{"id":132523,"date":"2021-03-25T11:00:29","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T16:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=132523"},"modified":"2023-09-27T15:15:39","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T20:15:39","slug":"listicle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/listicle\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Great Listicle Post in 10&nbsp;Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">Listicles don\u2019t have to be clickbait. Those mind-numbing posts about the best potato chips or most ripped celebrities that you see on Facebook give listicles a bad&nbsp;name.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s perfectly possible to write a great listicle about\u2026 well, pretty much anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, you\u2019ll learn how to do just&nbsp;that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#what-is-a-listicle\">What is a listicle?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#why-do-people-like-listicles\">Why do people like listicles?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-to-write-a-listicle\">How to write a good listicle<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#examples-of-listicles\">Examples of listicles done&nbsp;well<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What is a listicle?\" data-section=\"what-is-a-listicle\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a listicle?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Listicles, otherwise known as list-posts, are articles structured around lists. Usually, they expand on each list item with additional information to make them more useful for readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Why do people like listicles?\" data-section=\"why-do-people-like-listicles\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why do people like listicles?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are just a few reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Easy to skim<\/strong>&nbsp;because each subheading usually corresponds to a list&nbsp;item.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Easy to digest <\/strong>because they\u2019re broken into bitesize chunks by definition.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Easy to gauge <\/strong>because you always know how much is left from the number in the&nbsp;title.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Is that an exhaustive list of reasons? No, but <em>we can\u2019t list them all<\/em>. Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smart-news\/why-the-internet-loves-lists-1115\/\">this post by Smithsonian Magazine<\/a>&nbsp;if you\u2019re curious about other reasons for their popularity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How to write a listicle\" data-section=\"how-to-write-a-listicle\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to write a listicle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Writing a listicle is easy. Just open a blank document, list a bunch of things and you\u2019ve got a listicle. But writing a listicle that drives traffic and that people actually want to read is a bit more complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to do&nbsp;it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#choose-a-topic\">Choose a&nbsp;topic<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#ensure-it-makes-sense\">Ensure it makes&nbsp;sense<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#decide-on-length\">Decide on length<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#choose-a-format\">Choose a format<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#choose-an-angle\">Choose a winning angle<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#brainstorm-list-points\">Brainstorm list points<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#expand-on-ideas\">Expand on your&nbsp;ideas<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#flesh-out-each-point\">Flesh out each&nbsp;point<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#illustrate-your-points\">Illustrate your points<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#wrap-things-up\">Wrap things up<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"choose-a-topic\">1. Choose a&nbsp;topic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want your listicle to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-drive-traffic-to-your-website\/\">drive traffic from search engines<\/a>, you need to choose a topic that people are searching for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because keywords typically represent topics, you can do this with a good keyword research tool like Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>. Just search for a broad topic, then go to the <strong>Phrase Match<\/strong>&nbsp;report where you\u2019ll see keyword ideas sorted by their monthly search volumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-phrase-match-1.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure to choose a topic that you have some knowledge about. Otherwise you\u2019ll struggle to write a unique and valuable list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div>&nbsp;If you\u2019re not an Ahrefs user, you can get up to 100 ideas using our free <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keyword-generator\">keyword generator<\/a>. <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ensure-it-makes-sense\">2. Ensure it makes&nbsp;sense<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every topic is suitable for a listicle format. That\u2019s pretty obvious for some topics, like \u201chow to tie a tie.\u201d You can tell from the query that people are looking for a step-by-step process, not a listicle with lots of different methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But things aren\u2019t always so obvious\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a topic like \u201cseo expert.\u201d It\u2019s not clear whether people want a step-by-step guide, a list of tips, or something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can figure this out by looking at the top-ranking results in Google. Because Google\u2019s business model relies on them delivering relevant search results, the top results are a great proxy for what searchers want to&nbsp;see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2-seo-expert-serps3-1.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at the screenshot above, you can see that only one listicle ranks in the top five for \u201cseo expert.\u201d As the rest are step-by-step guides, this probably isn\u2019t a good topic for a listicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">PRO TIP<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re struggling to find a suitable topic for a listicle, try adding these words to the Include filter in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>: <em>ideas<\/em>, <em>tips<\/em>, <em>best<\/em>, <em>tools<\/em>, <em>things<\/em>, <em>strategies<\/em>, <em>tactics<\/em>, <em>list<\/em>. This will narrow the results down to keywords that include at least one of those words, which will often be great candidates for listicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/3-include-filter-1.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"decide-on-length\">3. Decide on length<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Generally speaking, the number of items on your list should <strong>roughly<\/strong>&nbsp;match the number of list&nbsp;items you see among top-ranking pages. After all, if they\u2019re all well into the double or triple digits, then a list of five items probably isn\u2019t what searchers are looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the top results for \u201cdate ideas\u201d are lists of hundreds of&nbsp;ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/4-date-ideas-serps-1.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Whereas none of the top 5 results for \u201cblogging tips\u201d exceed 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/5-blogging-tips-serps-1.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Is this a hard and fast rule? No. If you think a list of 100+ items is completely pointless and doesn\u2019t actually help searchers, feel free to deviate from this advice. What we\u2019re doing here is using the top-ranking results as a proxy for what searchers want, but it\u2019s not 100% foolproof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, the length of your list may ultimately be restricted by the number of ideas you have, but it\u2019s good to have a rough ballpark figure in mind to&nbsp;start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"choose-a-format\">4. Choose a format<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two possible listicle formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">a) Basic<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Basic&nbsp;lists are short and sweet with 1-2 sentence descriptions for each list item. Use this format when one or both of the following are&nbsp;true:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Your list will be long. <\/strong>People probably don\u2019t want to read an essay about each of the 50+ items on your&nbsp;list.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Your topic is simple.<\/strong>&nbsp;Let\u2019s say you\u2019re putting together a list of date ideas. Most of these are probably simple things like \u2018go roller-skating\u2019 or \u2018go hiking.\u2019 You don\u2019t need to write 500 words about each of those things.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">b) Detailed<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Detailed lists are meatier lists where you expand on each point with a few sentences or paragraphs. Use this format when one or both of the following are&nbsp;true:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Your list will be short. <\/strong>If your list will only have a few items, your post will probably attract more traffic if you provide more substance and details about each&nbsp;one.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Your topic is complicated.<\/strong>&nbsp;Let\u2019s say you\u2019re putting together a list of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-tips\/\">SEO tips<\/a>. SEO is a complicated topic, so readers will probably need practical advice or step-by-step instructions on how to execute each&nbsp;tip.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"choose-an-angle\">5. Choose a winning angle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few popular angles for listicles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Personal experience \u2192 <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-tools\/\">21 Best Online Marketing Tools <strong>That We Use At Ahrefs<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Best \u2192 <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/best-marketing-podcasts\/\">6 <strong>Best<\/strong>&nbsp;Marketing Podcasts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Expert commentary<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/bestlifeonline.com\/declutter\/\">33 <strong>Expert-Backed<\/strong>&nbsp;Decluttering Tips<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>For beginners<\/strong> \u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/blogging-tips\/\">23 Blogging Tips <strong>For Beginners<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Specific outcome<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-tips\/\">12 Quick SEO Tips <strong>to Increase Organic Traffic<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Tried and tested<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-chrome-extensions\/\">26 Best Free Chrome Extensions for SEOs (<strong>Tried &amp; Tested<\/strong><\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Although you could choose an angle based solely on what feels most interesting, it\u2019s better to take inspiration from the top results. Remember, these are the best proxy for what searchers want to&nbsp;see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we do this for the keyword \u201ctravel tips,\u201d we see that most are based on personal experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/6-travel-tips-serps-1.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For \u201cdinner ideas,\u201d pretty much all results are focused on&nbsp;ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/7-dinner-ideas-serps-1.jpg\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, things aren\u2019t always this clear-cut. Just look at the results for \u201cmarketing ideas\u201d where there are two dominant angles: <em>creative<\/em>&nbsp;and <em>free<\/em>. The best one to choose is anyone\u2019s guess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/8-marketing-ideas-serps-1.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Either way, make sure to stay clear of clickbait angles. If you can\u2019t deliver on what your angle promises, choose something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"brainstorm-list-points\">6. Brainstorm list points<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bringing new and unique ideas to the table is crucial when writing a listicle (or any content for that matter). So while it might seem tempting just to copy everyone else, if all you create is a carbon copy of existing listicles, nobody will care about your&nbsp;post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even worse, it probably won\u2019t attract <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-are-backlinks\/\">backlinks<\/a>, so it\u2019ll be harder to rank in Google and get search traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For that reason, you should jot down your own ideas before even thinking about what existing listicles on the topic have to say. This process doesn\u2019t have to be complicated. Just open a blank doc and start listing potential ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/ScreenRecording2021-02-12at02.12.34pm-1.gif\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"expand-on-ideas\">7. Expand on your&nbsp;ideas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Unless you\u2019re super knowledgeable about a topic, you\u2019ll probably struggle to come up with enough points for a comprehensive listicle on your own. Getting input from friends or colleagues is one way to solve that, but you can also take inspiration from the top-ranking pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are two ways to do&nbsp;that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">a) Use the \u201calso talk about\u201d report<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Plug your target keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>&nbsp;and go to the <strong>Also talk about<\/strong>&nbsp;report. This shows words and phrases frequently-mentioned by the top-ranking pages for your keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/9-also-talk-about-1.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Not all of these words and phrases will be particularly insightful, so it\u2019s best to eyeball the list for suggestions that could form the basis for potential points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, here are a few words and phrases that show up for \u201cdate&nbsp;ideas\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>ice cream<\/li>\n<li>movie theater<\/li>\n<li>animal shelter<\/li>\n<li>board games<\/li>\n<li>rock climbing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If we combine these ideas with our own knowledge and common sense, we can easily convert them into worthwhile points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Get <strong>ice cream<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Go to the <strong>movie theater<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Visit an <strong>animal shelter<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Play<strong>&nbsp;board games<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Go <strong>rock climbing<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">b) Check subheadings<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Most listicles use subheadings for each point. So a good way to extract inspiration from top-ranking pages is to extract the subheadings. You can do this for free with <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo-toolbar\">Ahrefs SEO Toolbar<\/a>. Just install it, open one of the top-ranking pages, then hit the little page icon in the top left for the on-page report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/10-seo-toolbar-1.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re wondering why not just look at the pages directly, well, you can. But you can easily take too much inspiration that way. You might end up reading everything below the subheadings and your listicle soon becomes a carbon copy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"flesh-out-each-point\">8. Flesh out each&nbsp;point<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s now time to expand on each point and flesh out your listicle. The level of detail here will vary depending on the listicle format you\u2019re going&nbsp;for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>For simple lists<\/strong>. Add a couple of sentences to each&nbsp;point.<\/li>\n<li><strong>For detailed lists<\/strong>. Write as much as it takes to explain each point in detail.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep the angle of your listicle in mind when doing this. If you\u2019re writing a listicle aimed at beginners, you\u2019ll want to avoid unnecessary jargon and details. If your listicle is based on personal experience, now\u2019s the time to expand on that with further thoughts and opinions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"illustrate-your-points\">9. Illustrate your points<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Listicles are easy to skim and digest. But they\u2019re arguably even easier to digest when you break things up with images and illustrations. This becomes even more important when you want readers to actually remember the points in your listicle thanks to the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Picture_superiority_effect\">picture superiority effect<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Wikipedia:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote>The picture superiority effect refers to the phenomenon in which pictures and images are more likely to be remembered than words. This effect has been demonstrated in numerous experiments using different methods.<\/blockquote>\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve read any of our listicles, you\u2019ll know that we include plenty of images. For example, our list of 17 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-ideas\/\">marketing ideas<\/a>&nbsp;contains 39 images. That\u2019s because marketing is a complicated subject and some points are hard to understand without images to illustrate. You don\u2019t have to use so many images in your listicles, so don\u2019t force them in for the sake of&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"wrap-things-up\">10. Wrap things up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Listicles have a tendency to end abruptly.&nbsp;You get to the final point and things kind of just&nbsp;stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s easy to see why. Most listicle readers are skimmers, so they probably wouldn\u2019t bother to read a conclusion anyway. But that\u2019s no reason not to include one. For the folks that read your listicle from start to finish, a good conclusion can help wrap things up and drive the point&nbsp;home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few tips for writing a good conclusion for your listicles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Keep it&nbsp;short.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t repeat points you already made.<\/li>\n<li>Focus on the main point you want to drive&nbsp;home.<\/li>\n<li>Link to other relevant posts (they don\u2019t have to be listicles).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Examples of listicles\" data-section=\"examples-of-listicles\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Examples of listicles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Given that we roughly follow this advice for our own listicles, we thought we\u2019d wrap things up by sharing a few listicles from our own blog that rank high and drive lots of organic traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/alternative-search-engines\/\">7 Alternative Search Engines to Google<\/a><\/strong><strong>: <\/strong>11K+ monthly search visits<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/find-email-address\/\">7 Ways To Find Anyone\u2019s Email Address<\/a><\/strong><strong>: <\/strong>8K+ monthly search visits<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/amazon-affiliate-websites\/\">7 Successful Amazon Affiliate Websites<\/a><\/strong>: 3.5K+ monthly search visits<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-tips\/\">12 Quick SEO Tips<\/a><\/strong>: 3K+ monthly search visits.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-index\/\">10 Ways to Get Google to Index Your Site<\/a><\/strong>: 2.5K+ monthly search visits<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building-strategies\/\">9 Easy Link Building Strategies<\/a><\/strong>: 1.3K+ monthly search visits<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/blog-post-templates\/\">4 Simple Blog Post Templates<\/a><\/strong><strong>: <\/strong>1.2K+ monthly search visits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not all listicles are created equal. Just because Buzzfeed\u2019s listicles are the lowest common denominator doesn\u2019t mean yours need to be. Choose the right topic, angle, format, put some effort into the content, and you have a recipe for organic success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Got questions? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/joshuachardwick\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s perfectly possible to write a great listicle about\u2026 well, pretty much anything. In this post, you\u2019ll learn how to do just&nbsp;that. What is a listicle? Why do people like listicles? How to write a good listicle Examples of listicles<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":132525,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"coauthors":[336],"class_list":["post-132523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-content-marketing","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Write a Great Listicle Post in 10 Steps<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Listicles, also known as list-posts, are articles structured around lists. Each item is usually expanded with more information to keep it useful for readers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/listicle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Write a Great Listicle Post in 10 Steps\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Create a listicle that ranks.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/listicle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-25T16:00:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-09-27T20:15:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/fb-how-to-write-a-listicle.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"990\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joshua Hardwick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Create a listicle that ranks.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@JoshuaCHardwick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/listicle\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/listicle\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Joshua Hardwick\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e6a89cbde8e750d22996aa26e213e712\"},\"headline\":\"How to Write a Great Listicle Post in 10&nbsp;Steps\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-25T16:00:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-09-27T20:15:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/listicle\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2085,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/listicle\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/fb-how-to-write-a-listicle.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Content Marketing\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/listicle\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/listicle\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to Write a Great Listicle Post in 10 Steps\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/listicle\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/listicle\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/fb-how-to-write-a-listicle.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-25T16:00:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-09-27T20:15:39+00:00\",\"description\":\"Listicles, also known as list-posts, are articles structured around lists. 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