Spend a couple of hours looking at your niche ideas. I recommend you create a list of 100 keywords for each topic.

Get a Notepad for Brainstorming I prefer to start with an idea capture mechanism.   


Carry a small notebook everywhere you go so you can jot down ideas. The key is to write down everything.   Record any thought – Even if you only have a slight interest in it.  This is important because you never know where a random thought will lead!

Look at Your Personal Background Think of the characteristics that make YOU unique. 

Look for products that are related to your core niche idea.   My suggestion is to only consider an idea if you can find 3 or more products.  That means it’s making enough money to warrant a little bit of competition. 

Look for Competitive Niches


Instead of looking for a ‘hidden’ niche, I feel it’s better to find a proven market where you can create unique content.  Yes, you’ll depend a lot on search engine traffic.  But you’ll create content in a specific way where it doesn’t matter how much competition a market possesses. 

Your niche site will largely depend on what’s known as long-tail keyword phrases. 

Identify Long-Tail Keywords

The best way to get this web traffic is to create content around the specific phrases that are often used in each niche.  You won’t target ultra competitive keywords.  Instead you’ll look for longer, multiple word (3+) phrases that don’t get a ton of traffic, but are naturally congruent to the product you’re promoting. 

The best place to find this kind of information is with the Google Keyword tool offered through their Adwords program. 

I recommend you open a free account, so you can get 800 results instead of the 100 that’s typically offered with their External tool.  Once you’ve created an account, go to: Tools and Analysis ---> Keyword Tool To the left, you’ll see the options for Match Types.  I recommend you de-select the Broad and “Phrase” options.  Then select the Exact option.  This will provide the best approximation of how often that specific phrase is entered into Google. 

The goal here is to find a variety of keywords that get at least 50 to 100 exact searches each month.  These might seem like a small amount.  But they add up when you factor in random long-tail searches and related traffic.

Spend a couple of hours looking at your niche ideas.  I recommend you create a list of 100 keywords for each topic. That way, you’ll have stuff to write about once it comes time to build your website. 

After this task, you should have a ‘short-list’ of 3 or less ideas.   Each one should include the following elements: --- It should be a topic you find enjoyable --- It should be in a market where people buy information --- It should have keywords that get 50 to 100+ exact searches per month

Your First $1000 - How to Start an Online Business that Actually Makes Money by Steve Scott