Editorial plans are usually built from keyword research and the team's own ideas. Keyword tools show what people type into search engines. They don't show what your readers wanted after reading you: the follow-up question they had, or the part that was missing.
This guide shows how to collect those ideas on your pages, one short question at a time, and turn them into a list you can plan from every month.
The short answer
End your articles with one question about what comes next, such as "What should we write about next?" or "What question do you still have?". Once a month, group the answers by topic and count how often each comes up. Write first about the topics many readers ask for and you don't cover yet.
Why ask readers for topics
A reader who has just finished an article knows what they wanted next. They describe it in their own words, which are often the words other people use in search, so their answers make good headlines too. And a topic that many readers ask for already has an audience waiting for it.
Four questions that produce topic ideas
Each one does a different job. Use one per article, as the last question.
-
"What should we write about next?"
Free text. The most open question, best for finding topics you hadn't thought of. Put it on your most read articles.
-
"What question do you still have?"
Free text. Best on guides and explainers. The answers become follow-up articles or new sections in the same one.
-
"Which of these would you read next?"
Multiple choice with four to six topics you have already shortlisted, and readers can pick more than one. Best for choosing between ideas.
-
"Would you like a follow-up on this story?"
Yes / No. Best on news. It shows which stories deserve a second piece.
Example
Example: a personal finance blog
Say you write a personal finance blog. You add "What question do you still have?" to the end of your budgeting guides.
Over a month, the same question keeps coming back in different words: how to budget when your income changes every month. You have no article on it. That is your next piece, and readers have already given you the headline: "How do I budget on an irregular income?".
To choose what comes after it, you shortlist five other budgeting topics and add "Which of these would you read next?" to the same section.
Turn the answers into a publishing plan
Once a month, go through the answers in the same order:
-
Group the answers by topic
Put answers about the same need together, even when readers word them differently.
-
Count how often each topic comes up
Note which articles the answers came from. A topic asked for on several articles is stronger than one asked for many times on a single page.
-
Check what you already cover
If you have an article on it and readers still ask, they either can't find it or it doesn't answer them. Link to it from the articles where they asked, or update it.
-
Pick two or three new topics for the month
Start with the ones readers ask for most that fit what your site is about.
-
Ask about the new article once it is live
Add "Was this article helpful?" to it, so you know whether it answered the need.
| Topic readers asked for | Times asked | Do we cover it? | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budgeting on an irregular income | 14 | No | Write it this month |
| Emergency fund size | 9 | Yes, but hard to find | Link to it from the budgeting guides |
| Paying off debt or saving first | 6 | Yes, but out of date | Update it |
| Budgeting apps | 2 | No | Keep watching |
Mistakes to avoid
- Asking too many questions. One question about the future, at the end, is enough.
- Voting lists without a way out. Always add "Something else" so readers aren't forced to pick a topic they don't want.
- Acting on a single comment. Wait until a topic comes up several times, from different articles.
- Changing the question every month. Keep the same wording so you can compare one month with the next.
Where Asklet fits
Asklet lets you add the question to the end of every article in a section with one snippet and a path pattern. Questions you write go into a shared question bank, so the same question can run in several surveys and its answers can be compared. Multiple choice takes up to 12 options, and readers can pick more than one.
Comments show next to the numbers with the page each came from, and themes compare whole topics. On the Pro plan you can export comments, or connect an AI assistant such as Claude through the MCP server and ask it to group the comments by topic for you.
Your next steps
-
Choose your ten most read articles
They get the most answers fastest.
-
Add one question about what comes next
"What should we write about next?" or "What question do you still have?", as the last question and optional.
-
Once a month, group the answers by topic
Count how often each comes up and on which articles.
-
Check which topics you already cover
Link to or update those before writing anything new.
-
Let readers choose between your shortlist
A multiple choice question with four to six topics and "Something else".
-
Publish the winners and ask whether they helped
Add "Was this article helpful?" to each new article.
Try these steps on your own site. Asklet adds the questions to every page with one snippet. Free plan, no card needed. Compare the plans.
Start freeCommon questions
How many requests does a topic need before I write about it?
There is no fixed number. Look for a topic that comes up several times over a few weeks, from readers on different articles. That shows the need is real and not one reader's interest.
Should I use free text or multiple choice?
Free text to find topics you had not thought of, multiple choice to choose between topics you have already shortlisted. Start with free text, then use multiple choice once you have a shortlist.
Can each section of my site ask a different question?
Yes. In Asklet, give a path pattern such as /guides/* its own survey. Articles that match no pattern show the website's default survey.
Can I export the comments to plan in a spreadsheet?
Yes, on the Pro plan. You can also read the results and comments from an AI assistant through Asklet's MCP server on Pro.
Related
More from the blog
- Privacy and law EU cookie consent changes: where the Digital Omnibus stands in October 2026 9 min read
- Privacy and law Session replay and pixel lawsuits: what website owners should know 9 min read
- Privacy and law How to make a feedback widget accessible, and what the European Accessibility Act asks 9 min read