7 Ways to Find Related Content Ideas Beyond SEO Tools

Let me be real with you

Consistently generating new, meaningful content ideas isn’t easy at all.

But if you rely ONLY on SEO tools, you might miss what people are really thinking, asking, or struggling with.

Real questions and frustrations often lead to the strongest content.

It helps you:

Find ideas rooted in actual conversations
Connect deeply with your audience
Create content that stands out from the crowd

For example, consider Quora, Reddit, or even YouTube, where your audience shares their genuine thoughts.

In this guide, I’ll show you 7 ways to discover content ideas based on real needs.

But first, what does related content even mean?

What “Related Content” Means

You should understand that related content can change the way you approach your topics.

Keep this guide open as I walk you through the key ideas below.

By the end of this post, you’ll understand how related content goes beyond keywords.

You’ll see how it uncovers real questions, fresh angles, and new ways to deepen your content.

What is related content?

It’s more than just adding keywords, to be honest:

Topics connected closely to your main ideas
Questions people ask but you haven’t yet answered
Different formats or stories that bring new life to what you cover

When done well, related content helps you:

Find gaps before others notice them
Build strong authority on your subject
Create better internal links
Drive real engagement, not just random visits

So, here are the insanely good 7 ways to discover content ideas

1. Reddit: Tapping into Authentic Questions & Gaps

Ridwan Animashaun, the CMO at Oxgital, says

“A good way to find related content is to look for channels where people express themselves. And one of the best places for that is Reddit.”

Reddit is one of the best places for discovering what your audience truly cares about. With its many subreddits, people openly discuss their problems, interests, and questions.

It hosts many communities called subreddits where people openly discuss their problems and interests.

All you need to do is find subreddits that match your topic.

For example, if your niche is “yoga,” look at r/yoga

You can search directly on Reddit or use Google with this format:

“site:reddit.com/r/YourSubreddit “how do I” or “how to” + your topic”

For example, I want to see posts about poses on the r/yoga subreddit, so my search will be:

“site:reddit.com/r/yoga “how do I” or “how to” + poses”

Focus on posts with many upvotes and comments.

Check the top posts of all time, the currently popular ones, and the newest posts.

This helps you find both popular and fresh questions people want answered.

Look for repeated phrases like “How do I…?” or “How to…?”

Notice frustrations shared when questions remain unanswered.

These are clues for content ideas that fill real gaps.

Use thread titles as headlines or adjust them to fit your style.

Also, read the comment sections closely.

Here, you’ll find follow-up questions or objections like “I tried…”

These reveal what your audience truly wants to know.

If many threads ask about the same topic, consider making a series of related posts covering it deeply.

Reddit offers authentic content ideas because the questions come directly from real people.

2. Quora: Leverage Evergreen Questions & Weak Answers

Quora is a great place to start when you want to find content ideas that stay relevant for a long time.

It’s full of questions people ask again, again, and again.

All you have to do is search for your main topic and explore related topics.

Look closely at questions with many answers but weak or shallow answers.

These gaps show where people need better information.

For example, questions with specific details like “benefits” or “importance” stand out.

And comments that carefully answer the question also stand out

This language shows how people describe their struggles and often makes a good headline.

Use the exact phrasing of a Quora question as your content title, maybe cleaned up a bit.

You can also combine different versions of a question into a full guide.

If answers on Quora contradict each other, write a post that clears up the confusion with your analysis.

For example:

Question: “What are some yoga poses to help with back pain?”

→ Content idea: “5 Yoga Poses to Ease Back Pain and Improve Flexibility”

Quora lets you tap into evergreen questions and weak answers, so you can create content that truly helps your audience.

3. YouTube: Extract Angles From Titles & Comments

YouTube can be a goldmine when you want to find fresh content ideas without endless guessing

By searching your topic and checking top videos plus recent uploads, you can spot what’s popular and what’s just starting to trend.

Focus on video titles with strong hooks and the comments where viewers ask questions or say what’s missing.

Here’s a quick way to start:

Search for [your topic] on YouTube.

Pay attention to titles like “What no one tells you about…,” “Common mistakes in…,” or “X vs Y.”

Then, skim through comments for questions like “Can you explain…?” or “I wish they covered…”

I tried this with the topic “yoga pose” and found lots of questions about managing distractions at home.

Those comments gave me content ideas for new posts that dig deeper into what viewers want.

Use the comments as inspiration.

Turn popular titles into fresh angles.

For example:

YouTube Video: 15 Yoga Poses That’ll Change Your Body In Less Than a Month

Comment Inspiration: @cherrysantillan1830: “Ive been doing yoga for 2 months now. I dropped 6kgs. I know its a little but the shape of my body and posture really made a lot of difference. Also, my anxiety attacks has been reduced.”

→ New idea: “5 Really Good Ways Yoga Can Reduce Anxiety in 2025”

Keep trying different searches and comments until you find the content ideas that really click with your audience.

4. AnswerThePublic: Tap Into Preformatted Curiosity

When I want to know what people are already asking about a topic, I use AnswerThePublic.

Side note: AnswerThePublic is a search listening tool for market, customer & content research

It takes real search queries from platforms like Google and organizes them into clear categories.

Just type in your main topic, and the tool shows you grouped results like Questions, Comparisons, and Prepositions.

The layout makes it easy to find angles you might not think of on your own.

(How, why, what, can, with, for, without, etc.)

For example, I searched for “yoga poses” and found a wide mix of content ideas:

“are yoga poses religious?”
“which yoga poses to avoid during first trimester?”
“which yoga poses are not good in pregnancy?”
“what yoga poses help with gas?”
“can yoga poses cause diarrhea?”

Each of these can turn into a blog post, a video, or even a full guide.

I like to focus on long-tail questions. These are more detailed and closer to what people actually search.

You can also spot comparison phrases like “vs..,” “instead of,” or “better than.”

And prepositions often lead to niche angles like:

“yoga poses without using hands”
“yoga poses to help with constipation”
“yoga poses to relieve bloating”
“yoga poses that can be done in bed”
“yoga poses that can be done after eating”
“which yoga poses can be done during periods”

Here’s how you can use it:

Enter a seed topic.

Then scan each section slowly. Look for phrases that feel clear and helpful.

I copy down anything that sparks an idea, and sometimes I mix a few related ones into one post.

Like when I saw:

“are yoga poses religious?”
“which yoga poses to avoid during first trimester?”
“which yoga poses are not good in pregnancy?”
“what yoga poses help with gas?”
“can yoga poses cause diarrhea?”

→ I turned the second term into: “First Trimester Yoga: Which Poses to Avoid (and Why)”

Try to combine what people are already searching with the advice or angle only you can bring.

5. Explore Existing Content: Your Work + Competitor’s

Sometimes, the next best content idea is already sitting in something you or your competitors created.

I start by looking at what’s already working.

(For both me and others in my niche.)

Here’s how I do it:

List your most popular blog posts, videos, or guides. The ones that got the most engagement: comments, shares, or saves.

Then, do the same with your competitors.

Go through their blogs, YouTube channels, or newsletters. Look for content with lots of interaction.

But don’t stop at the headlines.

Read everything closely.

Especially the parts most people skip.

Here’s what to pay attention to:

Sections that feel rushed or too basic: These often show up as tool lists without depth, vague summaries, or missing examples.
Comment sections: Look for questions people are asking or things they didn’t understand.
Outdated posts: Content that hasn’t been updated in a while usually has opportunities.

This works for two reasons:

First, you’re not guessing what people care about. You already know what gets attention.
Second, you’re not starting from scratch. You’re building on what’s missing.

Let’s say you wrote an article titled “Best Yoga Poses for Flexibility” and you mention “Downward Dog” and “Child’s Pose” in just a sentence or two. Your competitors do the same by only listing these common, well-known poses.

That’s your gap.

→ Content idea: “8 Best Yoga Poses to Increase Flexibility & Mobility”

This takes a small part of a big topic and turns it into a focused, helpful post people actually want to read.

6. Google Search: Autocomplete, People Also Ask, Related Searches

Google is already showing you what people want to know.

You just have to know where to look.

Instead of guessing what your audience is searching for, I use three features right on the search results page:

Autocomplete
People Also Ask
Related Searches

As Ubelejit Dandison, a Content and Community Marketer, explains, “Checking Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ box is a simple and effective way to understand how people are querying Google for your topic. It reveals both common questions and related search terms that people are interested in.”

Here’s how you can do it:

Type your main topic into Google. Pay attention to the phrases that pop up as suggestions.

Hit “Search,” then scroll to the “People Also Ask” box. Open a few of the questions.

Go further down and check the “Related searches” at the bottom of the page.

You can also try small changes to your search

Here’s what I focus on:

Autocomplete phrases that are clear and specific. These usually show what people are actively looking for.
People Also Ask questions that aren’t fully answered in the current results.
Related searches that reveal new angles or more focused versions of your topic.

This method is helpful for two reasons.

One, it gives you real questions and search terms from real people.
Two, you can see what others are missing and fill those gaps yourself.

For example, I search “yoga poses for fl.”

Autocomplete gives me “yoga poses for flat tummy” and “yoga poses for flat tummy for beginners.”

People Also Ask shows “Which yoga is best for a flat tummy?”

→ Content idea: “7 Yoga Poses That Work Like Magic for a Flat Tummy”

7. Podcasts: Hidden Insights, Stories & Guest Tips

Want to find fresh content ideas straight from people sharing real experiences?

Tune into podcasts.

Podcasts are full of stories, advice, and insider tips you won’t find in usual blog posts or articles.

You just need to know how to listen closely.

Start by searching popular podcast platforms:

Spotify: Use keywords related to your topic
Apple Podcasts: Browse categories and guest profiles
ListenNotes: Search for episodes with detailed show notes

Focus on episodes where hosts promise deep insights but only briefly mention them.

Look out for episodes that share journeys, case studies, or interesting stories.

Avoid podcasts that are just promotional or surface-level chatter.

Once you find the right shows, don’t just listen once; make it a habit.

Pay attention to:

Stories or case studies guests share
Themes that pop up in many episodes
Moments when hosts or guests say things like “we’ll explore this more next time” or “we didn’t get to cover everything”

For example, if you hear multiple guests talking about similar challenges, you’ve found a perfect chance to create content that goes deeper.

Podcast Episode Title: “Yoga for Weight Loss Over 40: Nutrition for Fat Loss Over 40”

→ Content idea: “6 Ways Yoga Contributes to the Overall Fat-Burning Process”

Putting It All Together: A System You Can Repeat

Here’s a simple framework to make these 7 methods work for you:

Step	Task
1	Choose a seed topic you want to build around this week
2	Use 3‑4 of the methods above to collect content ideas. (e.g., Reddit, YouTube, Google Search, AnswerThePublic)
3	Capture ideas in your planner: Idea / Question / Source / Angle / Priority
4	Highlight ideas that appear in more than one source (those often have a strong demand)
5	Draft content around top priority ideas. Test with your audience. Track what gets more engagement

Why Real Questions Matter More Than Raw Keywords

Creating content based on real needs is more important today than ever before.

It’s always helped connect with your audience.

But now, search engines and readers alike favor content that answers actual frustrations and stories.

This can improve your engagement, shares, and even your authority faster than just chasing keyword lists.

If you haven’t yet, start paying attention to what your audience really asks and talks about.

Then, turn those insights into content that truly speaks to them and builds lasting trust.

Recommended Reading:

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