Compound Leverage

Issue #0025

One of the biggest challenges in running a newsletter—or any content-focused business—is staying consistent with ideas.

As I am working towards growing my newsletter to 25,000 subscribers, I’ve realized that creating content isn’t solely about writing—it’s also about research, consistency, and execution.

Let’s be honest: researching topics, gathering insights, and analyzing trends is a time commitment.

Even with tools like ChatGPT or Claude, the process can feel disjointed.

You get great responses, but then you have to migrate the information somewhere, usually a spreadsheet, do additional keyword research, and figure out how to tie it together.

I wanted to make this process less time-consuming.

So I asked myself: Can AI help me automate this? The answer was yes, and it led me to build a system using Claude, Google Sheets, and a little bit of automation magic. Here’s how I did it—and how you can, too.

What I Needed

My goal was simple: to eliminate the time I spent manually searching for content ideas across different online sources and then compiling data into a spreadsheet to review.

I wanted a system that could:

1. Pull content ideas from trusted sources automatically.

2. Gather important metrics like keywords, search volume, backlinks, and domain authority.

3. Organize everything neatly into my Google Sheets for easy analysis.

How the System Works

Here’s the setup I created:

1. Trusted Sources

I started by identifying seven trusted sources for content ideas:

• YouTube

• Harvard Business Review

• Entrepreneur.com

• Forbes

• Medium

• Linked.com

• And a few others I regularly use.

You can pick the sources that make the most sense for your industry or audience. These sources are the foundation for the system to look for content ideas.

2. Google Sheets Framework

In my Google Sheet, I set up a simple structure:

• Topics Column: This is where I add a list of 20 topics I want to research each week.

• Status Column: I label each topic as “Pending”.

• Additional Columns: These are done by automation to capture metrics like search volume, backlinks, domain authority, and competition for each topic.

There are 24 columns in total, including ones for performance tracking, notes, and recommendations.

3. Manual or Scheduled Automation

The real magic happens here. Using Google Apps Script, I created an automation system that:

1. Manual Option: I can run the automation on-demand whenever I want quick results.

2. Scheduled Automation: Runs every Saturday at 9 PM ET, ensuring I have all the data I need to plan my content for the week by Sunday morning.

When the automation runs, it:

• Searches my trusted sources for content ideas related to the topics in the sheet.

• Pulls relevant data for each topic, such as keywords, search volume, and backlink information.

• Populates all this information in the appropriate columns of my Google Sheet.

What This Automation Does for Me

By the time I sit down on Sunday, the research is done. I can focus on analyzing the data and deciding which topics to use based on:

• Keyword Search Volume: Is there enough interest in this topic?

• Competition: Can I create content that stands out?

• Domain Authority: Are the sources reputable, and can I build on their insights?

• Where I Add Value: How can I share my experiences to make this topic unique and helpful?

This system doesn’t just save hours of work—it ensures that my content is data-driven.

How You Can Build This for Yourself

If you want to try this system, here’s a simple starting point:

1. Create Your Google Sheet: Create columns for topics, status, and any metrics you care about (e.g., search volume, backlinks, competition).

2. Write Your Prompt: Use Claude or ChatGPT to generate an App Script. Here’s an example prompt:

“I want to create a Google Apps Script that helps me automate content research. The script should do the following:

1. Pull content ideas from the following trusted sources: [list your sources, e.g., YouTube, Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur.com, Forbes, Medium, etc.].

2. Populate the results in a Google Sheet, organized into columns with the following information:

• Keywords

• Search volume

• Competition level

• Backlink URLs

• Domain authority

• [Add any other metrics you want to track]

3. If I’m not sure what metrics to track, please suggest additional columns to include based on standard content research practices.

Additionally:

• I will list keywords or topics that I want to rank for or are relevant in my niche. The script should use these keywords to guide its search and fill out the data in the correct columns.

• If possible, the script should be simple enough for someone without technical skills to use. Provide detailed instructions on how to:

  • Add the script to Google Sheets.

  • Customize it for my specific sources and keywords.

  • Schedule it to run automatically every week or trigger it manually when needed.

• Include any additional steps I might need, such as connecting APIs or setting up permissions.”

3. Test and Tweak: Run the script, adjust it based on your needs, and add more sources or metrics as necessary.

4. Schedule It: Set up the script to run weekly or on-demand, depending on your workflow.

Why This Matters

The beauty of this system is its flexibility. Whether you’re running a newsletter, planning social media posts, or brainstorming blog ideas, automation lets you focus on what matters: creating great content.

And here’s the thing—it’s not just about the tools or the AI. It’s about enabling you to spend more time on high-value activities while the repetitive work happens in the background.

Want More Like This?

If you’re intrigued by this process and want to dive deeper, I share detailed walkthroughs like this in my premium newsletter and will offer more hands-on guides in THINK School, launching later this month. Whether you’re new to AI or looking for advanced strategies, there’s something here for everyone.

Let me know if you try this—I’d love to hear how it works

Marvin