Content research is a vital part of creating high-quality, people-first content. This differs from the kind of specialist research my colleague Jason has written about. Content research is concerned with the bigger picture. In other words, it’s the process of coming up with topics to write about in the first place. But it goes beyond simple brainstorming. You’re also trying to choose the best approach for your audience. 

What is people-first content?

Simply put, people-first content is content that’s meant for human beings rather than an algorithm. In other words, it should help people. As Nicole Inge of Express Writers points out, this can pay dividends beyond search-engine rankings because it helps you bring in an audience that will resonate with your material, which means they’re more likely to stick around after their initial discovery of your content. 

Why is content research important?

As a creator, it’s vital that you provide value to your audience. In essence, you have to provide them with their preferred information in their preferred format(s). It doesn’t matter if you’re at the very top of Google’s search results. If people don’t find your content useful, they’re not going to stick around.

How can I do content research?

Himanshu Gupta of Ahrefs has come up with nine tips for successful content research. They include:

• Choose the right topic. This will ultimately be influenced by what you’re trying to do with your content. For example, if you’re looking to create content that nets organic traffic, you’ll want to pay close attention to keywords (or trending hashtags if you’re dealing with social media).
• Consider search intent. Not only will this help you choose strong topics, but it can also guide the kind of content you make for those topics. If you notice that a search query leads to a lot of listicles, for example, you might consider adopting that format for your own piece. It can also help you scope out the competition as well. 
• Think about how you can add value. If you can’t add something valuable, there’s a good chance you shouldn’t be writing about that topic. But this doesn’t have to mean reinventing the wheel. Sometimes, it’s enough to translate material into a different format. For example, if you notice that lots of people are doing in-depth, written posts on a topic, you might have more success turning that information into a podcast or a video to make it accessible to different audiences.
• Don’t ignore social media. Platforms like X and Reddit can be great places to do content research since they provide ready access to some of the most current material on the Internet. 
• Ask your readers. Don’t be afraid to ask your audience about the kinds of content they want to see you produce. Granted, they won’t always have the same perspective as you do, but they can still provide valuable feedback. For example, if you discover that most of your audience prefers video-based content, you might want to hold off on writing a 10,000-word blog post.  

Be mindful of your strengths and weaknesses

When it comes to content research, always make sure you’re choosing topics that you can actually discuss with some kind of authoritativeness. It might be tempting to write about something just because it happens to be trending, but that’s not a recipe for success. People don’t like being deceived, and you won’t be able to keep up the charade for long. 

How to use content research to create people-first content

Creating people-first content is an important part of modern SEO. Google (and your readers) want you to write stuff that’s actually going to help people instead of just trying to please an algorithm. Content research can help you create the right kind of content for the right audience. Find a niche that’s comfortable (and enjoyable) for you to write about. Make sure you’re producing high-quality content by being mindful of your readers and their needs. You should also make sure you’re producing material that’s thoroughly researched and polished. Not only will this make Google happy, it’ll also make your readers happy since you’re giving them a valuable source of information they can rely on.

For more research tips, check out “5 steps to verify social media source accuracy for publishers.”  

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