Choosing a Topic

I'd like to say I've read a lot of articles about choosing a topic for your blog. In truth, I've only read several. Maybe it's a coincidence that the articles I found all seem to say the same thing - don't pick a topic you think will make you a lot of money, choose one that you are passionate about.

I really do understand the point that's trying to be made, but blog topics have been flying through my head at the speed of thought lately and there are some that I've had to scrap because of time/money.

We all know that time=money. We all want more money for our time. In fact we'd prefer not to have to spend time making money. The less time and energy it takes me to make more money - the better. Listen to me! I sound almost obsessed - like Scrooge McDuck. (Very unlike me, I assure you.) Here is my reasoning:

• Time spent working takes away from time with family.
• Time at the office is time away from home.
• Salaries usually have upper limits.
• Working for someone else is stressful.

None of these contribute to the health of my family.

So when I'm considering topics for potential blogs time and money are key factors. Example - I have an interest in Ancient Civilizations. The Egyptians, the Mayans - I've even travelled to a several ancient ruins. But my historical knowledge of these civilizations is limited and it would require a great deal of time and effort to research and write articles on them.

Another consideration is how big the target audience is. Go to Google Trends and compare Egypt, Ancient Civilization, Pyramid and Golf.

How saturated is the market? Google Paris Hilton and Google will show you:

Results 1 - 10 of about 60,200,000 for paris hilton.

I don't know a ton about search engine ranking yet, but I'm pretty sure it takes awhile to climb that ladder.

So what have I figured out - other than don't believe every blog you read?

1. Choose a topic for which you can generate content quickly and easily.
2. Choose a topic that lots of people are interested in.
3. Choose a topic that hasn't been over saturated.
4. If you can find one, choose a topic that other bloggers have overlooked.