Content marketing only works when customers actually read your content.

It’s really that simple when we get down to the basics. We can discuss target markets, demographics and social media engagement all day long. But what really matters is creating content that connects with people.

Many times, a business blog will focus on their latest feature, profile a user, or maybe share testimonials. These are all great things and we shouldn’t stop doing them. But we also need to figure out exactly what draws customers in and that can be very costly for small businesses who can’t afford an entire marketing department. Answering the right questions is the perfect way for small businesses to connect with their audience.

If you’re a small business that wants to create data-driven content without spending a fortune, here’s a quick plan using free SEO tools.

Discover Questions Customers are Asking

My husband asks Alexa what the weather is at least five times a day. Over the weekend, we asked Google how fast Superman could fly and when Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was released.

The point is that people ask questions.

Let’s say you’re in the alternative health niche and meditation is a common interest among your customers. Ubersuggest is a free SEO tool that helps you find and research keywords, including offering lots of suggestions and how tough the competition may be.

I searched “how to meditate”:


Along with data on my specific questions, Ubersuggest also uncovered competition levels and a few other questions including:

  • what is meditation
  • types of meditation
  • how do you meditate
  • how to meditate beginners

From the information, I can create a list of questions that my customers are asking each month.

Don’t think Twitter trends. And don’t think about “breaking news” trends.

Think long-term using the Google Trends tool. Like most of Google’s tools, it’s free and easy to use. Bypass all the major trending stuff because we’re interested in uncovering long-term trends, not what’s trending today. Start your search in the “Explore” box and Google will share lots of really interesting SEO data.

Keeping with my meditation theme, I can see where interest is most popular and what queries are rising. For example, meditation is a growing trend in Australia and Ireland and may offer some great opportunities to create very specific content for those areas.


In the Related Queries section, “what is transcendental meditation” is a rising topic. While in the Related Topics section, spiritual retreats is a growing and may offer a new topic to explore. Overall, this is a great tool to see what’s trending over long periods of time and to uncover what may become a rising trend in your niche.

Create SEO Driven Content for Your Blog

In less than 20 minutes, I’ve used two free SEO tools to uncover tons of useful content ideas. Let’s say my alternative health business wanted to attract new customers to funnel towards an anti-stress product. With a few clicks, we could write content on:

  • Meditation centers in Perth, Melbourne or Dublin
  • Types of meditation
  • Growing trend of transcendental meditation

You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on the latest SEO tools. Those tools are great, but most small businesses can find amazing content ideas that answer your customer’s questions. You don’t need to stop sharing new features, sales or testimonials on your business blog. Just start answering your target market’s questions.

You’ll get amazing results without spending a dime.