TOPIC_GENERATOR_SETUP.md

Topic Generator with Keyword Research Setup Guide

Overview

The Topic Generator helps you discover content ideas by:

• Analyzing reference blogs for content gaps
• Generating AI-powered topic suggestions
• Validating topics with Google Trends (free)
• Optional: Getting search volumes from Google Ads API

Features

Built-in (No Setup Required)

• ✅ AI-powered topic generation
• ✅ Content gap analysis
• ✅ Google Trends validation
• ✅ Topic suggestions matched to blog style

Optional: Google Ads API Integration

• 📊 Search volume data
• 📈 Competition analysis
• 💰 CPC estimates
• 🎯 Keyword research

Quick Start (Without Google Ads)

1. Enter Reference Blog URL in sidebar
2. Enter OpenAI API Key in sidebar
3. Click "Generate Topic Ideas" button
4. Review suggestions with trend data
5. Click "Use This Topic" to auto-fill

That's it! The basic topic generator works immediately.

---

Advanced: Google Ads API Setup

If you want search volume and competition data, follow these steps:

Prerequisites

• Google Ads account with active campaigns
• Basic spending ($10-50/month minimum)
• Developer token from Google

Step 1: Create Google Cloud Project

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create new project: "BlogAgents Keywords"
3. Note your Project ID

Step 2: Enable Google Ads API

1. Go to "APIs & Services" > "Library"
2. Search for "Google Ads API"
3. Click "Enable"

Step 3: Get Developer Token

1. Go to Google Ads
2. Tools & Settings > Setup > API Center
3. Request developer token
4. Wait for approval (usually 1-2 business days)
5. Copy your developer token

Step 4: Create OAuth2 Credentials

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. APIs & Services > Credentials
3. Click "Create Credentials" > "OAuth client ID"
4. Application type: "Desktop app"
5. Name: "BlogAgents"
6. Download JSON (save as client_secrets.json)

Step 5: Generate Refresh Token

Run this Python script to generate refresh token:

from google_auth_oauthlib.flow import InstalledAppFlow

# Your OAuth2 credentials
CLIENT_ID = "your_client_id_here"
CLIENT_SECRET = "your_client_secret_here"

# OAuth2 scopes for Google Ads
SCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/adwords']

# Create flow
flow = InstalledAppFlow.from_client_config(
    {
        "installed": {
            "client_id": CLIENT_ID,
            "client_secret": CLIENT_SECRET,
            "auth_uri": "https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth",
            "token_uri": "https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token",
        }
    },
    scopes=SCOPES
)

# Run local server for authentication
credentials = flow.run_local_server(port=8080)

# Print refresh token
print(f"Refresh Token: {credentials.refresh_token}")

Step 6: Get Customer ID

1. Go to Google Ads
2. Look at top-right corner
3. Copy customer ID (format: 123-456-7890)
4. Remove hyphens: 1234567890

Step 7: Configure in BlogAgents

1. Open BlogAgents app
2. Sidebar: Check "Enable Google Ads API"
3. Expand "Google Ads API Configuration"
4. Enter:
   • Developer Token: From Step 3
   • Client ID: From Step 4
   • Client Secret: From Step 4
   • Refresh Token: From Step 5
   • Customer ID: From Step 6 (no hyphens)
5. Click "Test Google Ads Connection"
6. Should see "✅ Connected to Google Ads API!"

Using the Topic Generator

Basic Workflow

1. Configure (One Time):

   • Add OpenAI API key
   • Add Reference Blog URL
   • Optional: Configure Google Ads API

2. Generate Topics:

   • Click "🎯 Generate Topic Ideas"
   • Wait for AI analysis
   • Review 8-10 topic suggestions

3. Review Data:

   • Angle: Unique perspective
   • Keywords: SEO keywords
   • Rationale: Why it works
   • Content Type: Guide, Tutorial, etc.
   • Trend: Google Trends score
   • Search Volume: (if Google Ads enabled)
   • Competition: (if Google Ads enabled)

4. Select Topic:

   • Click "✏️ Use This Topic"
   • Auto-fills main form
   • Generate content as normal

Understanding Keyword Data

Google Trends (Always Available)

• Score: 0-100 interest level
• 🔥 Hot: 75+ (very popular)
• 📈 Rising: 50-75 (growing interest)
• ➡️ Steady: 25-50 (consistent)
• 📉 Low: 0-25 (low interest)

Google Ads Data (Optional)

• Search Volume: Monthly searches
• Competition: LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH
• Competition Index: 0-100 score

Troubleshooting

"Failed to connect to Google Ads API"

• Verify developer token is approved
• Check OAuth credentials are correct
• Ensure customer ID has no hyphens
• Confirm Google Ads account has active campaigns

"No topic ideas generated"

• Check OpenAI API key is valid
• Verify reference blog URL is accessible
• Try different reference blog
• Check internet connection

"Keyword research not working"

• Google Ads API is optional
• Google Trends always works (no auth needed)
• Verify all 5 credentials are entered correctly
• Test connection before generating topics

Best Practices

1. Start Simple: Use without Google Ads first
2. Test Reference Blogs: Try different blogs for variety
3. Save Good Topics: Use sheets integration to store ideas
4. Review Trends: Higher trend scores = more timely content
5. Check Competition: Lower competition = easier to rank

API Costs

OpenAI API

• Topic generation: ~$0.01-0.05 per request
• Uses same model as content generation

Google Ads API

• FREE with active Google Ads account
• No per-request charges
• Requires active campaign spending

Google Trends

• FREE always
• No authentication required
• Built into the app

Security Notes

• Store credentials securely
• Don't share API keys
• Use environment variables in production
• Rotate tokens periodically
• Monitor API usage

Support

For issues or questions:

• Check troubleshooting section first
• Review Google Ads API Docs
• Contact support with specific error messages

Future Enhancements

Planned features:

• Topic calendar planning
• Save favorite topics to Sheets
• Batch topic generation
• Competitor topic analysis
• Trending topics dashboard