Content writing research beyond google: 9 sources writers should use

Aug 27

8 min read

How many times have you invested countless hours in researching some content but ended up with no good ideas? This happened to me many times. I would read and re-read articles thinking that the next one would bring something interesting.

However, they all would cover the same information, and sometimes, researching an underexplored topic would be particularly difficult. And this is where the idea behind this guide originated. Here, I list the content research resources that helped me find more valuable insights than just Googling them.

Why Google cannot be the only resource for researching

Google is one of the best ways to conduct content research. It enables you to grasp the gist of the topic, learn the authoritative sources, and establish a good foundation. Nevertheless, looking for something on Google is not the same as conducting proper research. Real research means posing more insightful questions, comparing different sources, verifying information, and uncovering valuable insights.

Google will not be able to display every discussion between customers and experts. That's why professional writers don't rely only on search results. Using other content research approaches allows us to generate unique insights, get to know the audience better and produce more reliable content.

9 sources for finding content research ideas that are not on Google

While Google shows you everything basic, amazing content is based on thorough research. Here are some sources where you'll find great questions, ideas, and insights that may not be found with a simple Google search. Use them together with Google search in your content research process.

1. Reddit

Reddit is one of the most useful sites for customer research. There, people raise issues, voice their opinions, and discuss topics. Contrary to blog posts, there is no hidden agenda behind the discussions, which makes Reddit a perfect place for content research. It will help you know what your target audience is looking for without guessing.

How to search Reddit

First, conduct a simple search on Reddit using its search bar. If you're researching email marketing, type "email marketing" or some other relevant question into the search box.

Then:

Use Top filter to find the most popular posts.
Use New filter to check out the newest posts.
Make sure to read both the post and all replies to it as the best insights come there.

Questions you should ask yourself

While reading, make sure to take note of the following:

Issues raised by customers: What recurring issues can be observed?
Questions people raise while buying products or services: What do they need to know before making the purchase?
Requests for feature additions: What are people looking to improve in their experience?
Misconceptions people hold on a particular topic: What are they missing in terms of understanding?

The above will enable you to respond to actual questions rather than what you think would appeal to them. For instance, while working on project management software, you may encounter users comparing two tools and expressing frustration over the lack of a particular feature. Such discussions could give rise to informative blog posts.

Here are some useful communities: r/SEO, r/content_marketing, r/freelanceWriters, among others, depending on your chosen topic.

Remember, never consider any single Reddit comment as gospel truth. Reddit helps recognize trends. If a lot of people are talking about something, it is worth considering it, but always verify the information from other credible sources before using it.

2. YouTube

YouTube is one of the most helpful content research sources for authors. While in blogs you will be told what the product does, the video will show how it works.

There, you can watch demonstrations of the product, tutorials, conference speeches, and interviews with the founders and customers to learn more about the topic. It is especially useful when you write about software, tools, and other technical products.

How to conduct research using YouTube

Firstly, use YouTube in the same way as Google to conduct research on your topic.

Then:

Use search suggestions to see what people are interested in.
Take a look at video titles to identify the most asked questions and popular angles.
Watch several videos created by reputable users from different angles.
If you don't have enough time to watch the whole video, you can always open its transcript to quickly go through it and find interesting information.

What to pay attention to

Be attentive to:

Product demo: Learn how the product works.
Tutorials: Understand common issues and their solutions.
Founding interviews: Discover the reason behind creating a product and the target audience.
Customer walkthroughs: Watch how customers use the product.
Never overlook the comments section, as people may have additional questions, share their personal experience, or draw attention to something missing in the video.

This way, you will discover content gaps and learn more about the topics interesting for your audience. Apart from that, there are plenty of subject matter experts on YouTube. Founders, marketers, and even industry leaders tend to share their experience by making videos, interviews, and presentations.

Such expertise can provide you with a lot of information that can be used to create relevant, useful, and credible content.

3. Online forums and communities

If you want to conduct audience research, online forums and communities are perfect for the purpose. Instead of professional articles, you get to see actual conversations of people trying to solve their problems.

Discussions in communities like Slack, Discord, Indie Hackers, Product Hunt, Facebook Groups, and other platforms include lots of questions and advice. It is worth paying attention to recurring questions as they often become good topics for your blog.

Also, do not forget about the language used in these communities. Every industry has its own terms and phrases. Using this language naturally helps your content connect with readers. Moreover, such communities may help you to detect trends beforehand, since people tend to talk about innovations and industry changes before they become visible on blogs and in the news.

Please note that personal opinions may not be factual information. Forums will help you understand your audience and find ideas, while reliable statistics should come from verified sources.

4. Industry reports and newsletters

Industry reports and newsletters are some of the most helpful sources when researching for content marketing. Such sources provide you with fresh information and insights regarding the latest trends in a specific industry.

Industry reports by reputable sources, like HubSpot, McKinsey, Deloitte, Gartner, and Statista, may help you understand how things stand in a particular industry before everyone starts talking about it. Such reports are also helpful sources of trustworthy statistics. Instead of relying on your own observations and claims, you can refer to data from authoritative organizations and institutions. Just don't forget to credit the source.

Newsletters are another helpful tool. Such newsletters usually contain product updates, research data, experts' opinions, and case studies. Subscribing to industry newsletters helps you stay updated without constantly looking for news.

In addition, you can use industry reports and newsletters to prove your arguments. Double-checking your information with the latest research will add reliability and value to your material.

5. Social media

Social media is an ideal tool for doing audience research since you can observe what people talk about right now. You do not need to rely on blogs and read the coverage of the subject because the discussion is ongoing.

It is great to follow founders, marketers, industry professionals, and experts on LinkedIn. They tend to write about the problems that they encounter, valuable lessons, trends, and feedback from customers. Do not forget to pay attention to comments because you may find there interesting questions and additional topics to address.

X (formerly known as Twitter) is another platform where you may look for inspiration. Experts are likely to post their insights related to some events in the industry or upcoming changes in tools. It is possible to get some valuable information and fresh ideas from following people and observing discussions on social media.

6. Podcasts and webinars

Podcasts and webinars are fantastic for obtaining expert opinions as they allow speakers to share their ideas comprehensively. You will learn about real stories, practical examples, experience-based lessons, and insights you would not see in blog posts.

When writing about an industry, keep track of podcasts and webinars related to it. These sources include founders, marketers, product managers, and other experts talking about real problems and potential solutions in the area.

7. Earnings calls and annual reports

Earnings calls and annual reports are useful for industry research because they tell you about a company's goals, priorities, problems of its customers, plans, and investments.

As a writer, this means that you will be able to produce industry-specific content without guessing. Competitor research is also vital, but do not copy anything your competitors write. Read a few articles on the same topic and find out what is missing.

Is there any information not covered?
Is everything up-to-date?
Do some examples need to be provided?

8. Customer reviews

Customer reviews are perhaps the simplest means to get an idea of how people perceive a product or service. It is an excellent source of customer reviews as they reveal honest feedback both before and after the purchase. Sites such as G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and Google Reviews contain valuable insights that will enrich your research.

While analyzing customer reviews, consider the most frequent complaints and expectations from the product and its features that customers appreciate. Also, remember the language of your customers, as it can be used in your content to sound more natural and relate to the customers because you will be talking the language they understand.

Do not just analyze a few reviews but search for patterns among tens of customer reviews where similar complaints and praises appear again and again.

9. Content of competitors

Reading articles by competitors is a major aspect of competitive analysis; however, one should always aim at doing something that cannot be found in their articles. It is necessary to look for:

Lack of information.
Information that is outdated and requires updating.
Questions which were left unanswered in the article.
Lack of examples.

There is a rather easy method of analyzing the content of competitors. Simply take five articles on the same topic and try answering the following questions:

What was mentioned by all the authors?

What was omitted by all the authors?

Which questions remain unanswered?

Additional content research resources

There are several additional content research resources that you should consider incorporating into your process.

Google search console and google analytics

When you work in-house, these resources will give you a hint on what your audience is searching for. It will show your top searches, high-performing pages, and keywords that bring people to your website.

Customer interviews

An interview with your customers is one of the most effective approaches to conducting your original research. You get to know their problems, needs, and experiences firsthand. It usually leads to uncovering ideas for your content that you wouldn't find via search engines or competitor content.

Government and public databases

Government websites and databases are great resources for finding credible data. They are particularly helpful when you write on such topics as healthcare, finance, education, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and economics.

Conclusion

Effective content research cannot rely solely on a simple Google search. It's a wonderful starting point, but it should never be the only source of information. The more sources are used, the more effective content is created. As a result, one can avoid writing what everyone else already knows and create unique articles solving problems of your audience.

For more practical content marketing and research insights, follow Mercy Ifunanya on LinkedIn.