Research Categories Guide

Step-by-step guide: Research potential categories for your niche website

1) Start with a “category map” (big → small)

  1. Open a doc or notebook.

  2. Write your main niche at the top (example: “Outdoor cooking”).

  3. Under it, create 3–6 parent categories (example: Grills, Fuel, Tools, Recipes, Safety, Accessories).

  4. Under each parent category, add sub-categories (example: Grills → Pellet, Charcoal, Propane, Portable).

Goal: a simple tree of topics you could build your site around.

2) Use marketplaces to find what people already buy

Amazon

  1. Go to Amazon → search your niche keyword.

  2. On the left side, look at Departments/Categories and click into the most relevant one.

  3. Inside that category, scan:

    • Best Sellers

    • Most Wished For

    • New Releases

  4. Write down repeating sub-categories, product types, and accessory groupings.

eBay

  1. Search your niche keyword on eBay.

  2. Look at the category suggestions and filters (condition, type, brand, style).

  3. Click Sold Items to see what actually sells.

  4. Note the product types that show up repeatedly.

What to capture in your notes (per category idea):

  • Common product types

  • Typical price ranges

  • Accessories/upsells

  • Brands that dominate

3) Use Google to uncover “site category” patterns

  1. Google: your niche + store

  2. Open 5–10 sites (not just Amazon).

  3. Look at their top navigation menus and category pages.

  4. Copy the category names you see repeated across multiple sites.

Shortcut searches:

  • your niche + "shop by category"

  • your niche + "accessories"

  • your niche + "best"

  • your niche + "for beginners"

4) Pull category ideas from keyword suggestions

  1. Go to Google and start typing your niche (don’t press enter yet).

  2. Write down autocomplete suggestions.

  3. After searching, scroll to:

    • People Also Ask

    • Related searches (bottom of page)

  4. Turn repeated phrases into categories.

Example: “portable”, “for camping”, “for beginners”, “best under $50” can become category sections.

5) Check trend interest (fast validation)

  1. Open Google Trends.

  2. Search your niche keyword.

  3. Switch to:

    • Past 12 months (then also 5 years)

    • Your target country

  4. Compare category keywords (example: “pellet grill” vs “charcoal grill”).

  5. Look for:

    • Steady or rising interest

    • Seasonal spikes (not bad—just plan for it)

6) Evaluate each category with a simple scorecard

Create a quick score from 1–5 for each category:

  • Demand: People actively searching/buying?

  • Depth: Enough subtopics/products to create 10–30 pages?

  • Competition: Can a new site compete with a smart angle?

  • Profit potential: Are there products/services with decent value?

  • Content fit: Can you create helpful content consistently?

Keep categories that score strong in Demand + Depth + Content fit.

7) Identify “money categories” vs “support categories”

  • Money categories: product roundups, comparisons, accessories, “best of”, bundles.

  • Support categories: how-to, troubleshooting, guides, safety, maintenance.

A healthy niche site usually needs both.

8) Narrow to a clean site structure

Pick:

  • 4–7 primary categories

  • 3–8 sub-categories under each

  • A small “starter plan” of 15–25 page ideas total

If you can’t quickly list 15–25 page ideas, the category might be too thin.

9) Save everything to a “Category Research List”

Use a simple table (doc, sheet, Notion—anything):

  • Category name

  • Sub-categories

  • Example products/topics

  • Evidence (Amazon? eBay sold? Trends?)

  • Notes (competition angle, content ideas)

  • Score (1–5)

10) Final “green light” checklist

A category is worth building around if:

  • You can name 10+ subtopics quickly

  • You see it repeatedly across Amazon/eBay + Google results

  • It has products people buy (not just interest)

  • You can explain your unique angle in one sentence