How to Research Content for SEO

If you spend more time researching where to get dinner when your friend visits town than you do to properly research a piece of content before writing, listen up - this guide is for you.

We’ve written dozens (maybe hundreds) of pieces that have ranked on the first page of Google, and the secret to writing content that ranks is how you prepare before you sit down to write your intro. 

In this guide, we’ll share why researching a piece of content matters for SEO and how to follow the exact same research process we use for every piece of content on our website and for our clients.

Why Research Content When Writing it for SEO?

Writing compelling content (let alone content for SEO) requires research - and lots of it.

At the end of the day, you want your content to rank and convert. Taking time to properly research and understand a topic will help you write content that is more informed and interesting - which is our “secret recipe” to writing content that ranks.

Researching content isn’t just about gathering background information for a piece, it’s a process of trying to get in your target reader’s head, to think the way they think, understand their problems, and know what motivates them or holds their interest. In other words, proper content research is about building expertise on the topic you plan to write about and empathy for your reader.

Why does this matter though? Well, here are a few reasons:

• Your content will appear more knowledgeable and authoritative on the topic
• Your content will be well thought out and structured
• Your content will resonate with your audience and grab their attention

This all makes for content that is comprehensive, authoritative, and engaging and that is a recipe for content that ranks and converts. 

So how do you research content for SEO? I’ll share our process with you in the next section.

How to Research Content for SEO

The word “research” may conjur up long hours spent in a library.

While you do need to spend more than 5 minutes reading the first the first few results that show up, I promise you it’s not too intense.

Here’s the exact process we use to research content for SEO:

1. Start with the persona
2. Identify the core question behind the keyword/topic
3. Write a content brief
4. Research the topic in-depth through Google, online forums, and customer/expert interviews

I’ll walk you through this process step-by-step.

Start with the persona

Before you write a single word, you need to stop and think about who you are writing the piece for. In marketing speak we call these buyer personas. If you haven’t written full personas before, don’t worry - start by answering these questions:

• What problems are you solving for them?
• What type of content do they like?
• How do they consume content?

Researching a piece of content starts with identifying the target audience for the piece. Everything you do from here on will hinge on who you are writing for. You’d be surprised how few writers stop and think about their target reader, but trust me that it makes a massive difference!

Identify the core question behind the topic

Next we need to identify the “core question” behind the keyword/topic you are targeting.

Why do this? Suppose I am writing a piece of content for a private wealth management firm trying to target people who are asking “how to evaluate a financial advisor.” While I could stop there and move on to the next section, it’s important to stop and ask myself:

• Why is my target reader asking this question?
• Where are they in the “buyers journey” when they ask this question?
• What might their mental state be when asking this question?

The answers to these questions will illuminate a bit more about your persona’s mindset and motivation for their search which will give you a rock-solid foundation for content that resonates with them.

Research the topic to fill your knowledge gaps

Once you’ve identified your reader and their motivation for the topic you are writing about, let’s fill in your knowledge gaps with this information in mind.

Don’t let a lack of domain expertise keep you from feeling confident writing about a topic. If you’ve done the above prep work then it’s just a matter of filling in the gaps in your knowledge. You can do that through the following:

• Read what ranks: Start with a quick Google search to see what ranks for your topic. This will provide valuable background information and context about what content performs best.
• Check out forums where your audience hangs out: We LOVE using Reddit and other forums online to see where our target readers spend time, what they struggle with, what resonates with them, and how they talk. This is one of the best ways to quickly get insight into your audience.
• Talk to customers or experts: When the internet comes up empty, talk to your customers or an industry expert. A 15-minute phone conversation can yield insights and nuggets that take your content to the next level. For a pro-tip, record your conversations and then grab the audio script to form the basis of your blog post.
• Listen to podcasts: Podcasts and industry interviews are a great resource for learning more aout a topic and your audience. If talking to an expert is impossible, these are a great substitute. 
• Ask an AI: Lastly, I have on occasion used AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT to “pretend” to be my target reader so I can interview them and better understand a topic. While these tools are not perfect, they do work in a pinch.

We’ve followed these tips to write about topics ranging from lab software to real estate investing - no matter the niche we’ve managed to rank many pieces of content on the first page of Google. 

Write a content brief

Lastly, take all this hard work and turn it into a content brief that will guide your post.

A content brief is a sort of roadmap for the piece. We have a guide on writing content briefs here, so check that post out for a full breakdown. If you’ve followed this research process, you should have most of what you’ll need to write your brief:

• The target query
• The search intent
• Your headline for the content
• The questions/sub topics the content needs to address
• Relevant pages on your website to link to
• A call to action 

This will take the research you’ve done and channel it into a roadmap for content that is designed to rank and engage readers. 

The best tools for Content Research

If you’re chomping at the bit to get started, here are a few tools to aid your content research:

• Google
• Google Trends
• Reddit/other online forums
• ChatGPT/Claude

Google

When starting, Google is going to be your best friend.

Google has a wealth of resources to help you in your research to get higher-quality keywords and information for your content. Just looking at the first few pages of search results on its own can be a valuable resource for content research. Google also has helpful features like People Also Ask (PAA) which can be great for long-tail keyword research and getting a quick look at relevant content ideas.

Google Trends

Google Trends is an important resource as it shows you the analytics of keyword usage over time across the entire internet. This can help you gauge what keywords are the most current and up-to-date and what is trending.

Reddit

This may not be the first choice for content research, but Reddit can provide valuable insight into the current discourse of your industry and the people within it. You can get new perspectives on what your customers value most and what they talk about.

Conversations (and recordings)

If you are brand-new to a topic, there is no substitute for talking to your customers or an industry expert. Take time to ask detailed questions, note their responses, and record the conversation (with their permission) so you don't miss a thing.

Level Up Your SEO Strategy With Our Complete SEO Strategy Guide

Content research for SEO can be a challenging task, but with the right strategy, you can set your company up for success and rank above the competition.

Not sure where to start? Download our free SEO Strategy Guide for a complete walkthrough of our process to bring your SEO to the next level!