There are many places you can check out to help you pick a topic for your website.

1. The Lycos Top 50 is one such place. Although it is not the most popular search engine, its Top 50 list is a great way to get a feel for what people are searching for. They also keep archives so you can look at the search history. Here is the URL to the Top 50 search list on Lycos:

http://50.lycos.com

If you are just starting out, you won’t be able to compete with the top 50 that are listed however a little imagination will help you come up with sub topics from the Lycos top 50 list. If you keep checking the list on a regular basis, you may even be able to pick up a pattern and figure out some of the future top searches.

2. Use a keyword service. There are hundreds of software programs that will help you pick keywords. Try shopping around until you find one you are happy with.

3. If you really want to know what is popular, search for some of the most visited blogs on the net and check out what they are writing about. A good indicator of popular topics are the number of people leaving comments.

4. Just write about a topic that interests you. Passion will win out every day of the week. If you can produce “real” content that serves a purpose, the search engines will love your website and other sites will naturally link to you.

5. Go to Amazon.com and browse through the list of “top sellers”. This is a great way to discover what everyone is buying.

6. Use “nichebot” – http://www.nichebot.com/. It allows you to enter in keywords and it will return with the top results. Use it to find niches with less competition.