Topic Finder — From "I Don't Know What to Write About" to Actionable Ideas

Semrush Content is an AI-powered writing tool aimed at non-expert marketers, freelancers, and small business owners who want to create SEO-friendly content without needing deep keyword or strategy knowledge.

Through product analytics and user feedback, we identified a consistent barrier at the very start of the user journey:

Many users didn't know what to write about — not because they lacked ideas in general, but because they didn't have a clear starting point aligned with their niche or goals.

This disconnect between ideation and creation meant users either:

• Skipped ideation completely and tried to write from scratch, or
• Exited the product looking for inspiration elsewhere

With the deprecation of legacy tools underway, we needed to build an embedded ideation flow — one that would feel natural, lightweight, and usable by people with no SEO expertise.

We aimed to reduce friction at the very beginning of the content creation journey by embedding an intuitive topic ideation experience directly into Semrush Content.

This feature was intended not just to suggest ideas, but to activate writing, improve user confidence, and increase the likelihood of returning to the tool.

Success Criteria:

• Early adoption — The feature should be easily discoverable and tried by new users within their first sessions. We aimed to shift behavior from starting content "from scratch" to initiating it through topic suggestions — signaling that users understood the value right away.
• Meaningful engagement — Success meant that users not only viewed suggestions, but interacted with them — searching, scrolling, comparing, and ultimately selecting a topic to create content from. A high rate of interaction would indicate the feature was useful, not just visible.
• Repeat usage and retention — We wanted Topic Finder to become part of the user's regular workflow. Weekly topic updates and the ability to "subscribe" to content ideas were designed to keep the experience fresh and re-engage users over time.
• Perceived value and satisfaction — We aimed to validate whether the topics felt relevant, clear, and inspiring — especially for non-expert users. Positive signals here would confirm product–user fit and help shape further improvements.

We translated user insights into a new entry point for topic discovery — not as a separate tool, but as an integral part of the writing journey inside Semrush Content. The solution was designed to reduce friction, boost topic adoption, and build a habit loop around inspiration.

Key Design decisions:

• Search-first structure inside the writing product — We introduced a standalone "Ideas" tab on the homepage — visible, easy to access, and contextually linked to content creation. This allowed users to enter ideation mode without leaving their workflow.
• Simplified topic cards with SEO metadata — Each topic was presented as a compact card, displaying search volume, difficulty, and intent — but framed in language accessible to non-expert marketers. This enabled quick scanning and confident decision-making.
• One-click transition to creation — From each card, users could jump directly into article writing or brief generation. We intentionally minimized UI friction between interest and action.
• Rotating topic recommendations with re-engagement triggers — To encourage return visits, we implemented a weekly rotation of suggested topics tied to users' interests. Users could subscribe to topic categories, and we introduced timed reminders — both via in-app prompts and email notifications — to bring them back when fresh ideas were ready.
• Integrated NPS and qualitative feedback collection — To understand perceived value post-launch, we embedded a targeted NPS module within the experience. This allowed us to collect user sentiment in context, along with open-text feedback on topic relevance and overall usefulness — feeding directly into prioritization for future iterations.

• Adoption: The new entry point proved effective — many users who previously skipped ideation began using suggested topics in their first sessions.
• Engagement: Users actively explored and selected topics, with a strong link between interaction and content creation — confirming real usage, not just visibility.
• Retention: Repeat usage was limited. Despite subscriptions and reminders, most users did not return weekly — indicating a need for more personalized, evolving suggestions.
• Satisfaction: Feedback showed value for non-expert users, but also surfaced gaps in topic relevance and clarity. More advanced users wanted better targeting and context.

What This Project Taught Me

Topic Finder wasn't just a UX challenge — it was a test of how well we could turn user friction into a repeatable product habit.

It showed me that:

• Creating value is not just about suggesting ideas, but about sustaining relevance, trust, and clarity over time.
• Personalization isn't a nice-to-have — it's essential for engagement beyond first use.

This project helped sharpen my focus as a designer working on content products: to think in systems, balance quick wins with long-term loops, and design not just for interaction – but for adoption, retention, and product confidence.

It also became a stepping stone toward a broader strategy around user readiness, guided content creation, and modular product experiences — themes I continue to explore in my work today.