How to use Answer the Public as a Blogger (and why you’d want to)

Last updated on 12 April 2023

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One of the things that bloggers need to do is actually write blog posts. Right? Right. This means we need to come up with ideas, know what keywords we need to be using, figure out what it is that people are actually searching for to make sure we’re hitting the nail on the head, and then get to the writing bit. A tool that I’ve found helpful is Answer the Public, so in this blog post, we’re going to take a look at how to use Answer the Public as a blogger. And hopefully, it’ll help you, too!

But first up …

What is Answer the Public?

Answer the Public is a keyword tool now owned by Neil Patel and his company, Ubersuggest. Answer the Public takes all the queries that people have put into search engines and spits them out in a way that we can quickly see what people are searching for, what sorts of questions they’re asking, what variations of the words they’re using and more.

You can view results in lists or in much more visually appealing diagrams, which is great for visual learners.

Who can use Answer the Public?

Anyone! Whether you’re a blogger like me, a business owner, a social media manager, an article writer – anyone who uses the internet and uses words (basically everyone, right?!), can use Answer the Public and find it (hopefully) to be really helpful. Even if that’s just for getting some ideas.

How do you use Answer the Public as a blogger?

In this blog post, I’m going to suggest a bunch of different ways you can utilise the features of Answer the Public for your blog, in the hopes that you can get creative with your content but also make sure people are finding it.

Use a specific keyword or topic to start off with

Enter a specific keyword or topic into Answer the Public to generate a list of related questions and phrases that people are searching for online. All of these words and phrases are ones that real people actually use, which means they’re literally putting it into Google and looking for answers.

When you start with a general idea, such as “Auckland beaches” you’ll then be able to narrow down what you want to include in your blog post about beaches in Auckland, or you might be prompted to adjust what you want to write about, based on what people are searching for. But start pretty broad to get a feel for it first.

Find the popular questions

Look for frequently asked questions related to your topic. Knowing what these are is going to help you write your blog post in such a way that you’re answering their questions. Remember, when we’re answering questions, we’re upping the likelihood of people landing on our blogs.

Answer the Public will collate popular questions and pop them into the Questions tab for you to easily click. It will list who, what, where, when, how and why questions with your keyword in them, as well as any that begin with can, which, are and so.

💡 Content idea: Use the questions within a blog post, or use the questions to generate blog post ideas.

Find long-tail keywords

“Auckland beaches” is a keyword. But “best beaches to visit in Auckland” is a long-tail keyword. Long-tail keywords a really what people will put into Google, if they’re any good at searching for information. A keyword is one or two words, but a long-tail keyword is more like a short phrase. It’s a lot more specific and narrowed down, which means that the person searching is going to find content that really gives them the answers they’re looking for.

When using Answer the Public as a blogger, we want to be on the lookout for those long-tail keywords. We can use Answer the Public to help us figure out what phrases and sentences people are using and use those long-tail keywords in our blog posts.

Utilise the different sections

Answer the Public has a few different sections you could be utilising, especially if the one you’re looking at (perhaps the default) isn’t giving you many ideas. Try switching to Questions, Prepositions, Comparisons, Alphabetical or Related to see other results.

Looking at the other tabs or sections will give you different long-tail keywords that you might not have thought about before, and therefore more ideas to run with. I particularly enjoy the Alphabetical tab, as it seems to give me a lot more ideas.

Create your blog posts around certain themes

If you’re sensing a trend or a theme in the results that you’re getting (perhaps there are lots of questions about dogs at the beach, or cooking facilities etc), then why not grab those ideas and combine them into one blog post?

Perhaps you could write a blog post about picnicking at the beach, and which of the Auckland beaches is the best to have a family BBQ? Or the best dog-friendly beaches in Auckland everything you need to know about taking your furry friend to them. Use the questions about dogs at the beach or the other searches to formulate a really in-depth blog post.

Use Answer the Public with other tools

Ever the best tools out there need a buddy. Answer the Public is a great tool on its own, but it can also be combined with other keyword research tools to get even more insights into your audience’s interests and needs.

Try using Ubersuggest to figure out which of the keywords that Answer the Public gave you are going to work for YOUR blog. Use your blogging content planner to brainstorm your Answer the Public ideas further and slot them into your blog plan. Use your keywords on your Pinterest pins (but double-check the Pinterest Keyword Vault first!).

Conclusion

At the end of the day, Answer the Public is just another tool out there on the internet. And it’s how you use it that really makes the difference. I hope that these tips for using Answer the Public as a blogger were helpful and you’re able to head away and try it for yourself.

Do you use Answer the Public for your blog posts? What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments!

 

Answer the Public FAQs

Is Answer the Public free?

Yes, Answer the Public is free to use. You get up to 3 searches a day for free, but if you’d like more then you can sign up with Ubersuggest.

What kind of data does Answer the Public give?

Answer the Public provides data on keywords and questions that people are searching for online. These are then organised into categories such as questions, prepositions, related and more. And it gives that info in lists and also in word charts.

Can I export my results from Answer the Public?

Yes, you can export the data from Answer the Public in CSV format, which is really handy! It means you can do your searches and then take it off the platform and deal with the information in whatever way works for you.

How accurate is the data?

The info provided by Answer the Public is based on the searches people put into tools like Google, which means it reflects what people are actually searching for online. But like any tool, it may not fully capture it all.

Can Answer the Public help with SEO?

Sure can! Answer the Public can help with SEO (search engine optimisation) for your blog or website by providing insights into the keywords and questions that people are searching for online. You can then use those results in your blog posts and on your web pages to better your SEO. Use it with tools like Ubersuggest, Ahrefs or SEMrush for better stats, though.

Can Answer the Public be used for creating social media posts?

Answer the Public can be used for social media posts, absolutely! In fact, it’s a great way to figure out some short and snappy post ideas, as well as those longer ones for blog posts.