Source: Business2Community.com
To create brilliant data visualisations and infographics without a professional graphic designer, use drag-and-drop tools like Canva. It offers a free version with lots of templates and customisable design elements.
Remember to use large and readable fonts for mobile conversion optimisation.
Statistics article title examples:
- Infographic: X mind-blowing stats about [topic]
- X statistics about [topic] and what it means for [target readers]
- Top X [topic] statistics every [target reader] should know
Topic Idea 10: Brand stories
Brand stories make your company more relatable and approachable to your audience.
Company events, C-suite backstories, everyday gossip at the office—these topics give readers a “behind-the-scenes” look at your company.
Semrush does brand stories all the time in their website’s “Newsroom” section.
Image Source: Semrush.com
Make your brand stories more impactful and share-worthy using short-form videos on social media.
Shoot Instagram Stories, TikTok videos, Facebook “My Day” clips, and YouTube Shorts featuring your company culture and the people in it. Then, share a link to the full brand story on your website to take that traffic home.
Brand story title examples:
- A look at the [company event]: X things we learned
- Meet [employee]: Our new [position]
- Introducing [product]: The easiest way to [goal] yet
Topic Idea 11: Product reviews
If you’re an affiliate marketer, product reviews let you publish interesting content AND increase the passive income potential of your website.
Affiliate marketing entails promoting another company’s products in exchange for commissions. It lets bloggers, businesses, and digital publications monetise their websites while providing useful product recommendations to readers.
Websites can sell virtually anything as affiliates—from digital marketing tools to smartphones.
Some websites like What’s The Best even partner with multiple marketplaces, giving their audience more options on where to buy.
Image Source: WhatsTheBest.co.uk
Product review title examples:
- Ultimate [product] review: Pros, cons, and tips
- We used [product] for a week: X things we know so far
- [Product] review: Is it the best [product category] you can buy?
Topic Idea 12: Comparisons
Comparison posts take reviews to the next level.
Instead of reviewing just one product, a comparison lets you feature two or more. This is useful if you want to promote multiple affiliate products in a single article—or if you already reviewed the product and need to present it from a new angle.
It’s also easy to come up with content title ideas for comparisons.
Take a look at this example about Hemingway App vs Grammarly vs Whitesmoke:
Comparison title examples:
- [Product] vs [product] vs [product]: Which one should you pick?
- [Product] vs [product]: The ultimate [product category] showdown
- Ranking the best [product category]: [Product] vs [product] vs [product]
FAQs when choosing topics for content writing
What kind of content can I write?
Some popular content writing topics include industry news, how-to guides, interviews, customer success stories, and reviews. Cover various topics to attract audiences with different goals.
How do I find a content topic?
Ways to find interesting topics for content writing:
- Do keyword research
- Look for questions your target readers are asking
- Spy on your competitors’ web pages
- Observe online communities and social media groups
- Check Google suggestions
How do I start content writing?
To be a successful content writer, always start with content research to understand what internet users are looking for. Conduct keyword research for SEO and observe popular posts about the same topic for ideas. You can then move on to the writing stage.
Power up your content strategy with the best topics
Topic research is a crucial step in content writing, but it’s difficult to pick the right topics every single time.
Unless you have a dedicated content team to do all the heavy lifting.
Contact me here, and let my team build your perfect content strategy.