Brainstorm blog topics customers actually search for
A practical way to use AI for this job in a small business, with a prompt you can copy.
You know you should be writing helpful content, but every time you try to think of a topic you come up with 'Why choose us?'. Customers aren't searching for that.
The prompt
I run [business] in [location]. List 25 questions my customers commonly ask before they buy [service/product]. Group them by stage: just researching, comparing options, ready to buy. Suggest a blog title for each.
Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details. Don't paste in anything you wouldn't want stored by the AI provider.
Steps
- Run the prompt.
- Tick the questions you've genuinely been asked.
- Add any real questions it missed.
- Write the top 5 first.
A worked example
A physio clinic in Newcastle asks Perplexity for blog topics real people search for. The prompt includes their services and the questions patients ask at the front desk. Back come ideas like 'How long does a rolled ankle take to heal?', 'Do I need a referral to see a physio in NSW?' and 'Physio vs chiro for lower back pain'.
The owner checks a few in Google's 'People also ask' box to see they're real questions, then picks six for the next three months. Two of them come straight from what the receptionist hears every day. That's the best source of all.
Time saved
Brainstorming a quarter of topics usually takes an hour or two. With AI and a quick sanity check, 30 minutes is about right. These are my estimates for a typical small business, not measured results.
What it costs (AUD)
Perplexity also has a free plan, with paid plans in a similar price range to ChatGPT Plus. Check their pricing page.
The free plans of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini handle this fine. If you end up using AI every day, the paid plans are roughly: ChatGPT Plus approx. A$30 a month, Claude Pro approx. A$29 a month billed monthly (US$20, or about A$24 a month if you pay yearly), and Google AI Pro approx. A$33 a month through the App Store. Prices approx., October 2026. Some are billed in US dollars, so your bank may add a foreign transaction fee. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
Australian notes
Health businesses: AHPRA advertising rules apply to registered health practitioners, so avoid testimonials and outcome promises in health posts. For any regulated topic (health, finance, legal), have someone qualified review the final article.
Privacy: the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) cover most businesses turning over more than $3 million, plus some smaller ones such as health providers. Even if you're under the threshold, treat customer details with care: strip names, phone numbers and addresses before you paste anything into an AI tool.
My verdict
Useful, but your own inbox is the best source of questions. Use AI to organise them.
Common questions
How do I know people actually search for these?
Type them into Google and look at the 'People also ask' box and suggestions. If they show up, people are asking.
How often should I blog?
Once a month, done well, beats once a week done badly.
Can AI write the whole blog post?
It can draft it, but your experience is what makes it worth reading. Add real examples from your work.
Do this today
Ask whoever answers your phone for the five questions customers ask most. Turn the first one into a blog post title today.
More marketing use cases
- Write a month of social media post ideas
- Turn one blog post into five social posts
- Draft a monthly email newsletter
Next: Rewrite your website 'About' page · All marketing · Want a bot to do this automatically? See bot setup guides.