How to pick a niche when starting a new blog (practical, tested advice by Joseph Abu)

Joseph Abu

Updated: 15 Sep, 2025 • 0 • min read

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How to pick a niche when starting a new blog (practical, tested advice by Joseph Abu)

When I launched my first blog I chased everything: tech one week, study tips the next, and random listicles the month after. Traffic was low, my voice was fuzzy, and advertisers couldn’t tell what my site actually was. That confusion cost me months of traction. After five years helping bloggers—and testing approaches on my own sites—I learned one simple truth: clarity wins. A tightly chosen niche helps you write better, rank faster, build trust, and actually monetize.

This guide walks you through a step-by-step system to pick a blog niche that fits you and the market. I’ll give you real tests, three case studies from people I’ve coached, a comparison table, and a 30-day validation checklist so you can start confidently.

Why the right niche matters (short version)

A niche is not a limitation — it’s a lens. It tells search engines and readers who you help and why you’re worth listening to. With a focused niche you can:

Build subject-matter authority faster (Google and readers like consistency).
Rank for more specific long-tail keywords.
Create products and services that actually sell to your readers.
Make marketing and content planning easier.

SEO and content experts like Ahrefs, Moz and Google’s Search Central all push the same idea: helpful, focused content that satisfies user intent ranks better than scattered topics. (See guides from Ahrefs/Moz/Google for more on topical authority.)

The three core tests every niche must pass

When you’re choosing between ideas, test each against three dimensions:

1. Passion & expertise (can you sustain it?)

Ask yourself:

Do you enjoy talking about this topic for months?
Do you have real experience or can you learn deeply and be useful?

Why it matters: Passion keeps you consistent; expertise builds E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

2. Audience demand (is anyone searching or paying attention?)

Use:

Google Trends to see interest over time.
Keyword research tools (free: Google Keyword Planner; paid: Ahrefs, SEMrush) to check search volume and intent.
Social groups (Facebook, Reddit) to see questions people ask.

Why it matters: Even the best niche needs readers.

3. Monetization potential (can it pay?)

Consider realistic ways to make money: affiliate products, services, courses, digital downloads, ads, sponsorships.

Quick arithmetic example you can repeat:

If an affiliate product costs ₦25,000 (~$50) and your landing page converts at 1%:
- 1,000 visitors × 0.01 = 10 buyers.
- 10 buyers × ₦25,000 = ₦250,000.
  This shows that even modest traffic to a relevant product can create meaningful income — but only if your niche aligns to buyer intent.

Step-by-step process to pick a niche (do this)

Step 1 — brainstorm 20 ideas

Write everything down: hobbies, past jobs, frustrations you can solve, industries you follow. Don’t censor.

Step 2 — map problems, not topics

For each idea, write three real problems your readers face. Example: instead of “fitness”, write “lose belly fat without a gym, affordable meal prep, simple home workouts.”

Step 3 — quick keyword & audience check

For each problem search:

Are people asking this on Google or YouTube?
Is there active discussion in forums and Facebook groups?
If you see people asking, that’s demand.

Step 4 — competition & gap analysis

Visit the top 10 results for your target query. Ask:

Are the results high quality or shallow?
Is there a question nobody answers fully?
If competitors are weak, that’s your opening.

Step 5 — monetization plan for each niche

Write 3 monetization ideas (affiliate, course, service). If you can’t find any, the niche is likely poor for income.

Step 6 — micro-niche & angle

If a niche is too broad (e.g., “health”), narrow it: “postpartum fitness for busy Nigerian mothers” — specific audience, clearer content, easier SEO.

Step 7 — test with 3 pieces of content

Publish three helpful posts solving specific problems. Track traffic, time on page, and comments. If people engage — you’re onto something.

Comparison table — niche selection strategies

Strategy	Best for	Pros	Cons
Passion-driven	Long-term creators	Keeps you motivated, authentic voice	May lack demand or monetization
Profit-driven	Business-first bloggers	Easier to build products/ads	Can feel soulless; harder to sustain
Audience-driven	Community builders	Strong engagement, repeat visitors	Requires research & community work
Authority-driven	Professionals/experts	High trust, sponsor potential	Needs credentials or proof of experience

Use a hybrid: aim for a niche where passion meets demand and monetization.

Pitfalls to avoid (so you don’t waste time)

Choosing a niche only because it seems profitable, without interest or experience. You’ll burn out.
Picking a niche that’s too broad — “lifestyle” rarely ranks well without a tighter angle.
Chasing trends without a plan to convert readers (traffic without monetization is tiring).
Copying competitors exactly — you need a unique voice or format.

Three real-world case studies (from my coaching work)

Case study 1 — Aisha: “Study hacks for WAEC/JAMB students”

Background: Aisha tutored high-school students and noticed recurring mistakes.
Niche: Study tactics for Nigerian exam students (JAMB & WAEC).
Why it worked: She combined personal teaching experience with downloadable past-question planners (micro-product). Low competition for local, exam-specific long-tail queries and a clear monetization: paid essay review and affiliate links to past-question apps. Within 4 months she had a steady stream of paid essay reviews and newsletter signups.

Case study 2 — Daniel: “Beginner JavaScript to first freelance job”

Background: Daniel freelanced and moved from tutorials to service offers.
Niche: JavaScript tutorials aimed at absolute beginners who want their first freelance gig.
Why it worked: Very specific outcome (first freelance job). Daniel published how-to posts with case studies and added a “build-for-hire” portfolio page. The blog converted to three retainer clients in three months.

Case study 3 — Fatima: “Easy Nigerian family meals on a budget”

Background: Home cook with recipe notebooks inherited from family.
Niche: Affordable, quick family meals using local ingredients.
Why it worked: Fatima created a downloadable 7-day meal plan and sold it for a small price. Her email list of engaged readers turned into repeat customers for seasonal recipe mini-ebooks.

How to validate your niche in 30 days (quick test)

Publish 3 problem-solving posts (each 1,200+ words).
Share them in 5 targeted Facebook groups or subreddits and track feedback.
Build a simple email opt-in and offer a free checklist.
Run one small paid ad (optional, ₦1,000–3,000) to a single post to test click interest.
If posts get comments, signups, or 1–2 small purchases, you have validation.

If nothing moves, iterate: change angle, tighten audience, or pivot to a micro-niche.

Next steps — what I recommend you do today

Write your mission sentence: “I help [audience] do [specific thing] by [how you help].”
Pick three niche ideas and run the 30-day test above.
If you want, paste your top three ideas here and I’ll help rank them and build a 90-day content plan.

Final encouragement

Choosing a niche isn’t a life sentence — it's a strategic starting point. You can pivot later, but launching with clarity saves months of wasted effort. Pick a niche where you can meaningfully help people, test it fast, and iterate based on real signals. If you want, tell me your top three niche ideas and I’ll score them for demand, competition, and monetization inside this chat — and give you the best one to start with. Let’s pick the right lane and build something that lasts.

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