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Article Marketers - Methods of Researching Your Topic

by halmo
12 replies
Hello Article Marketers,

I am curious if you would share some of the steps and methods you use for researching a particular topic.

Of course, there is Google, and there are deep web search engines, and the research also depends on your niches. But, I am wondering if there is any particular method or steps that you use when you decide to research something specific.

- Do you have a set of (general or specific) questions you ask when you research?
- Do you go through the same sequence of trying to find information?
- How do you find sub-topics for your topic?
- Do you tend to use the same search sources?

These are only a few questions, and I am sure there many others that I haven't even asked (because I don't know what else to ask).

So, would you mind sharing your insights or methods on this, and even on taking your research to such extent that gives you good information for several more articles to write?

Any suggested resources would be appreciated too.

Curious to see some good comments. Thanks for sharing!

Edit: I am asking these questions regarding topics / niches when you ALREADY know what niche you want to target.
#article #marketers #methods #researching #topic
  • Profile picture of the author CyberSorcerer
    Personally I have a number of different ways to do research for both the niche I'm going to target and the keywords I'm going to use.

    I always find a profitable niche FIRST,before anything else, then depending on my results in the further research into that niche and it's most popular keywords will determine the route I take with it.
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    • Profile picture of the author halmo
      Originally Posted by CyberSorcerer View Post

      Personally I have a number of different ways to do research for both the niche I'm going to target and the keywords I'm going to use.
      CyberSourcerer, would ellaborate more on the different ways? I know your chosen niche has a lot to do with how you do your research, but I am looking for ideas on the actual methods, or steps, or specific points, the specific questions to which you want to find answers,, or the sources, or routes, or ... you take to actually do your research.

      Originally Posted by CyberSorcerer View Post


      I always find a profitable niche FIRST,before anything else, then depending on my results in the further research into that niche and it's most popular keywords will determine the route I take with it.
      Yes, I was asking about what "routes" you take AFTER you already have a specific niche in mind..
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  • Profile picture of the author Linda Hepworth
    I write articles for a niche I have already developed a site for. I do a research online to see what people are looking for. I also go to the libarary and look at the index of books to see what people are writing about. Writers are writing about what people need or want.
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    • Profile picture of the author Aston01
      Originally Posted by Linda Hepworth View Post

      I write articles for a niche I have already developed a site for. I do a research online to see what people are looking for. I also go to the libarary and look at the index of books to see what people are writing about. Writers are writing about what people need or want.
      Good to know about your niche writing.
      May be you could share some tips.
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      • Profile picture of the author Doug Wakefield
        I start out by checking other publicized works and seeing what they cover in their books. While self-publishing is gaining ground, many books still go through normal publishers and editors before going to press. I bank that if the author wrote about it (and a publisher approved it) that the topic must hold some ground.

        I can go through a few books and get a list of ideas to write about.

        For the actual research I will:

        1 - Buy some of the books I noted. This depends on how much I plan to write about the topic. If I am doing 5-10 articles I am likely to just research online. This also depends on how quick I need to have the writing done, I may need to have the content written before I could get the resource shipped.

        2 - Find authority sites on the niche and research them, further looking for topics. From here I note sub points to support topics and start outlining my articles.

        3 - Check the sales page from the products I plan to approach. The bullet points they use can often be great topics to cover for content. If it was good enough for a copywriter to cover in the vital text used to sell the product, it is good enough for me.

        I do these steps regardless of whether I am writing PLR, or promoting an affiliate product. I find that I can get endless amounts of ideas from just these sources.
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Doug Wakefield View Post

          many books still go through normal publishers and editors before going to press. I bank that if the author wrote about it (and a publisher approved it) that the topic must hold some ground.
          ^^^^ This - exactly.

          A huge point, here: if a commercial, mainstream, orthodox publisher is handling it, they're spending large amounts of money on it, with publishing costs as they are these days. They know they have a market and what it is. And unlike "self-publishing" and "online publishing", you know there's been independent, expert, quality-control.

          This one really is a "top tip".
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        • Profile picture of the author CraigRC
          Originally Posted by Doug Wakefield View Post

          I start out by checking other publicized works and seeing what they cover in their books. While self-publishing is gaining ground, many books still go through normal publishers and editors before going to press. I bank that if the author wrote about it (and a publisher approved it) that the topic must hold some ground.

          I can go through a few books and get a list of ideas to write about.

          For the actual research I will:

          1 - Buy some of the books I noted. This depends on how much I plan to write about the topic. If I am doing 5-10 articles I am likely to just research online. This also depends on how quick I need to have the writing done, I may need to have the content written before I could get the resource shipped.

          2 - Find authority sites on the niche and research them, further looking for topics. From here I note sub points to support topics and start outlining my articles.

          3 - Check the sales page from the products I plan to approach. The bullet points they use can often be great topics to cover for content. If it was good enough for a copywriter to cover in the vital text used to sell the product, it is good enough for me.

          I do these steps regardless of whether I am writing PLR, or promoting an affiliate product. I find that I can get endless amounts of ideas from just these sources.
          Well written Doug.

          I would add that you can glean a tremendous amount of information to pursue on a topic simply by looking at Amazon's online table-of-content scans within popular books on that topic as well. It can server as a roadmap when progress stalls or you're out of ideas on what to research next.

          And depending upon the niche (and as Doug mentioned, how long you plan to write for that topic) offline magazine subscriptions are a cheap, effective way to teach yourself just about any topic quickly, along with providing you with great research each month as new issues arrive.

          If your local library offers back-issues of magazines you can stroll on over and get an education
          pretty quickly.
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        • Profile picture of the author John Broberg
          Halmo,

          One really easy and content-rich resource is Amazon. Go through the books and look at titles of the best sellers in the niche. That can give you some great keywords.

          Then, read through the reviews. You'll find comments about what people want that the current books don't cover. They essentially point out the market gaps for you.
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          To start off with, I can tell you one route to avoid...

          Do NOT go to an article directory and read a handful of articles and call it 'research'. The reliability of the information found on many directories varies considerably. And just because a dozen articles all say the same thing does not mean what they are saying is correct.

          They may all be the progeny of a "grab an article and rewrite it" author or authors. If they unwittingly grab an article with bad information, you end up with multiple bad articles.

          On a more positive note, I love industry organizations. They exist to provide information to their members and to make their industry members more successful. Their websites are usually a researcher's best friend, with references to more authorities.

          Professional societies and journals are usually also great sources once you know the niche jargon. Plus, they are usually recognized authorities that people trust. Which citation do you think would carry more weight in an article on a medical topic? A quote from the journal Lancet, or Joe Schlabotnik's 250 word keyword blurb on an article directory?

          Another source, if you know what you are looking for, is a good academic library. PhD dissertations generally must meet pretty stringent standards for research methodology. Published papers are good, too.

          For physical products, independent lab reports, government recall notices, etc. can all contribute good information.

          Granted, this is all a lot more work than googling or doing a quick check on some wiki, but the results also have a lot more substance to them...
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          • Profile picture of the author Doug Wakefield
            For physical products, independent lab reports, government recall notices, etc. can all contribute good information.
            Consumer Reports is a good friend.
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          • Profile picture of the author tpw
            Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

            Do NOT go to an article directory and read a handful of articles and call it 'research'. The reliability of the information found on many directories varies considerably. And just because a dozen articles all say the same thing does not mean what they are saying is correct.

            Exactly. Make sure you source reputable websites for your information.

            In some niches, .gov sites are very reliable.
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  • Profile picture of the author ELK
    I agree with finding profitable niche FIRST. Just because you like something doesn't mean it's going to make you any money.

    Then again, if you like and know about something in a small niche quite a bit, you might determine what the larger niche or market holds for profitability. There may be something just around the corner from your idea that you could link to.

    You may have enough crossover knowledge to still write a lot of content and have some authority. I also believe the book tip is excellent. Those folks have toiled over those headlines and topic areas, so you can take some confidence in covering similar material.
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