7 Ways to Find Related Content (+ Free Topic Planner)

Coming up with new and useful content ideas all the time can be hard. But we might be missing something helpful: related content. Related content means topics that are connected to our main content ideas. And it’s more useful than we think.

It helps us:

• Find topic gaps before others do
• Build trust in our topic area
• Add smart internal links across our site

Try this: search Google for “site:backlinko.com ‘backlinks’” and you’ll see they’ve written about this from all sides. They’ve got a guide for beginners, tips for link building, and even a free backlink checker. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do the same. You’ll discover seven smart ways to find related topics that your audience will enjoy—and that help grow your website’s trust. Plus, we’ll give you a free content planner to help you organize your ideas and plan your posts.

How to Use the Related Content Planner

Turn your research into a real plan you can use. Download our free Related Content Planner and follow along with these steps:

• Add new ideas: Write down every good topic so you don’t forget it
• Note keyword data: Use a keyword tool to check things like search volume, difficulty, and what people want
• Set topic priority: Mark how important each topic is based on how easy it is to rank, how many people search it, and how useful it is to your readers
• Plan your content type: Use the dropdown to mark topics as “new,” “existing,” or “update” so you know what to do
• Link your pages: Write down which pages should link together to build a strong content group
• Track what you’ve done: Check off the topics you’ve finished to see your progress

1. Autocomplete and Related Searches:

Want the easiest way to find related content ideas? Use the platforms where your audience already spends time. Search engines and social media sites show exactly what people are looking for. All we need to do is start typing.

When we type in a search word, the platform gives us suggestions based on what others are searching. These “autocomplete suggestions” are full of great ideas because they show what people really want to know. But the platform we use depends on our business.

For example:

• Amazon: Good for product content
• YouTube: Great for video ideas
• Reddit: Shows hot discussion topics
• TikTok: Gives trending content ideas

The best part? It’s all free. Let’s see how this works using Google and Pinterest.

Google: Google gives us two ways to find related topics:

Autocomplete – Start typing a topic like “gaming” and let Google finish it.

• Gaming news
• Gaming monitor
• Gaming keyboard

Related searches – Scroll down and find a section called “Related searches,” “People also search for,” or “People also ask.” This section gives more ideas we can turn into content.

Examples include:

• What is the definition of gaming?
• What does it mean when someone is gaming?

Pinterest Pinterest’s autocomplete works well for almost every topic. It often shows different results than Google. Type a topic in the search bar, and Pinterest will show related ideas.

• Gaming setup
• Gaming wallpapers
• Gaming room ideas

Pinterest may even show popular accounts connected to the topic. Save this info—it can help later with guest posts, expert quotes, or working with influencers.

2. Keyword Research Tools:

Keyword research tools are a great way to find related content ideas. But we shouldn’t mix up related content and related keywords. They are linked, but not the same:

• Related keywords are close to your main keyword.
  (Example: “gaming headset” and “best gaming headset”)
• Related content includes nearby topics your audience also cares about.
  (Example: “ergonomic chairs” or “gaming glasses”)

These help grow your website’s topic coverage and build trust.

Type your main topic (like “gaming”) in the search bar and click “Search.” The tool will show many keyword ideas.

Skip the ones too similar to what you already have. Look for fresh topics you haven’t written about yet.

If your site is about gaming, try adding topics like:

• Amazon Prime Gaming
• Gaming earbuds
• Gaming microphones

Check the data for each keyword to decide which ones to write about first:

• Search volume: How many people look for this topic each month
• Search intent: What users want to find (info, products, tips, etc.)
• Keyword difficulty: How tough it is to rank for that topic

Pick topics where you have a good chance to rank—not just the popular ones. Try to balance between good search volume and lower difficulty.

Then, click on the “Questions” tab. This shows what your audience is confused about or wants help with. These are great for tutorials, how-to posts, and full guides.

In gaming, you might see questions like:

• How to fix internet lag while gaming
• How to customize gaming controller
• How to build a gaming PC on a budget
• How to reduce eye strain from gaming

See how these questions cover different parts of gaming—technical issues, setup, and health? That’s the power of related content. It lets us create content for every part of the user’s journey. This brings in more visitors and helps us become a trusted voice in our field.

3. Artificial Intelligence:

Don’t have time for long research or idea planning? AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can help quickly. These tools are good at finding new and unique content ideas in seconds.

They often bring up topics that are very specific or different. For example, when we tried a prompt with Claude, it gave ideas like:

• Game soundtrack analysis
• The evolution of open-world games

4. Specialized Content Tools:

There are also special tools made to help us explore every part of a topic. One of them is Answer the Public, a tool that listens to searches.

Type in your topic and choose the platform: Google, Amazon, TikTok, Bing, YouTube, or Instagram.

You’ll see a map filled with questions people ask—organized by type: (Why, who, where, can, are, how, and so on)

The visual layout helps us find question themes we haven’t covered yet. Here are some gaming-related examples you might find:

• Will gaming be in the Olympics?
• Which gaming app pays the most?
• Can gaming cause carpal tunnel?
• Are gaming chairs good for office work?

5. Google Search Console Data:

Sometimes, the best related content ideas are already inside our own data. Google Search Console shows us what people search to find our website.

Here’s how to find those search terms:

Open Google Search Console and go to:
“Performance” > “Search Results”

Make sure “Queries” is selected, then look at the list.

Focus on these three types of search terms:

• Terms that get views and clicks, but we haven’t written about yet. These show new interests.
• Low-view terms. These could be new or very specific topics that might grow later.
• Questions. Find new questions and write content that answers them clearly.

This method is smart for two big reasons:

First, we can find related topics people are already searching for. Like “game releases” or “indie games.”

Second, we can find business chances. If people search for “gamertag generator,” we can make a free tool for it. Later, we can turn those visitors into customers. That’s how a simple search turns into income.

6. Competitor Analysis:

Our competitors have already tested what works in our topic area. So why not learn from what they’ve done?

Here’s how:

Type in the website link of one of your competitors and click “Search.” Then go to the “Topics” tab. This shows their top-performing content topics.

Look at their list and find topics that we can write about too.

For example, we might see that “gaming news” or “game release calendars” bring them lots of traffic. If they’re in the same space as us, these ideas may work well on our site too.

But we’re not here to copy them. We want to understand what their audience likes. And then we create our own content using our style, voice, and knowledge.

7. Forums and Niche Communities:

Want to know what your audience really thinks about? Go where they talk. They are already sharing their problems, questions, and ideas online. We just need to know where to look.

Start by finding the places your audience hangs out online:

• Reddit: Look for subreddits in your topic
• Facebook groups: Join groups with your niche audience
• Discord servers: These offer live group chats
• Industry forums: Long-standing topic forums
• Public Slack groups: Channels where professionals talk

Look for active spaces where people talk honestly. Avoid places full of ads or spammy links.

Once we find the right places, don’t just check once. Visit often and learn how people talk and what they care about.

Watch out for these things:

• Topics with lots of comments or likes
• Questions that get asked over and over
• Problems that many users mention
• Arguments or debates that spark interest

For a gaming site, we could follow:

• Reddit’s r/gaming for general game talks
• Reddit’s r/buildapc for hardware chats
• Discord groups where gamers talk about new games

If we see many people talking about the same topic, that’s a perfect idea for new content.

Find Related Content That Increases Your Reach

Covering a topic fully is more important than ever. It has always helped with SEO and trust. But now, AI search tools show more love to sites that cover topics deeply. This can give us a big boost in search visibility.

If we haven’t done it yet, we should download the free Related Content Planner to keep all ideas in one place. Then, we turn those related ideas into strong topic groups that work together and help our site stand out.

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