10 more idea sources that inspire me to blog

Rand Fishkin offered up a particularly interesting article on SEOMOZ.org entitled 10 Web Tools to Help Generate Blog Content Ideas. His 10 web tools:

1. Usenet / GG Groups - http://groups.google.com/
The discussions that take place at Google Groups bring diverse perspectives and have a significant history to draw upon. On occassion, I’ll search for a specific topic, but more often, I’m simply browsing through the SEO, search engines or Google specific groups.
2. Technorati
Among all the tools listed here, Technorati is possibly the best for researching the most current topics or thoughts on the web. Their rankings of blog posts by date means that even a basic search for SEO or AdSense or NFL will bring up highly relevant, timely posts. Sometimes, these posts spark debate or disagreement, other times, they open up a whole new idea for information to be shared. Their latest feature - hot tags this hour (on the tags page) - can also be a source of inspiration.
3. Craigslist
When I visit Craigslist for blog ideas, I almost always refer to three sections - jobs, services and the discussion section. You can see a sample search for SEO at all three - 1, 2, 3. Craigslist, like Technorati, is up-to-date, but it’s a less tech-savvy and often more “average joe” crowd, which can make for an interesting dichotomy. Changing towns and search terms will get you even more material. (BTW - If you’ve ever wondered where the SEO spammers and scammers live, it’s right here)
4. Del.icio.us
Del.icio.us’ popular page has become so well read that it’s no longer a great source for unique topics. The specific tag pages, however, function much like Technorati, in that they provide timely links to pages that people have bookmarked. Pages like those for SEO, Google, Web2.0, business and even economics frequently features blog-worthy material I can leverage.
5. StumbleUpon
The best way to use StumbleUpon is to follow their Buzz page and use the “tag” option in the toolbar. Stumblers often have a preference for humor and the absurd, but nothing says that can’t make for good blog inspiration.
6. Google / Yahoo! News
The news services from Google & Yahoo! provide access to tens of thousands of press releases and news articles every day. Search is the best way to go, although I’ve also been known to use the tech tab at Yahoo! and Google’s Sci/Tech section, too.
7. Keyword Tools
If you’re seeking a direct path to what users want to find on your blog, searching for potential topics broadly at tools like Overture, MSN AdCenter, SEOBook’s & Digitalpoint’s makes it easy. The insight you can achieve is invaluable - despite the inaccuracy of the numbers, the number of questions I’ve found that need answering by searching for “keyword” or “google ranking” or “search engine” suggests a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.
8. Wikipedia
The obvious choice here is to look only at the articles, but I find that many times the discussion can be equally interesting. The search function is the best way to go, as the categorization structure isn’t very user-friendly, yet.
9. Digg & Reddit
Both sites take user submissions and user votes, and both are best referenced using a search. You can sort by category at Digg (i.e. tech industry news or business & finance) and use several subreddits (though these are not great). The better option is to search.
10. Yahoo! Answers
Like Google Groups, but with a better interface, and oftentimes more mainstream questions, Yahoo! Answers is a feedbag for the content-hungry blogger. I like using the Internet category as well as searching (i.e. SEO, Google ranking, etc.)

All excellent sources…

Darren Rowse of ProBlogger followed with 10 + 9 Ways to Find Great Post Ideas for Your Blog. His additional 9 ideas are as follows:

1. Conversations - it’s amazing how many ideas come from the chats I have with other bloggers, co-workers, readers, friends and family both in real life and via IM or email.
2. Reader Questions - related to this is responding to questions asked by readers
3. Reader Comments - similarly, the comments left on your blog can be a treasure trove of ideas for future posts
4. Other Blogs - like this post, I find the writing of others often stimulates posts that build on, extend or bounce off their ideas. Don’t forget to dig around in other people’s archives also as it isn’t only current posts that are places where you’ll get ideas. Of course always give credit to the source of your ideas.
5. Books, Newspapers, Magazines - I’m increasingly finding inspiration in offline sources of information
6. Mad Ideas - ever been laying in bed at night and get a crazy idea! I don’t just chuckle to myself when they come - I get up and write them down. It’s amazing how many of them end up being key posts for me later.
7. Experience - a fairly large proportion of my post ideas come directly out of an experience that I’m having on the topic. Problems, achievements, challenges and mistakes are often the best source of useful posts as you’ll find readers relate well to them.
8. Brainstorming - I take time out each week to specifically come up with ideas to post about. While most of my posts ‘just come to me’ through my day to day rhythm - I’m a big believer in working hard on story ideas also and have a folder permanently on my desktop filled with text documents that have little else in them except for a topic idea and perhaps a few jotted down notes - all to work on later.
9. Archives - dig around in your own blog’s archives and you’ll be amazed at the opportunities that you’ll find. Look for half finished ideas, opportunities to update your ideas or even topics that your newer readers wouldn’t have seen before.

When my own mind is in an idea free zone when it comes to blogging, I’ll be sure to keep these ideas pinned up on my wall, but for now, perhaps if I shared some of my own thought generators, it might add a bit more fodder to the conversation…

1. TechMeme - They update every 10 minutes with new news items and commentary. I track it throughout the day because frankly, it fascinates me and I like to stay up on the latest scoop on all things biz/tech.

2. Scobleizer - Scoble is always talking to someone, going somewhere, doing something, heard about something cool… A day isn’t complete for me if he doesn’t blog very much, because he’s always pointing me to something new and unexpected. Like many others, I consider Scoble my number one blogger.

3) Jason Calacanis — Jason is your entrepreneur’s entrepreneur. Your promoter’s promoter. Your dealmaker’s dealmaker. He’s always got something cooking in that vast mind of his and whether he’s right or wrong, I like to read about it. He writes it all in such a stimulating way that his lengthy missives just fly by.

4) Dave Winer - Dave and I are the same age, but he reminds me of a cantankerous old grouch many days. His crusty style is part of his appeal for me. He pisses me off some days, but he makes me think every day. Love him or hate him, there’s room in the blogosphere for a guy like Dave.

5) Beet.TV - If there is any one blog I’d like to emulate, it’s Andy Plesser’s Beet.TV. It’s got short, sweet video interview with online video superstars raising just the right questions (no more, no less) and he always has some great commentary to go with it.

6) Things you are working on today - I’ve been surprised by how often I am able to get new clarity on a particularly difficult issue I’m working on by blogging about it… and by how often those blog pieces turn out to hit the right nerve with a number of my readers as well.

7) Thoughts I can’t get out of my mind - Often there will be business issues I’m stuck on, that I can’t find a way around, that I dwell upon for days. Sometimes by forcing myself to blog about it, just like the above mentioned item, I get new clarity and often discover that others have been stuck on the same thing.

Vendors or retailers who treat me or a loved one poorly - In the past, I’ve bitched about Dell, HP, BestBuy and GeekSquad for what I perceive to be shoddy treatment of their customers. At the same time, I’ve also been eager to blog about companies like Apple Computer who really get it and treat their people right.

9) Insights or experiences I’ve had that I think might be helpful to others - I think that’s where Rand was coming from today in his “10 Web Tools” article. Sometimes I have those thoughts as well and like to share them with others.

10) Insights I’ve picked up from others (with credit given to the source) that I think my readers might like to know about - Nuff said.

I’m particularly grateful to Rand for starting that whole conversation, as it has given me a few more tools to help me along in my own blogging efforts.

Hat’s off to you, Rand!