This is the big question a lot of people ask!

Today I’m going to show you a few ideas on how to create great content which will rank in 2020. I will cover how to generate great content ideas, how to do keyword research and how to put all this together to create something new, unique and inspiring.

Content idea

Content idea generation

I would like to point out that looking for content ideas is a process which is repeatable and can be quite easy and even fun. We live in times in which information is available everywhere around us and all we have to do is notice them.

The digital era gives endless possibilities once we open our mind to new ways of looking at old things.

Whenever I start to look for new content ideas the first thing I do is look for problems.

You see most people try to avoid problems. I do the opposite.

I look for problems which my friends, relatives and coworkers have. Then I filter them, trying to find the most painful problems they have so I can then look for solutions.

Let’s take a look at a few examples:

Problem	Solution
“My credit card debt is growing”	Better finance management
“My website traffic is not growing!”	1. Increasing social presence,2. SEO optimization for better visibility,3. Increase domain authority for betterrankings
“My aloe leaves are turning brown”	Proper aloe care
“This vacation we will not go anywhere becausepackage prices are too high for my budget”	Finding affordable holiday package
“I’m sick of my boss, he’s terrible”	How to handle stress?

Every problem has a solution and some of them have more than one. Now it’s time to check, are people actually looking for these solutions?

Keyword analysis & research for your idea

Keyword analysis and research

This is the moment when keyword research tools come in handy.

There is a lot of SaaS available online for keyword research but for the purpose of this post, I will use Ubersuggest. This is the one which I’ve been using for quite a while and it works pretty well.

After you type in your keyword ubersuggest will give you keyword suggestions, estimated volume, CPC (estimated Cost per click), PD & SD. I recommend that you read the guides from Neil Patel to learn how to use this tool.

Let’s see what will come up when we will put a few of the above examples into ubersuggest:

Ubesuggest better finance management

This is nothing extraordinary. Assuming that ubersuggest has an accuracy of +-50% with estimating search volume then VOL 10-15 for the second keyword is still not too much.

Now you have to change something.

Instead of “better finance management” you should try “personal finance management”. Changing this one single word will give you the following result:

Ubesuggest personal finance management

These results are a lot more interesting. The search volume is higher and also you get a few long-tail keyword ideas which you can use to create your content.

Let me show you how much more you can get from this single longtail keyword.

How to get an infinite amount of content ideas?

How to get infinite amount of content ideas

Let’s create a mind map to let our creative mind work more effectively. If you are not familiar with the term mind maps then let me quickly explain what it is.

In principle, a mind map is a method of writing content in a visual way. The core principles were created by Tony Buzan many years ago and today it’s widely used in different software.

When you change the method of writing your information, your mind will work more effectively. I’ve tested a lot of tools to do that and I recommend you just Google “free mindmap tool” to find the one most suitable for you.

To save your time I can recommend a free version of MindMup. You can also use the mind map which I’ve created below. Just use this link.

Below you can find a mind map drawing of the “personal finance management” keyword example.

Personal finance management content mind map

As you see based on keyword research we know that people are looking for courses, software, spreadsheets and answers to different questions. Additionally, I’ve added a few ideas for long-tail keyword extension which came into my mind when I was making this map.

I’ve marked those with green color.

Just by adding “(…)for single moms” to “personal finance management” you will get an interesting longtail keyword.

You can check it yourself by typing the following text in Google:

“personal finance management for single m” <<< at this moment Google autosuggest will show you the word “…mothers”

Now…

All you have to do at this moment is brainstorm for every single leg of the map. When you start researching these ideas you will notice that the amount of content which you can create is practically infinite.

You can write an article about “best mobile apps for personal finance management” or “how to create mobile-friendly excel sheet for personal finance management”. The amount of content ideas is fully up to you.

I’d like to add one important thing. There is a specific reason why I use mind maps for this process.

You see, our minds are very visual and once you import the results from ubersuggest (or any other keyword tool) to a mind map software then your perspective will change. Everything will be in the right order and the very fact you are looking at the map will cause a change in the way you think.

You will become more creative.

Remember that these mind maps are not always that attractive visually so you should consider creating different content using special tools which you can put into your post.

Have a look at this one:

Social content soup

This is not the only method to get content ideas. Actually, Google can be very helpful if you are looking for new ideas.

Let’s take a look at how to use Google for new content ideas…

Google search for content ideas

Google search is still the best source for information.

Let’s take for example the keyword “personal finance management for single mothers”. I would research the first search 5 results.

By research, I mean simply open the pages, read the text and understand what the people are saying.

The second thing you can do is to google similar content. After typing the keyword in google search you should also see similar questions like this

Similar content in Google search

Now you have to click open and immediately close one of the questions to see more results like this:

Similar content in Google search-expanded

This is an additional list of content which you can create for your website or blog. Of course, you have to make sure that you stick to your niche, but this list can be a nice base for another mind map.

Once you have your content idea it’s time to gather the necessary information.

Researching good quality sources

Research content and keywords

When I first started blogging I quickly noticed that sometimes writing blog posts is like writing research work.

After you have the idea you need to do some research to get the necessary information which you can then transform into your own content. This transformation is crucial for creating interesting content.

And it needs to be interesting so that people would like it. For the record, I am not talking about copying other people’s content. I am talking about simply reading, learning quickly & adding the secret ingredient.

What’s the secret ingredient? It’s your own unique point of view and personality!

You see…

Creating great content is like cooking a great meal. You can’t just throw all the ingredients together into a big pot and hope that apple pie will come out of it.

You need to use the right ingredients, in the right order and use additional tools properly.

When it comes to creating content, proper research of the topic creates the right quality of your ingredients. If you do not take enough time to research it properly then your knowledge will be shallow and your readers will notice it quickly.

Then they will bounce off your page and Google will see it and your SERP ranking will drop.

When I do my research then I always take my time to properly understand the topic. This is how I do it:

• I read different blogs to get a perspective. When I see similar content I just skip it to the next one.
• I always check Google Books as a knowledge source. After all, it’s for free and you don’t need to buy the book to see what’s inside. Use the preview and you will practically always find some valuable information for free.
• Make notes in OneNote or any other software to gather the necessary information.

Once you have researched your content you need to create it. This is the moment when the right tools come in handy.

Video & graphics creation tools

If you want your content to rank then you need to make is as multimedia-rich as possible. And I am not just talking about simple pictures.

Use any kind of multimedia which you can and preferably video is the best one!

Have a look at this simple video which I’ve made some time ago.

When you have your text ready then you can take some time to record a video about your subject. I see more and more blog posts which come in written and video format. You can also record a podcast or just simply record an mp3 while reading your post.

Your readers will choose how they want to absorb your contend, whether that’s to read or listen, and this is a great choice because they do not always have the time or ability to read your post. Sometimes it’s more convenient to listen.

I’ve prepared a shortlist of tools which I use to enrich my content.

Graphic content creation tools

Graphic content design

There are a lot of tools which you can use to create graphics but I would recommend just a few of them.

• Canva – great graphical design creator. You can use it to create Facebook or Pinterest posts, Youtube thumbnails or a cover for your post.
• Stencil is another tool like Canva. Use it to create great graphics.
• Pictochart – perfect tool for creating pictographic., presentations and flyers. The free version allows you to create 5 projects which are fully enough for the beginning.
• Visme – all infographics in this post are created with this tool. You can create up to five projects for free.

Most of the above tools can be used for free. There are of course paid plans but even limited free versions can help you create great content for your site or blog.

Now let’s take a look at a few video tools which you can start using to make your content more engaging.

Video content creation tools

Video is becoming more and more popular.

For example, Facebook changed their algorithms and video content gets a lot more organic reach as a result.

According to Oberlo study, 85% of all internet users in the US watched video content monthly on any of their devices. At the same time, SmartInsights reports that 53% of customers engage after watching a video ad on social media.

But that’s not all.

Think about it. When a site visitor will click play on any of your embed videos then he will stay on your page longer. Also, your visitor might share your link to show your video to his friends or coworkers.

All this might help your site rank!

After all, this is why the content is created. To rank, reach your audience, help people, solve problems and get paid for doing that with various monetization methods.

Here is a quick list of great video creating tools to get you started:

• Renderforest. This is a great video editor for beginners. Actually, the video which you have seen above was created with this tool. If you would like to get more info about it then have a look at my Renderforest review where I explain how to use this tool.
• Bietable. Using this tool you can create animated text videos, facebook ads, slideshows, infographics and a lot more. You can even create cartoons. It’s definitely worth checking out.
• Adobe Spark. Another great video creator. It’s really simple but his capabilities are limited to some built-in templates. Great for beginners.

The above tools should be enough to start building great content which will rank in 2020.

Now let’s put all this together.

Using skyscraper technique in practice

Skyscraper technique in practice

If you have ever looked for some SEO tips then there is a high probability that you’ve come across Bryan Dean.

If you haven’t then I can tell you that in many places he is recognized as an SEO expert which teaches how to build whitehat backlinks and create great content.

In one of his posts, I’ve read about his “skyscraper technique“. This is a technique of creating content for websites and blogs. Since we all want our content to rank in Google in position #1 then I think it’s worth checking out.

When you go through these guidelines then you will see that the skyscraper technique is actually really simple. It consists of a few steps:

• Research the opportunities. Gather information about your subject. Get as much relevant information as possible. Categorize, optimize and store information in your notebook.
• Build a list of the potential audience which may be interested in your topic
• Create content which beats everyone else. This is the moment when you should really understand that if you want your content to rank in 2020, then your content needs to be better than the rest of the content out there.
• Promote your content. Use Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Youtube and any kind of bookmarking site which you can find to promote your content. If you have done a decent job in the previous point, then there is nothing to be shy about. Your content is already great and now you just need people to see it.
• Reach out to people. Make sure that your content is presented to the right audience. Marketing is crucial at this stage.
• Update your content. Don’t just post & forget! The world is going forward and everything is in constant motion. You just have to update your content every once in a while because as time goes by it will be outdated.

Summary

This has been a quick post about how to create content which ranks in 2020 and hopefully I’ve given you a decent amount of ideas on how to do it.

When you look closer at all the Google algorithms updates you will notice that Google is simply aiming to provide his users with the best answers possible.

This means that the only way to rank in 2020 and even later is to create relevant content which will help users to gain valuable information.

But that’s not enough. The 21-century digital era gives us the possibility to create. Above all, we have an opportunity to express ourselves in a variety of different ways. We have Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and many other social media platforms to spread the word which we create.

Let’s use this possibility as an opportunity to help others and make some money at the same time.

Let’s do it the ethical way.

Let’s create!