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One go-to blog-post-writing formula, and one that is also widely used for newspaper and magazine articles, press releases, website articles, and even for books - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - is the listicle. A listicle is an article that is framed around a numbered list like The Top 5 Mistakes... The 3 Best Reasons ... 10 Ways to...

You don't always need a formula (or an AI chatbot) to write a good blog post or feature article; however, if you need to publish good, audience-focused content consistently, you will want to harness the power of the listicle formula. A truly committed blogger or influencer intent on building and maintaining a following will most likely be publishing a blog post weekly or bi-weekly. Writing long-form content week after week will sometimes feel stressful and your creative juices will ebb and flow. Listicles can help you generate ideas for posts and provide a format effective for busy online readers and for search engine optimization (SEO).

A Good Listicle Is Not Clickbait - If It Delivers on the Promise in the Headline

Listicles are sometimes unfairly associated with "clickbait" headlines and with gimmicky "BuzzFeed" articles.

Now, there are AI apps that can quickly generate listicles for you. I have much more to say on this AI topic, and will post about it soon. For now, I will say, not just in defense of listicles, but in appreciation, that they have been around and written by real people for...forever. Listicles were being put to good use in content creation way before Buzzfeed and social media were even a thing.

Clickbait is usually poorly written, barely useful or entertaining and has so many ads or pages that an entire article is impossible to get through. Therefore, a listicle is not click bait if it delivers good, useful or highly entertaining content, which so many good listicles, including (let's be honest) some of those Buzzfeed articles we can't resist at least skimming. When we are looking to be entertained, sometimes the best article for the job is a Buzzfeed listicle. (See a recent personal favorite: I Don't Wanna Look, But I Also Can't Look Away From These 17 Bone-Chilling Photos.)

Because the facts are so obvious in a listicle, it makes the article more transparent and, thus, more credible to readers.

In fact, research published in the Atlantic Journal of Research by Sean Sadri in 2019 found that the age group most inclined to read them - millennials - rated the listicle as "significantly more credible than the traditional article."

Sadri, of the University of Alabama, surmised that listicle credibility, when compared to traditional news articles, "may be connected to the ease of reading a listicle and the scannable nature of the text... Because the facts are so obvious in a listicle, it makes the article more transparent and, thus, more credible to readers."

We Like Specifics in an Information-Loaded World

As Rachel Davis Mersey, an associate professor of journalism at Northwestern's Medill School, noted in a 2017 Kellogg Insight podcast Why Are Rankings and Listicles So Popular? that "I think people who think negatively about listicles only think about the BuzzFeed, you know, 'What Kind of Cat Are You?' I think that, unfortunately, it bypasses what's really important, which is the organizing principle in which we frame the world for people. I think the best news organizations are using the inspiration of listicles to tell stories more effectively."

In other words, it's easier for us to wrap our minds and formulate expectations around a title like 3 Ways to Quickly Increase Engagement on TikTok over How to Quickly Increase Engagement on TikTok.It's not that we're never going to choose the latter or the non-listicle is not a good title; it's just that the 3 Ways is very specific and definitive.

The Best Listicles Provide Context

So yes, the list article gets a blow to its workhorse reputation now and then, and it is surely already in an AI showdown (again more on that soon), but anyone who writes and publishes blog posts, or other digital content, knows that listicles are a popular content option because they work - both for the writer to give you an effective scannable structure and for the reader who likes knowing what she is about to learn right from the title.

What really separates your listicle from a bot-generated list or from clickbait is that you care about the information - you want it to be useful, inspirational and meaningful. This means you are giving it context and explaining your own experience. So even if you're simply writing a round-up post of your 10 Favorite Skin-Care Products, your readers want to know why you like the product, how it's worked for you and if there are any caveats you have about using it.

In addition to product lists and step-by-step advice, the listicle Lists can work for more personal topics too because, again, it's all about context and your experience: The Top 5 Networking Mistakes I Finally Stopped Making, 4 Books That Inspired Me to Change My Life, 3 Life-Changing Lessons from Getting my Heart Broken. Even an interview can become a list: 3 Key Takeaways from Interviews with Content Creators, 5 Mistakes This HR Expert Hopes You're Not Making on Your Resume, 5 Things You Need to Know About [Insert Well-Known Person].

How Many Items Make a List?

Two is really not a list. Two is a pair, a duo, a couple. Three is the minimum for a list. Three is where a pattern emerges. There really is no maximum for a list. There are many opinions on which numbers are best to use for lists, but I haven't seen any very recent research. The latest I have found from 2017 (and please let me know if you have read a credible study that I missed) by Ryan McCready of Vennage that 10 is the best with 5 coming in as a close second.

Though his data seems good, and I believe him, I really would not worry so much about the number. If you're writing a how-to based on your experience and there are 3 Key Tips or 8 Important Points because that's how many you believe there are and will provide context for, that should be the list. I wouldn't inflate it or deflate it to meet findings from a study.

If You Skip the Number in the Title...

Even if you don't want to have a listicle in the post title, you can still use a list to present your information in your post/article to provide a chunky, or scannable, format that readers like. This is why even if there's no number in the title, you should always introduce a list and number a list if you have a list. For example: Here are my seven tips for .... And then number them 1-7 as you go.

More Helpful Resources for Listicles

If I haven't convinced you on the power and wonder of listicles, here are some more experts sharing advice.

Forsey, C. (u.d. 2020). How to Write a Listicle. HubSpot Blog

Greer, J. (2020). A Listicle on How to Write a Good Listicle. Medium

Patel. Neil. (n.d.). The 6 Step Guide to Writing Listicle Content, NeilPatel Blog

For more advice about writing and formatting your listicle, including how to make the list parallel, please read my post 11 Guidelines for Writing a Damn Good Listicle Post That ChatGPT Can't Compete With. If you're teaching blogging, you can find the Listicle Assignment Guidelines I give to all of my students on the Links/Handouts page. Let me know what your favorite listicle is, and as always, if you have a question, I'm here to help.

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Blogger, Meet Your New Best-Content Friend - The Listicle!

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One go-to blog-post-writing formula, and one that is also widely used for newspaper and magazine articles, press releases, website articles, and even for books - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - is the listicle. A listicle is an article that is framed around a numbered list like The Top 5 Mistakes...

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A listicle is a blog post, article, press release or any piece of writing or video content presented in a numbered list. A listicle has a number in the title/headline and the writing is structured around presenting the list.

Listicles are everywhere and just about every content creator uses them. The New York Times and WaPo use them for feature content and sometimes news analysis.

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The New York Times Uses Listicles for Feature Content 

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The New York Times Uses Listicles for Feature Content 

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The 21 Best Croissants in New York City Right Now

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From classics even the French would admire to more zany yet delicious interpretations.

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5 Ways to Pay Off Your Student Loans Faster – Federal Student Aid

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3 Strategies For Integrating AI And Human Creativity In Business

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AI has its pluses, but there are reasons human-centered creative processes offer competitive advantages. Consider new strategies for artificial and human intelligence.

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1. An actual (OK, well not "actual") kitty cat-a-pult if you believe these furry creatures were brought to earth to be superheroes, but are just missing the ever-essential power of flight. Equipped with capes tied around their necks, this trio of cats is ready for their first mission!

Promising review: "I got this as a stocking stuffer for my girlfriend, and it now lives on her desk at the nurses' station to amuse her and her coworkers on slow days or when they need a break from the seriousness of the hospital. Even the non-cat people loved it!" - Alex G. Gann

Get it from Amazon for$9.85.

2. A Lego cherry blossom - not only will you have fun building these charming blooms, but you'll love being able to keep this floral display out all year long!

Promising review: "Great afternoon activity. All of the flower Lego sets are great for a break and getting your mind off things. We have several different flower ones in a vase, and they all seem to fit nicely together." - Jeremy Moeller

Get it from Amazon for $8.19.

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Just 28 Products That'll Bring You Immense Amounts Of Joy *Without* Annihilating Your Budget

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A garlic bread-scented candle is only $20. Just sayin'.

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Here are the answers:

1. Because readers 🧡 them and SHARE them.

2. They provide structure for the blogger who has to generate a lot of content.

3. They provide a scannable structure that is especially effective for online readers and sharing.

4. They deliver backlinks. Neil Patel's post on Listicles explains its value as a content marketing tool.

I discuss why listicles are a go-to format for bloggers and content creators in my blog post, Blogger, Meet Your New Best-Content Friend — The Listicle! Please read and like (if you like it!) 👍🏻

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Even if you don't use the # in the headline 

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Even if you don't use the # in the headline 

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This article is essentially a list without the numbers. The structure is helpful for blog writing.

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Types of pet insurance coverage

When choosing pet insurance, understand the type of coverage and what you can expect with each type of plan.

Accident & illness

An accident and illness plan acts as comprehensive pet insurance. With this type of plan, you pay a monthly premium and, after you meet your annual deductible, the insurance company covers a portion of your pet's medical costs.

Most accident and illness plans cover trips to the emergency vet, as well as diagnostics and treatment for illnesses and injuries. You might have different levels of coverage to choose from, depending on what benefits are available.

Check your plan paperwork to determine whether benefits like alternative therapies, prescription food, dental emergencies and end-of-life expenses are covered.

Accident-only

Accident-only plans are generally less expensive than accident and illness plans and they usually only cover injuries. If your pet is in an accident, becomes injured in an interaction with another animal or ingests a toxic substance, accident-only coverage usually provides benefits.

However, if your pet becomes ill due to an ear infection, allergies, cancer or other health conditions, your pet insurance won't cover it if you have an accident-only plan.

Wellness plans

Wellness plans aren't insurance. Instead, they're programs that offer annual benefits to pay for routine and preventive care in exchange for a monthly fee. You don't usually have to pay a deductible or worry about a reimbursement rate with a wellness plan.

For example, a wellness plan might require you to pay a $50 flat fee for a vet visit that costs $125. You would submit your receipt to receive reimbursement for the remaining $75.

Typically, wellness plans offer tiers of coverage. For example, Spot insurance offers its Gold plan starting at $10 a month. For that price, you can access up to $250 in annual benefits for various services such as wellness checkups, vaccinations, grooming, dental cleanings and preventive treatments for heartworm.

Pre-existing conditions

No pet insurance company offers coverage for pre-existing conditions. If your pet has been diagnosed with a condition, it will be excluded from benefits.

Additionally, if your pet is diagnosed during the plan's waiting period, it won't be covered. Some pet insurance companies will cover "curable" pre-existing conditions as long as your pet has been symptom-free for a set period of time.

For example, your dog might be diagnosed with an ear infection during the 14-day illness waiting period imposed by the pet insurance company. You have to pay for treatment out of your own pocket. However, if the insurer covers "curable" conditions, you might be covered if your dog hasn't had an ear infection in three years. Check with the company to determine the requirements.

How do pet insurance claims work?

Most pet insurers don't pay the veterinarian directly. Instead, you pay upfront, submit your proof of payment and the pet insurance company reimburses you based on your chosen options. While this might feel frustrating in some cases, it also means you don't have to worry about whether your vet is in a specific network or accepts your insurance. You can typically choose almost any licensed veterinarian in the United States and be reimbursed for services.

When you enroll in pet insurance, you choose an annual coverage level, a deductible and a reimbursement rate.

Depending on the company, you might see coverage amounts as low as $2,000 a year and as high as unlimited. If you choose a $5,000 coverage amount, for example, once the insurance company has reimbursed that amount, you're financially responsible for any other services your pet needs. If you choose a $500 deductible, the pet insurance company won't begin reimbursing you until you've paid that much out of pocket.

Finally, most pet insurance companies reimburse you for a percentage of the covered claim. For example, if you choose an 80% reimbursement rate and you've met your deductible, you still pay 20% of a covered medical service.

If your pet swallows a sock and it costs $3,000 to remove it, you can usually use your pet insurance benefits for treatment. First, if you haven't met your deductible, you're responsible for the initial $500 payment, with the remaining bill totaling $2,500. When you submit the total cost, your insurance company will only reimburse you at your chosen rate. So, if it's an 80% reimbursement rate, the pet insurance company will send you $2,000. Your total out-of-pocket for this procedure is $1,000 - $500 to meet your deductible and $500 for your 20% co-pay.

You can choose different coverage limits, deductibles and reimbursement rates. However, the more the insurance company reimburses you, the more you pay in monthly premiums. You would pay a higher rate if you choose unlimited coverage, a $250 deductible and 90% reimbursement.

How to compare pet insurance companies

While price is one of the most important factors you're likely to consider when comparing pet insurance companies, there are other benefits and features to consider. Indeed, the lowest price among our best pet insurance ratings doesn't include microchipping and some therapies in its base plan. Instead of comparing only price, consider whether the pet insurance policy offers a wide array of coverages that are important to you. Consider the following benefits:

Annual coverage limits: Some plans limit the dollar amount you can receive in benefits, while others are unlimited. Consider whether you think your pet will need services beyond $5,000 or $10,000 in a year. In that case, you might look into unlimited plans.

Behavioral and alternative therapies: This can be especially important if you have a younger pet that might benefit from various programs.

24/7 telehealth access: If you need to talk to someone at odd hours, or if you're located far from a clinic, access to telehealth can make a big difference in the care your pet receives.

Microchipping: One of the best ways to protect your pet is through microchipping. If your pet is lost, you have a better chance of getting it back when your ownership information is available.

Prescription food and supplements: Depending on the pet insurance company, you might need to purchase an add-on wellness plan to access this benefit. However, our top choices, with 5 stars, include this benefit in their base policies.

End-of-life expenses: Consider whether you want your base plan to cover end-of-life expenses. Some policies only cover euthanasia for specific conditions, while others include all costs related to end-of-life, cremation and burial.

Decide which features and benefits are most important to you. This might include whether the company offers the option to pay the vet directly and if it has an upper age limit. Compare optional wellness add-ons, and what they cover, too.

If you can pay a little more for more comprehensive coverage, especially as your dog ages, it might be worth it to you.

How to pick the best insurance for your pet

Choosing the best pet insurance for your pet depends on your situation and what your pet needs. Look for policies that offer the best coverage at a price that works for your budget.

Many policies can help you find the balance between budget and coverage by allowing you to adjust certain aspects of your policy:

Annual coverage limits: In some cases, you can choose your annual limits. You might be able to choose $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 or unlimited coverage. If you choose unlimited coverage, your monthly premium is higher than if you choose a lower limit, like $5,000.

Deductible: The amount you pay out of pocket before your coverage begins can also influence your monthly premium. If you're not sure you can pay a bigger amount out of pocket, but you're flexible enough to handle a higher monthly premium, a $50 or $100 deductible might make sense. On the other hand, if you have a robust emergency fund and can handle a $500 or $1,000 deductible, you might get a break on the monthly premium.

Reimbursement: After reaching your deductible, the pet insurance company will reimburse a percentage of your costs, usually at a rate of 70%, 80% or 90%. Some plans offer 50% reimbursement, while others offer 100% reimbursement after you reach your deductible. The higher your reimbursement rate, the higher your premiums.

When considering pet insurance, consider how choosing different coverage limits, deductibles and reimbursement rates can help you afford more comprehensive coverage and get the best benefits for each dollar you spend in monthly premiums.

How much does pet insurance cost?

The average cost for our best pet insurance companies is $48.60 per month. However, various factors influence the cost of pet insurance, so you might find policies that cost more or less. Factors that impact the cost of pet insurance include:

Age and breed of your pet

Where you live

Annual coverage limit

Included coverages and benefits

Reimbursement level

Size of your deductible

Any additional coverage you want

How much can not having insurance cost?

While paying a monthly premium for pet insurance can feel like a drain on the budget, the risk of higher costs for procedures and chronic conditions might be more than you can afford without insurance.

The ASPCA estimates that the first-year total for owning a dog is more than $3,000 and almost $2,000 for a cat. Once you get past the first year, though, there are ongoing costs, including routine medical costs and treatments for fleas and ticks, as well as heartworm. You have routine wellness visits and exams as well.

Like other insurance policies, though, the real protection comes in the event of large one-time costs and emergencies. EmergencyVetsUSA offers average cost ranges for the following procedures:

Emergency exam/consultation: $100 to $150

3- to 5-day hospitalization: $1,500 to $3,500

Emergency surgery: $1,500 to $5,000

Wound treatment and repair: $800 to $2,500

Additionally, if your pet needs special prescription pet food or supplements, the cost can add up over time. Getting a pet insurance policy that covers these ongoing costs, plus emergency situations, can help you save money in the long run, especially if you don't want to deplete your rainy day fund.

What's not covered by pet insurance?

What's covered depends on the policy, so review available benefits before deciding on a pet insurance company. Policies typically do not cover pre-existing conditions or non-veterinary expenses related to boarding your pet or having it groomed. You also don't usually receive reimbursement for accessories like toys, leashes and treats.

Basic wellness activities, such as vaccinations and routine check-ups, might not be covered; instead, you might need to purchase an add-on wellness plan to receive these benefits. Many first-year costs, such as spaying and neutering, also aren't usually covered by pet insurance plans.

Also, pay attention to age exclusions. Many policies won't cover your pet until it reaches a certain age, such as 7 or 8 weeks old. Additionally, some pet insurance companies don't cover senior pets. So, once your pet reaches a certain age, usually 8 to 10 years old, you might no longer be covered. Some insurers offer accident-only plans for senior pets, so an emergency accident might be included in benefits, but you won't receive coverage for illness.

Methodology

We evaluated 15 pet insurance policies, focusing on key coverage areas, such as cost, access to vet telehealth, microchipping, direct vet payments and therapies that pet owners might prefer to be included in coverage. Advertisers and partners don't influence our ratings, as our research and editorial team maintains independence in using data-driven methodologies.

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Comparing coverage, costs, and customer satisfaction of our top rated insurers to help you choose the right plan for your pet.​

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In a 2021 study, SEM Rush found that Posts containing at least one list per every 500 words of plain text get 70% more traffic than articles without lists.

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As Rachel Davis Mersey, an associate professor of journalism at Northwestern’s Medill School, noted in a 2017 Kellogg Insight podcast Why Are Rankings and Listicles So Popular? that

“I think people who think negatively about listicles only think about the BuzzFeed, you know, ‘What Kind of Cat Are You?’ I think that, unfortunately, it bypasses what’s really important, which is the organizing principle in which we frame the world for people. I think the best news organizations are using the inspiration of listicles to tell stories more effectively.”

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According to BuzzSumo’s study of 100M headlines, nine of the top 20 most shared headlines on Facebook were listicles, gaining an average of 1,409 shares per article. (2021)

According to The New Yorker article: A List of Reasons Why Our Brains Love Lists:

Lists also appeal to our general tendency to categorize things—in fact, it’s hard for us not to categorize something the moment we see it—since they chunk information into short, distinct components. This type of organization facilitates both immediate understanding and later recall, as the neuroscientist Walter Kintsch pointed out back in 1968. Because we can process information more easily when it’s in a list than when it’s clustered and undifferentiated, like in standard paragraphs, a list feels more intuitive. In other words, lists simply feel better.

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🧐
According to research published in the Atlantic Journal of Research by Sean Sadri in 2019 found that the age group most inclined to read them  —  millennials  —  rated the listicle as “significantly more credible than the traditional article.”

Sadri, of the University of Alabama, surmised that listicle credibility, when compared to traditional news articles, “may be connected to the ease of reading a listicle and the scannable nature of the text… Because the facts are so obvious in a listicle, it makes the article more transparent and, thus, more credible to readers.”

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Use the number in the title. 5 Ways, not Five Ways

Include an introduction. Explain why someone should read this list. How is the info helpful? How do you choose/rank?

Number the items in the post: #1, #2, #3, etc.

Keep sections relatively similar in length (but they don't have to be identical).

Don't make each list item one long paragraph -- break up paragraphs.

Format in H2 and use the same header style to highlight your individual list items.

Make sure your list item headers are written in parallel fashion (i.e. if it's a list of action items, each should be led with a verb like this list -- Assemble, Separate, Glue, Dry).

Conclude the post with a final paragraph, not the end of the list.

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Neil Patel's key takeaways for Good Listicles:

Traffic: Listicles rank when they nail search intent. You don’t need a 5,000-word guide, just the fastest, clearest answer to the query.

Links: People link to listicles when they don’t want to recreate the work. Give them stats, quotes, visuals, and legit sources. Make it easier to cite you than compete with you.

Shares: Nobody shares generic tips. They share things that surprise them, help them, or make them look smart. Organize your list for speed, add a hook, and lead with something unexpected.

Quick rule: Each item should deliver standalone value. That means it should offer a clear takeaway, even without the rest of the list.

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How to Write a Listicle That Gets Traffic, Links, and Shares

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Most listicles suck. They’re lazy, bloated, and packed with filler. But a well-done listicle? It ranks. It earns backlinks. It gets passed around. Let me show you how to write one that actually performs. Key Takeaways What is a Listicle? A listicle is a blog post organized as a list. Each item covers part of […]

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FYI - More Advice for Listicle Writing, including the importance of keywords in the title with the #

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What Are Listicles?

Listicles (also known as "list posts") are articles that are written in a list-based format. The most common form of listicle is a short list of 10-20 items that are based on a specific theme. However, modern listicles are often enhanced with additional information around each item to make them more useful.

Why Do Listicles Work So Well?

Here's why listicles remain such a popular blog post format:

People are in a hurry: The same way bullet points can help people quickly scan the most important pieces of information, a listicle is easy to scan and consume.
Which makes them perfect for folks with short attention spans.

Easy to Write: From the perspective of content creators, listicles are super easy to write (especially compared to other blog post formats, like ultimate guides and case studies). All you need to do is list out 10-20 items, fill in a few blanks, and you're done. And depending on the list, sometimes you're just curating stuff that's already out there.

Easy to Preview: There's a reason that magazine covers use numbered lists in their copy.
A specific number helps a reader understand what they're in for... before they click. And a list post title like: "15 Ways to Grow Your Blog" has a preview built right into it.

Comprehensive: Not all list posts are short and sweet. It's possible to create listicles that put everything someone needs to know about something on a single page.
For example, take a look at my list of Google's 200+ ranking factors.

With a list like that, you're aiming to create THE single authoritative collection of items.

Here's another example of a comprehensive listicle from our blog.

And this "Complete Listicle" can work in just about any niche. For example, a fitness instructor could create a list of every keto-friendly food..and its nutritional values.

Or a dog trainer could create a list of every US-based dog toy brand.

You get the idea.

Best Practices

Choose a Format For Your Listicle

Listicles can take many forms. So your first step is to figure out what format your listicle is going to use. Here are a few different types of listicles that you can use.
The Simple List
The simple list is just like it sounds:

It's a short-and-sweet list of travel destinations, artwork, DSLR cameras, content marketing strategies... or just about any topic you can think of.

Simple lists are what sites like Buzzfeed specialize in.

Unfortunately, Buzzfeed's content sometimes goes into clickbait territory (which is why, to some people, the term "listicle" has a negative connotation).

But there's no reason that your list post can't underpromise and overdeliver.

Because the content on simple lists tends to be pretty thin, they're not great for SEO. But they tend to do really well on social media.
The Expanded List Post
The Expanded List Post is like a regular list post... with a twist.

You see, most listicles go from item #1 to item #2 to item #3 without a whole lot of detail for each one.

But with an Expanded List Post, you add more meat to each tip, strategy or tool on your list.

That way, your reader has the information they need to take action on one of the items right then and there.

Expanded List Posts are best for practical, how-to style content.

For example, this list of ways to get more traffic contains lots of detail underneath each subheading on your list.

That way, there's no guesswork or extra research required. You can literally have this post open in one tab while you execute the technique in another tab.
"Best of" List Posts
"Best of" List Posts are a super-effective form of "ego bait". With a "Best of" list post, you list out the best people, bloggers, quotes or resources on a given subject.

Then, let people know that they've been featured.

For example, some time ago Ahrefs listed their favorite SEO blogs.

And because I was one of the bloggers that they featured, Ahrefs reached out to me.

I was flattered to be on the list. So I shared their post all over the place.

You can even "gamify" your list by asking people to vote on their favorite. In fact, that's what Ahrefs did with their list.

How about another example?

When I published my complete list of SEO tools, I reached out to the people behind each of the tools that included on my list.

And because I featured them and their tool, many of them happily shared my content on social media.

Choose a Topic

Now that you have a format for your listicle, it's time to find a topic.

Like any piece of content, choosing the right topic is super important for your listicle. That's because listicles only really work with certain topics.

Specifically, listicles work best for topics that lend themselves to being featured in a "collection".

For example, some time ago we published a guide to writing a blog post.

The topic "writing a blog post" doesn't really make sense for a list post. So we created a guide instead.

On the other hand, we recently published this list post about promoting your YouTube videos.

This topic was PERFECT for a list article because it allowed us to list out a bunch of simple tips that people could easily use and try out.

Here are some ways to find topics for your listicles.

Use BuzzSumo: BuzzSumo makes it easy to find topics that are getting lots of shares.
In fact, you can even sort the results to only show list posts.

Very cool.

Your Own Expertise: What topics could you EASILY create a listicle around?
For example, I've spent a lot of time over the last few years building up my YouTube channel. Along the way, I've picked up dozens of little tips and hacks that have helped me.

And I share those little bite sized lessons in listicle form.

Keywords: Do keyword research to figure out what people are already searching for. And zero-in on keywords that would be ideal for a listicle.
For example, take a keyword like "link building".

If you look at the search results for that keyword in Google, you can see that there are no list posts to be found.

This means that this keyword probably isn't a good fit for a list post (at least when it comes to SEO).

On the other hand, check our the SERPs for "SEO tips".

It's almost all list posts. This means that a high-quality listicle around this keyword has a good chance of ranking on the first page of Google.

Create a Roundup With Influencers

This is similar to the "Best of" listicle format that we covered earlier.

The difference here is that, instead of curating what's already out there, you collect new quotes from influencers and experts in your industry.

Here's an example:

This technique can be used to create a standalone list of quotes, pieces of advice, favorite tools, or to add quotes to a list you've already created.

The idea here is that you're teaming up with people that know what they're talking about. Which gives your post instant credibility.

Now you might be wondering: "why would an influencer want to contribute to my roundup?".

Exposure. Traffic. And a link to their blog.

That's not to say that you'll get a 100% response rate. But if your email outreach makes the benefits of contributing super clear, you have a good chance of getting a response.

Then, once they contribute, let them know that your post is live so they'll share it.

Pro Tip: Use Click to Tweet to provide each influencer a pre-populated Tweet link.

Give Your Listicle Extra Detail

Most listicles don't include very much detail. That's not always a bad thing.

Sometimes people just want to quickly scan a short list.

But if you want your listicle to stand out, get attention, and rank in Google, I highly recommend adding some content underneath each item on your list.

For example, the Expanded List Post that I mentioned earlier is not quite as easy to scan... but it includes much more detail than a regular list post.

So when you add detailed content to each item, your content has the best of both worlds: they're great for presenting a ton of different tips or pieces of information in a single article. And they're typically more useful to readers than basic, short list posts.

The exact type of detail you add depends on your topic.

But here are a few details you can add to your listicle items to beef them up a little bit.

Actionable steps

Screenshots

Extra context

Examples

Visualizations

Video tutorials

Infographics

Tips and Advanced Strategies

Do what you can to make your listicle a piece of "10x Content". make it longer and more comprehensive than the competition, give it all the extra details I mentioned above, and give it a pro design. There's no reason that a listicle can't blow people away.

Add filters and details to your listicle. For example, our SEO tools list contains filters to make it easy for someone to find what they're looking for.
And this excellent list of infographics from Siege Media categorizes all 100 infographics on their list.

Whenever it makes sense, include the number of list items on your list in your blog post title.
That way, potential readers have a solid idea of what your list post will look like.

Once your list is live, use a tool like SEMrush to see who linked to any similar lists. Then, reach out to them to tell them about yours.

Reach out to people that you mentioned or linked to in your list post. This doesn't guarantee that they'll share it. But it gets your content in front of people in a non-pushy way.

Learn More

Viral Content: As Buzzfeed discovered, listicles have a good chance of going viral. And the techniques in this guide may help your list post get more social shares.

The Definitive Guide to Copywriting: When it comes to writing a listicle, your copy needs to be short and snappy. This guide will help you write listicles that people actually want to read.

17 Ways to Improve SEO Rankings: A good example of the Expanded List Post that we talked about in this guide.

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Listicles (also known as "list posts") are articles that are written in a list-based format. The most common form of listicle is a short list of 10-20 items that are based on a specific theme. However, modern listicles are often enhanced with additional information around each item to make them more useful.

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Ryan McCready of Vennage reported his research showed that 10 is the best with 5 coming in as a close second.