1.Describe your niche in one phrase
Define what your channel is about. "Financial literacy for students" — specific. "About life" — vague.
Summary: one phrase → clear focus → easier to find topics.
A practical guide to choosing topics for YouTube, TikTok, and Shorts: niche vs. trend, search intent, evergreen content, and seasonality. Includes a step-by-step breakdown and a final TL;DR.
Jump to the guide →Your topic is the first thing a viewer sees. If it doesn't hook them, they won't click.
No thumbnail or script can save a video if the idea isn't something anyone cares about.
A great topic sits at the intersection of three things: what people are searching for, what you're good at, and where there's an open gap.
This guide is about finding those intersections. Principles, practices, steps — concise. A TL;DR at the end.
Goutub finds topics for you automatically. Idea Finder scans competitors' channels in your niche and identifies outlier videos — the ones that spiked in views relative to the channel's average. That's a signal: the topic is hot.
Trend Tracker (once you subscribe to keywords or categories) checks YouTube trending every 6 hours. If momentum suddenly builds around your topic, you get an alert — and you can still get in while the window is open.
Both tools work together. One focuses on specific competitors; the other tracks broad trends. The result is a feed of ready-to-use ideas with metrics.
A large niche means lots of viewers but lots of competition. A small niche means a warm audience but few views. Look for the medium-sized niche with a content gap.
Trends deliver a quick spike. Evergreen content delivers a long tail. A healthy channel maintains roughly a 30/70 mix in favor of evergreen.
Viewers need to be searching for your topic. Verify it with YouTube search or Google Trends. No intent, no views.
"How to make money" is vague. "How to earn 100,000 a month freelancing" is specific. The more precise, the higher the CTR.
Make videos about what you actually know. Viewers can sense inauthenticity. If you're just repeating what you Googled, your ratings will suffer.
A topic that takes 8 hours of work needs to pay off. If a niche delivers 500 views, it's only worth it if you're publishing 10 videos a week.
Your topic must target a specific viewer. "For everyone" means for no one. Describe the profile: age, problem, context.
Many topics peak at a certain time of year. Gift-related topics spike in December. Diet topics spike in January. Check the calendar.
These practices work across all platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Reels, Shorts. They keep you from drowning in hundreds of ideas.
If a trend demands a video by tomorrow and you don't have the bandwidth — skip it. Late hype equals failure.
A straight copy will lose. Take a counter-angle or a different perspective.
Long, specific phrases get fewer searches but higher conversion — and less competition.
Before filming, watch 5 competitor videos on the topic. Where are they weak? That's where you strike.
Which of your videos performed best? Make more like them. Your audience has already told you what it likes.
Don't fixate on one topic. Shoot 3 different ones in a week. The one with the best CTR points the direction.
The same idea with two different titles can yield very different reach. Test 2–3 phrasings.
In Goutub you can automatically track competitor topics. The scanner catches outliers — you get a ready-made list.
If a topic requires two weeks of work, ask whether it's worth it. Sometimes three good-enough videos beat one perfect one.
Topic ideas come at random moments. Without writing them down, 90% are forgotten. Keep a list — you'll thank yourself when you need an idea fast.
Define what your channel is about. "Financial literacy for students" — specific. "About life" — vague.
Summary: one phrase → clear focus → easier to find topics.
Open YouTube. Enter your niche's key phrase. See how many channels appear in the top 10 and what their view counts look like. That's your context.
Summary: know the size → know the ceiling and set realistic expectations.
Don't filter at this stage. Write down everything that comes to mind — ideas from your own life, from comments, from competitors, from the news.
Summary: wide input → plenty to choose from.
For each topic ask: is there intent? specificity? expertise? does the timing fit? Eliminate the ones that don't pass.
Summary: 8 filters → you cut the dead weight upfront.
Search YouTube for each remaining topic. Watch the top 3 videos. What do they deliver? Where are the gaps? That's your entry point.
Summary: know your competitors' weaknesses → know where you can win.
Use Google Trends or Goutub Trend Tracker. Is the topic rising or falling? If it's rising — move fast. If it's evergreen — no rush.
Summary: match your work pace to the topic's momentum.
How many hours will the video take? What's the realistic reach in your niche? If the ratio is bad — choose a different topic.
Summary: time is your main resource. Don't waste it on topics that won't perform.
One person. Age, problem, context. What are they searching for, and why right now? The video should feel personal to them.
Summary: specific viewer → sharper hook, higher retention.
The title is part of the topic. Test 3 formats: a question, a paradox, a promise. Which one would you click yourself? Go with that one.
Summary: a good title = +20% CTR. Don't cut corners on it.
Show your chosen topic to 3 people from your target audience. Ask: would they watch it? If everyone says yes — go shoot it. If not — rephrase.
Summary: a live test beats any theory. Without it, you're just guessing.
1. A topic = an idea + a title + an audience.
2. A great topic is the intersection of demand, expertise, and a gap.
3. Never make videos about "anything." Always make them for a specific viewer.
4. Trends give a spike. Evergreen gives a long life. Mix them.
5. Long-tail titles outperform generic ones.
6. Study your competitors: you're building content in their gaps.
7. Don't commit to one topic — test 3–5.
8. Write down every idea. 90% vanish without notes.
9. Idea Finder and Trend Tracker save hours of research.
10. The final filter is a real viewer. Not theory.
Idea Finder in Goutub automatically scans competitor channels and surfaces topics that have spiked in views. Trend Tracker monitors broad trends. The result: a feed of ready-to-use ideas with metrics. No guesswork.
Try Idea Finder