Back in the day, coming up with content ideas felt like throwing spaghetti at the wall.
Some posts would take off, others would flop harder than my first sourdough loaf during quarantine. And the worst part? I had no clue why. Until I started using AI tools.
It wasn’t magic at first. I remember asking ChatGPT something like, “What content should I make next?” and getting back these super generic answers like “Write trending blog posts” or “Focus on your audience’s interests.” Thanks, Captain Obvious.
But once I learned to ask better questions, AI became my secret weapon.
The Shift: From Guesswork to Data-Backed Insights
Here’s how it started: I took my top 50 blog posts from Google Analytics, exported them into a spreadsheet, and pasted them into ChatGPT with a prompt like:
“Analyze these blog post titles and give me patterns of what’s working. Look for tone, structure, keywords, and topics.”
That one move? Total game changer.
The AI spotted that my list-style posts with numbers in the title were consistently getting more clicks. It also pointed out that posts with emotional hooks—like “Why I Gave Up on Productivity Hacks”—got way more shares. I had never seen that pattern before.
It was like the AI could zoom out and spot the forest while I was stuck hugging one tree.
How I Use AI to Find Content Winners Now?
So now I’ve got a system. Nothing fancy. Just a process that works.
1. Ask AI to Analyze My Past Wins
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I feed it my top-performing headlines, intros, or even full posts.
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Prompt example:
“Break down the common traits between these high-performing posts. What do they have in common in terms of format, topic, tone, or keywords?”
AI comes back with things like:
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“You use curiosity-driven headlines.”
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“Most top posts answer very specific questions.”
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“You include personal stories early in the intro.”
That stuff is gold. I start using those patterns in my next batch of ideas.
2. Tap Into Audience Interest with Predictive Topics
Sometimes I’ll ask AI:
“Based on trends in [my niche], what topics are likely to perform well in the next 6 months?”
This works especially well when I combine it with data from Google Trends or AnswerThePublic. AI will go:
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“Interest in digital decluttering is rising—consider ‘Spring Clean Your Digital Life’ type posts.”
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“People are searching more for AI email tools—make a comparison guide.”
It’s like having a crystal ball, but less mystical and more nerdy.
3. Use Competitor Data Without the Creep Factor
No shame here—I peek at what’s working for my competition. But AI makes it way easier. I’ll take a competitor’s blog or YouTube channel, grab 10–20 top-performing pieces, and ask:
“What content themes are performing best for this site/channel?”
It gives me the patterns without me needing to spend an hour clicking around like a stalker. Super efficient.
Sometimes I even say:
“Give me 5 topic ideas based on what this competitor hasn’t covered yet but should.”
Boom. Instant content gap filler.
4. Validate Before I Create
Before I even start writing, I ask AI:
“On a scale of 1–10, how likely is this topic to perform well in my niche and why?”
It’ll tell me if something is too broad, too niche, or already saturated. It’s not perfect, but it saves me from chasing dead ends.
Conclusion
Look, there’s still a place for gut instinct. Sometimes I write about weird stuff just because I want to. But using AI as a second brain helps me stack the odds in my favor.
It’s not just about finding popular topics—it’s about understanding why they work. That’s where the real power is. AI takes the blindfold off and lets me actually see the patterns that used to be invisible.
And let’s be honest—once you’ve seen the difference it makes, going back to the “post and pray” method feels kinda… reckless.
So yeah, if you’re not using AI to help identify high-performing content ideas yet, you’re leaving traffic (and probably money) on the table.
