My 10 Step-by-Step System I Use to Go From Zero Ideas to Fully Published Content with WA

Introduction

How I create content when my mind is blank comes down to one thing—having a system that actually works.

Let’s face it. With all the AI tools available today, it might seem like content creation should be easy. But here’s the truth: writer’s block is still real, especially when you're building a business and every post matters.

When I first joined Wealthy Affiliate, I had everything I needed—training, coaches, powerful tools—but I still sat there, staring at a blank screen wondering where to start. Sound familiar?

What changed everything for me was developing a repeatable process. A workflow I could use again and again, whether I was full of ideas or running on empty.

In this training blog, I’ll walk you through the exact step-by-step system I use to go from zero ideas to a fully optimized, published blog post. You’ll see how I use tools from Wealthy Affiliate, Jaaxy, Google, ChatGPT, and Canva to create content that not only ranks—but converts.

This is a real example using an affiliate-focused topic, but feel free to plug in your own niche as you follow along.

Let’s get into it.

Step 1: Use the WA Content Ideas Tool to Jumpstart Creativity

When I don’t know what to create, I start with what’s already built into the Wealthy Affiliate platform—the Content Ideas tool.

This section is a goldmine for those blank-page days. Instead of racking my brain, I just browse the ideas already waiting for me.

For this example, I jumped into the “Unique Content Ideas” section and came across a title that stood out:

“Beginner-Friendly Affiliate Marketing Tools To Boost Your Success.”

That immediately clicked with the kind of content I want to create—value-driven, helpful for beginners, and perfect for affiliate promotion. So I saved it to My Writing Tasks to get the ball rolling.

Why beginner-level topics work so well:

Beginner content brings in readers who are actively looking for guidance—which makes it easier to build trust, recommend tools, and earn commissions.
Plus, this type of content often ranks faster since it answers clear, simple search questions that don’t require advanced authority.

Step one isn’t about overthinking—it’s about finding one solid idea that gets things moving.
And here’s something I remind myself every time:
If it stands out to you, it’ll probably stand out to your readers too.

Step 2: Explore Related Categories and Build a Content Funnel

Once I’ve got a solid idea saved to My Writing Tasks, I head over to the Content Ideas > Categories section and plug that title into the search.

In this case, I clicked into the Best Affiliate Marketing Tools For Beginners category—and boom, look what popped up:

From that one idea, I now have 10+ related blog titles ready to go, including:

• Top 10 Affiliate Marketing Tools Every Beginner Should Have
• The Ultimate Guide To Starter Affiliate Marketing Tools
• Essential Tools For Affiliate Success
• Crafting Your Marketing Strategy: Tools for Newbies

These aren’t random — they’re keyword-driven content angles designed to support and extend your original post. So instead of one blog, I now have the framework for a full content cluster.

Here’s how I use it:

• I save any titles that spark ideas — future blogs, social posts, or supporting articles.
• I treat the original topic as a pillar post (parent page) and build out 3 to 5 supporting posts underneath.

This creates a mini content funnel, helps with internal linking, and tells Google my site has depth on the topic.

Step 2 is where you stop thinking “what should I write?” and start seeing how much you can write just from one simple idea.

Step 3: Google the Title and Scout the Competition

Now that I’ve chosen a working title and found a few related angles, it’s time to see what’s already out there.

So I take my exact post title:
“Beginner-Friendly Affiliate Marketing Tools To Boost Your Success”
And I drop it straight into Google.

Here’s what I’m looking for:

• Are YouTube videos showing up first?
  If so, I may need to create a video later or focus my content on gaps they’re not covering.
• Are the top results from huge authority sites, or smaller blogs?
  If I see lesser-known sites on Page 1, I know I have a real shot at ranking.
• What questions show up in the “People Also Ask” section?
  These are pure gold. I copy the ones that make sense for my readers.
• What’s missing from the top-ranking content?
  Maybe the blog skips important details, has no real product examples, or just feels generic.

Pro tip:

I’m not trying to copy what’s already ranking—I’m trying to improve on it.
What would I want to see in a post like this that others didn’t include?

Those missing pieces become my competitive edge.

Once I’ve scouted the SERP and gathered 4–6 relevant questions, I drop them into my blog outline for later.

Simple, powerful, and totally underrated.

Step 4: Dig into Keywords with Jaaxy

Now that I know what my post is about and what’s already ranking, it’s time to find the keywords that will give my content a real chance to show up in search results.

I don’t overcomplicate this step—because Wealthy Affiliate already has a shortcut built in.

Inside the Content Ideas section, when I click on my selected blog title—

“Beginner-Friendly Affiliate Marketing Tools To Boost Your Success” —
a keyword box pops up showing what that post can rank for in search engines.

From here, I pull 3 long-tail keyword phrases that feel specific, natural, and relevant to the tools and advice I’ll be covering.

For this post, I’m using:

• Beginner-friendly affiliate marketing tools
• Best affiliate tools for beginners
• Success in affiliate marketing

I drop those into a Google Doc to start outlining my blog structure. Then, I search each keyword in Google and grab two “People Also Ask” questions per phrase. These questions tell me exactly what my readers are looking for.

By the end of this step, I’ve got:

• 3 long-tail keywords
• 6 questions people are actively searching for
• A rough skeleton for my blog that’s built around real demand

This step gives me a major edge—because instead of guessing what to write, I’m building content based on what people are actually searching for right now.

Step 5: Find Affiliate Products That Match Your Keywords (If You're Not Already Promoting WA)

This step is optional depending on your niche—but it’s one of the most powerful moves you can make when writing affiliate content.

Here’s what I usually do:

If I were working in one of my other niches (like gear reviews or outdoor research tools), I’d take my main post title and the 3 long-tail keywords I found earlier and drop them straight into Google Shopping.

From there, I’d look for high-value, beginner-friendly products that match the intent behind the search.

For example, in this case, I found:

• “Affiliate Marketing For Dummies”
• Starter kits for affiliate beginners
• Budget-friendly ebooks and guides

If I were promoting products like these, I’d jot down:

• Product name
• Link
• Why it’s a good fit for the article
  And weave that naturally into my post.

But for this blog?

I’m keeping it simple.

Since this is a post for my affiliate marketing website, my primary offer is Wealthy Affiliate itself—plus a few AI tools I actually use.

So instead of product-hopping, I’ll be weaving in WA as the core recommendation. No fluff, no clutter. Just a trusted platform that matches the topic perfectly.

This step is still important to understand, because even if you’re focused on one main offer right now, knowing how to research products will help you:

• Expand your income streams
• Build content in other niches
• Add depth to future blog posts

Step 6: Build a Solid Blog Draft with ChatGPT

By now, I’ve got everything I need to create something valuable:

• A working blog title
• Three strong, beginner-friendly keywords
• Six “People Also Ask” questions from Google
• A decision on what I’m promoting (in this case, Wealthy Affiliate)

Now it’s time to bring it all together.

I open up ChatGPT, start a fresh conversation, and plug in my notes. My prompt usually sounds something like this:

“Write a blog post using the title: Beginner-Friendly Affiliate Marketing Tools To Boost Your Success. Use these keywords naturally throughout the post: [list your 3 keywords].
Answer these questions from Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ section: [paste in your 6 questions].
Mention Wealthy Affiliate as a recommended tool, but in a helpful, non-salesy way.”

Within seconds, ChatGPT gives me a structured, SEO-friendly first draft that actually makes sense.

This is where my Google Doc finally pays off.

If you were wondering why I mentioned that doc earlier—this is the reason.

That’s where I’ve been collecting:

• My keywords
• My “People Also Ask” questions
• My product decisions
• Notes about tone, intent, and structure

Now, instead of scrambling to remember everything, I just copy from my doc into ChatGPT and let it handle the heavy lifting.

But here’s the key:

I don’t treat the AI output as a final product.
What I get is a launching point—a draft with bones, flow, and decent transitions. From there, I take over and make it mine.

This step saves me hours of blank-page struggle.
Instead of wondering what to write, I’m editing and improving what’s already on the page.

Step 7: Bring It Into SiteContent and Make It Yours

Now that I’ve got a full working draft from ChatGPT, it’s time to move it over to Wealthy Affiliate’s SiteContent editor and start shaping it into a blog that reflects my voice and my goals.

Inside the WA dashboard, I click “Create a New Article” in SiteContent. From there, I choose the AI Author Beta and select the Conversational Blogger template. This gives me a tone that’s already pretty close to how I naturally write.

Then I:

• ✅ Paste in the full draft from ChatGPT
• 📝 Rewrite the introduction to feel more personal
• 🔄 Blend in real thoughts, experiences, or commentary
• 🛠 Adjust structure for readability: short paragraphs, clean subheadings, scannable flow
• 💬 Add transitions or insights where AI feels a little robotic or too “template-y”

This is where I breathe life into the blog.

SiteContent Pro Tip:

Wealthy Affiliate's writing tools also help with:

• Grammar cleanup
• Word count and structure tracking
• Version control (great if you make edits and want to go back)
• Direct publishing to your WordPress site

This isn’t just about writing faster—it’s about writing better with less effort.

By the time I’m done with this step, the post is clean, human, and 100% aligned with my brand—even if I started from AI scaffolding.

Step 8: Create Unique Visuals to Elevate the Post

Content without visuals? It’s like a sandwich with no filling.
If you want people to stop scrolling and actually read, you need images that catch the eye and support the story.

Once the draft is cleaned up in SiteContent, I shift gears into visual mode.

Here's how I do it:

Step 1: Generate the image using DeepAI

I create a base image using DeepAI, usually something that fits the vibe of the blog—like a digital workspace, affiliate tools, or a simple “starter kit” visual.

Step 2: Upload into ChatGPT for fine-tuning

Once I’ve got my base image, I upload it into ChatGPT’s image tools and ask for enhancements.
That might be:

“Make this more realistic and 3D”
“Add soft lighting and depth”
“Sharpen details and tone down background clutter”

This gives me a polished, eye-catching version I can actually use in the post or across social platforms.

Step 3: Open Canva and format for each platform

Now that I’ve got the final image, I load it into Canva and build versions for:

• Twitter/X (horizontal) — perfect for blog headers
• Instagram & Facebook (square) — simple and shareable
• Pinterest (vertical) — more atmospheric, great for traffic

All of them keep a unified look, so no matter where someone sees the post—it feels connected to my brand.

Why I do this:

• Images help readers emotionally connect
• Unique visuals boost Pinterest shares and click-throughs
• It gives your blog a premium, professional vibe—even if it started with no ideas

By the end of this step, I’ve got custom visuals for:

• The blog header
• All my socials
• Any future repurposing I might do

Step 9: Quick Optimizing Before Publishing

Before I hit that big “Publish” button, I take 5 to 10 minutes to run through a final checklist. This is the polish phase—nothing fancy, just making sure everything flows, reads clean, and looks professional.

Here’s what I check:

The Read-Through

• I skim the entire post for flow and clarity
• I make sure each section transitions naturally
• I remove any leftover AI phrasing that sounds off or robotic

The Formatting

• I break up long paragraphs (especially for mobile readers)
• I double-check headers, bullet points, and bolding for consistency
• I position images where they add value, not distraction

The SEO Essentials

• My primary keyword appears in the intro and at least one subheading
• All internal links go to relevant pages on my site
• My affiliate links work and are placed in helpful, not spammy, ways
• My meta description includes my main keyword and reflects the post’s purpose

The Final Touch

• I paste in my Affiliate Disclosure (we’ll hit that in the next step)
• I upload my final blog header image
• I preview the post in both SiteContent and WordPress block editor
• I take a deep breath... and hit Publish

This step doesn’t need to take forever. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s momentum.
Once it’s live, I can always revisit and optimize again later.

Step 10: Share It, Track It, and Build Momentum

Publishing a blog post isn’t the end—it’s just the beginning.

Once I hit “Publish” in SiteContent, I shift into distribution mode and make sure the post actually gets seen. Here's how I do it:

Add It to My Website Navigation

First, I head into my Wealthy Affiliate back office, open the Menus section, and add the new blog to my site’s navigation.

This does two things:

• Makes it easier for visitors to find
• Helps Google crawl and index it faster

Style It Inside WordPress

Once it's live, I jump over to my WordPress dashboard and open the post in the block editor.

Here I:

• Adjust fonts, spacing, and heading styles for a better visual experience
• Drop in a Table of Contents if the post is long
• Add my featured header image right at the top
• Confirm that my blog title appears early in both the content and meta description

Add My Affiliate Disclosure

Right near the top or end of the post (sometimes both),

Why I Make My Disclosure Stand Out

I don’t bury it in tiny print.
I want readers to trust me, and that starts with transparency.
If you’re clicking a link that supports what I do, I think you deserve to know that—and I’m proud to share it.

Plus, we’re required to show it anyway… so why not make it look clean and fit the flow?

Share It Everywhere

With the blog looking clean and dialed in, I go back to the visuals I made in Step 8 and start promoting the post across my social channels:

• Twitter/X using the horizontal version
• Instagram and Facebook with the square format
• Pinterest using the taller, atmospheric version
• And sometimes I even embed it in an email or WA training update

Monitor & Let It Inspire the Next One

Once the post is out there, I keep an eye on:

• Traffic
• Clicks
• Engagement
• And whether it starts ranking for any of the keywords I picked

Then… I repeat the process.
Often, the performance of one blog helps shape the next idea I build. That’s how momentum happens.

Final Thoughts

Creating content from nothing isn't easy—but it's absolutely doable when you have a process you trust.

This system has saved me from blank screens, second-guessing, and burnout more times than I can count.
Whether this is your first blog or your 100th, I hope this guide helps you create content with more confidence, structure, and purpose.

Content builds brands.
Consistency builds trust.
And action builds everything.

So if you’re stuck? Come back to this.
Follow the steps.
Use the tools.
Add your voice.

The internet’s a big place—but there’s room for your story.

Keep building.
Stay curious.
And don’t let the blank page win.

Oh ya here is what it looks like on my site all said and done

Shawn