How I Use AI to Write SEO-Friendly Blogs: Generating Ideas, Creating Outlines, and Outranking Competitors

For years, my blogging workflow looked something like this:

1. Stare at a blank page for way too long.
2. Scramble through keyword research tools, trying to find a topic that people actually care about.
3. Open 10+ competitor blog posts, picking apart what worked (and what didn’t).
4. Spend hours outlining, drafting, and editing.

It was an agonising, soul-sucking time vortex of doom. Then came AI. And I think we all know what happened next. Although to be honest, I spend just as long creating blogs now as I did pre-Ai. I just spend more of that on the strategic SEO stuff.

So here’s how I use Ai for blog content … 

Step 1: Find a Blog Topic Using AnswerThePublic

Before you start writing, you need to know what people are actually searching for – not just what you think they want to read. And for that, I like to use AnswerThePublic.

AnswerThePublic is a search listening tool that scrapes Google’s autocomplete data and organises real user search queries into questions, prepositions, and comparisons. Instead of dumping a list of random keywords, it presents search trends visually, making it easier to spot common themes and popular questions.

1. Enter a broad keyword related to your niche. Example: If your blog is about SEO, try entering “SEO best practices” or “keyword research”.

2. Analyse the question clusters. The tool presents results as a mind map of common queries, breaking them into categories like who, what, when, where, why, how. Look for well-structured, specific questions that could be expanded into a blog post.

3. Click on a relevant question. This will take you to Google’s search results, where you can see what top-ranking blogs are already covering. If you see a lot of outdated content or thin articles, that’s a ranking opportunity for you!

Step 2: Analyse the Top-Ranking Blog Posts on Google

Once you’ve found a strong blog topic, the next step is to take a look at what’s already ranking – not to copy, but to reverse-engineer success and create something even better.

This is what’s called the ‘Skyscraper Method’ – a content strategy where you:

1. Find top-ranking content on a given topic.
2. Analyse what makes it successful (structure, depth, engagement).
3. Create something even better – more detailed, more up-to-date, more engaging.

The goal? If you build a taller skyscraper (i.e., a better piece of content), Google has more reason to rank you above the competition.

Here’s how I do it: 

Identify the Best-Performing Content

• Search for your chosen blog topic on Google.
  • Example: If your topic is “How do I optimise my website for SEO?”, type it into Google and check the results.

• Open the first three organic search results (ignore ads). These are the posts Google considers the most relevant and valuable.

• Look at key SEO factors:
  • Content length: are they short (500 words) or in-depth (2,000+ words)?
  • Structure: what H2s and H3s do they use?
  • Format: do they include images, videos, infographics, or step-by-step guides?
  • Engagement: are there lots of comments, social shares, or backlinks?

I like to use the chrome extension Keywords Everywhere this will literally give you the information on domain authority, search volume, competition, and related keywords right inside your Google search results.

It’s like having a secret weapon for SEO—no more guessing which keywords are worth targeting or which websites are dominating the rankings. You’ll see exactly how strong a competitor’s site is, what’s trending, and where you have the best chances of ranking.

Use ChatGPT to Summarise Competitor Content

Once you’ve identified the best-performing content, extract their structure to see how they organise information.

The easiest way to do it is just to paste the competitor blog’s URL directly into ChatGPT and ask it to summarise the content.

Bear in mind that some websites block AI crawlers. If that happens, you’ll need to go old-school: copy and paste the content manually (just for analysis, not for stealing).

This prompt will help:

“Please summarise the following content into a clear and structured blog outline. The outline should include a compelling title, an introduction, key sections with headings and bullet points for subtopics, and a conclusion. Ensure the structure is logical and engaging for readers. [Insert link or pasted content].”

Compare Outlines and Identify Gaps

Now, take a step back and look for patterns and opportunities across the top-ranking blogs. 

• What do they all cover? These are the must-have sections in your post.
• What’s missing? Is there a point they should have included but didn’t? That’s your chance to add value.
• Where can you go deeper? More details, real-world examples, fresh data, expert quotes – this is how you outshine competitors.
• How are they formatting their posts? Are they using bullet points, step-by-step lists, infographics, FAQs? Make note of what’s working.

You’re not reinventing the wheel – you’re building a better one. One that has your personal expertise, experience and opinions. Google already favours these blogs, so by studying their structure, you can craft content that’s more informative, more engaging, and ultimately, more rank-worthy.

Step 3: Extract Heading Structures for SEO

Google LOVES a well-structured, easy-to-read blog (and so do actual humans). If your content is a chaotic wall of text, no one’s sticking around.

The best way to do this? Extract the heading structure from top-ranking posts and use it as a framework for your own content.

1. Open a competitor’s high-ranking blog (one you analysed in Step 2).
2. Click on the Detailed SEO Chrome Extension – this little gem pulls all the headings from the page.
3. Go to the “Headings” tab to see the full breakdown (H1, H2, H3, H4… you get the idea).
4. Hit “Copy to Clipboard” to grab all the headings in one go.
5. Paste them into a Google Doc to compare structures across 2–3 competitor posts.

Step 4: Gather Related Questions from Google

If you want your blog to actually rank (and not just sit in internet purgatory), you need to cover what people are already asking. Otherwise, you’re just guessing- and Google does not reward guesswork.

Here’s how to find those golden, rank-worthy questions:

• Go back to AnswerThePublic and look for related questions around your topic.
• Check Google’s People Also Ask section – click on a few to expand and reveal even more.
• Use Google Autocomplete – type in your keyword and see what comes up.

How to Use Them in Your Blog:

• Add them as H2s or H3s in your outline to match search intent.
• Answer them clearly so they work for both readers and Google.
• Drop a few into an FAQ section to capture even more search queries.

The more real questions you answer, the more chances you have to rank. Simple.

Step 5: Generate a Humanised Blog Post Using AI

AI should assist your writing, not replace it. If you just copy and paste whatever ChatGPT spits out, your blog is going to sound generic and robotic. And trust me, people can tell.

But when done right, AI can give you a pretty solid first draft, ready for you magic touch.

Here’s how to do it right:

1. Fire up ChatGPT (or, even better, build your own custom GPT for a more tailored output).
2. Use this prompt to generate a human-like, structured blog post:Use the following prompt to generate a natural, well-structured blog post: 

Using the following outline, write a well-structured blog post titled ‘[Insert Blog Post Title]’. Ensure the blog is informative and written in formal, natural-sounding English. Use the information from our previous discussion, seamlessly incorporating the provided keywords so they fit naturally within the content. Structure the blog with clear headings using H2, H3, and H4 tags to organise the information in a logical and reader-friendly way. Additionally, integrate the provided questions as FAQs to enhance readability and engagement.

3. EDIT. EVERYTHING. AI isn’t perfect, and sometimes it hallucinates (yes, that’s a thing). So go through the draft, tweak awkward phrasing, inject personality, and make it sound like YOU.

AI is a tool, not a shortcut. Use it wisely, and you’ll get high-quality content – without losing your unique voice. 

Step 6: Optimise Your Blog Post with Internal Links

Internal linking is one of the easiest SEO wins – yet so many people completely ignore it. 🙄 Google uses internal links to map out your site structure, and readers use them to find more of your content (which keeps them on your site longer – win-win).

Try this ChatGPT prompt:

Read my blog post and confirm if you understand. 

(We don’t want it jumping the gun just yet – this makes sure it’s actually processing the content before suggesting links.)

Once confirmed, hit it with…

Identify natural placements where I can link to these existing pages: [List your related blog posts or service pages]. Suggest anchor text that fits seamlessly.

Here’s what ChatGPT gave me for this exact post:

AI is a Tool – Not a Magic Wand

AI can speed up the blogging process, but it can’t replace strategy, personality, or that human spark that makes content actually work. Because let’s be real – a blog isn’t just a bunch of words on a page. It’s a business asset. 

It should:

• Attract the right audience
• Boost your search rankings
• Bring in actual leads (not just page views)

And if keeping up with blogging feels like a never-ending chore (or it just keeps getting shoved to the bottom of your to-do list), you don’t have to do it yourself.

I write SEO-optimised, strategic blog posts that help businesses like yours rank on Google, attract dream clients, and grow – without you lifting a finger.

So, if you’re done with the blank-page struggle (or just want blogging off your plate for good) – let’s chat.