Ultimate Guide to Writing Listicles: Structure, Examples and Ideas for Maximum Impact

Everyone loves a listicle! They’re easy on the eyes, and its structure makes it simple for users to digest text and get the gist. But let’s face it; there are many list article examples that can turn excitement into disappointment in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, there are so many of them that such blog formats have developed a reputation for being clickbait-y and low quality. But that’s only because they were created by people who didn’t know how to write a listicle!

While this format may be associated with a lot of disappointing online experiences, there’s some good news: people are still excited about listicles. In this article, we’ll teach you how to create listicles the right way to help retain that initial excitement.

What is a Listicle?

Listicle is a combination of two words: list and article. It refers to a format of writing that uses lists as the main structure for organizing the content. These are the most common features that you’ll find in a listicle.

It divides a topic into bite-sized content.
The main point serves as the list item, while an additional description may be added.
All items on the list follow a certain theme.

The best listicles are also structured in a way that makes it easy for the reader to understand the article’s point without having to read the complete text. However, if they want to deepen their understanding of each point, then they can just read more under each header.

Why Listicle Websites Work

The type of content format works amazingly well because most people are pretty busy! Following a list-type structure, you can make your content:

Easy to scan;
Digestible for readers;
Ideal for mobile browsing.

It also taps into the audience’s innate curiosity. With listicles, people are naturally interested in which items made the cut, and they are incentivized to keep reading to get the full value. Therefore, when done right, this can mean a lower bounce rate. In addition, the format works well regardless of the industry, which is one of the reasons you see a lot of it!

Basic Listicle Format

The format of this article type is very simple, which is a large part of its appeal. All you need is:

A catchy title: It should grab their attention without overpromising.
An introduction: Provide context to the list and set expectations for the listicle.
Items to be included on the list: The list is your core content and should take up most of the word count. The actual items can be the subheadings if you’re organizing them into different sub-lists.
A conclusion or call to action: At the end of the listicle, your text should naturally wrap things up. You can summarize the discussion, leave with your parting insights, create a call to action or do all three.

We have included examples of what this format can look like later on in this text.

Types of Listicles and When to Use Each

Are you uncertain about how to transform your ideas into list-type content? Below, you’ll find the most common types and when they’re most appropriate to use.

How-to lists provide clear instructions for using something or accomplishing a certain task.
Best-of lists highlight the best products, services and other recommendations.
Tips and tricks offer useful advice in achieving a reader’s desired goal.
Curated lists compile information and/or resources surrounding a certain theme.
Ranking lists arrange items based on their importance.

Don’t feel the need to stick to just one. For example, an article can have tips and tricks while also providing best-of recommendations to the readership.

The Benefits of Using a Listicle Template for SEO and Engagement

If you see this article format as kind of a mixed bag, we completely understand! We’ve all seen how low-quality publishers have contributed to demolishing the reputation of listicles. However, take into account the opposing force here: the amazing publishers like you! You’re part of the reason that people still believe in the power of a listicle to deliver quick and organized information. And if you’re trying to build organic search as your main source of traffic, we’ve got some good news for you! When done right, a listicle can also boost your SEO efforts in a number of ways.

Increase Readability

This content format is designed to allow the reader to breeze through the content and still get a general idea of what you’re talking about. This will help increase engagement to your listicle and perhaps even lower the page’s bounce rate. Using headings and subheadings when writing your content is especially useful for mobile users who are scrolling through the article. This also comes with the additional benefit of making it easier for search engines to understand what your content is about.

Better Keyword Optimization

When creating a listicle, you’re grouping the information together in a way that should make sense to the reader. For example, if you’re writing about the top tools for graphic designers, everything about Photoshop, for example, will be under one heading. So, even unintentionally, you’ll be targeting relevant keywords and phrases to your more general topic. Plus, listicles tend to appear a lot in featured snippets, which can vastly improve clickthrough rates to the page and even the reputation of your brand.

Higher Chances of Getting the Listicle Shared

A reader (or even another publisher) is more likely to share content that resonates with them. This can boost your SEO by improving your website’s domain authority. As a result, you may see an improvement in the page’s rankings when looking up relevant search terms. All these factors amplify the reach that you have through your platform, helping you attract more traffic.

Tips for Writing a High-Impact Listicle Blog or Article

We’ve all seen list articles that don’t really bring a lot of value to the table. In such cases, the reputability of the content source can vastly diminish. So, apart from following the basic listicle design or format, how do you get your target audience engaged with the content that you’re providing? Below, we have gathered the most important tips. Think of it as a checklist of sorts when you formulate your idea of what a list article is supposed to look like!

Keep Items Concise

For headings, say as little as you can without compromising clarity. After all, a listicle is supposed to convey general ideas clearly and that includes the headings! So, how do you know if you’re being concise enough? Try to ask these questions:

Will removing any of the words jeopardize clarity?
Does each word contribute to the meaning of the entire item?
Will a simpler word convey the idea better?

Whether we’re talking about a listicle or any headline, remember to only say as much as you need to. After all, you still have the content that follows to explain what you mean.

Prioritize Readability

The better the readability of your content is, the more accessible it becomes to your readership. However, it is especially important for a listicle because this content type is supposed to be skimmable. So, to increase the readability of your text, try to do the following:

Bold relevant text;
Choose words that are easy to understand;
Use bullet points and subsections.

Apart from the vocabulary used, readability has a lot to do with how you use white space. Going through huge blocks of text can feel like ice skating on land. Meanwhile, reading a listicle that has too much white space is a lot like waiting forever for the author to get to the point. So, find that sweet, sweet balance! Your reader’s eyes and patience will thank you.

Add Value with Each Point

Imagine writing a listicle about how to make a peanut butter sandwich. Get your peanut butter, get your bread and then spread the peanut butter on the bread. Pretty easy, right? Even though the instruction is rather simple, there’s value for each point addressed because:

It creates a reasonable progression from the starting point to the end;
The steps are broken down logically;
Each item is mutually exclusive to the others.

No matter what kind of listicle you’re making, having these characteristics should be your goal. If you’re unsure if an item can be absorbed into other points or removed altogether, try to look at the listicle without it. If there’s value to it, its absence will significantly diminish the quality and clarity of the text you wrote.

Include Examples

Always introduce examples if you believe it will clarify your point to the reader. This is especially important if you’re dealing with abstract ideas. Having a good example will help connect these abstract and fairly hard-to-understand ideas into something more tangible. When creating examples, they should be:

Relevant and relatable to your audience;
Highly uncomplicated;
As direct as possible.

Failing to meet these criteria may further complicate the reader’s path to understanding. Worse, they may stop reading and leave with more questions than answers.

Add Media

Remember that your listicle is just like any type of article. A well-structured text can go a long way in keeping readers on the page. But to make the content more relatable, why not add images, infographics or any other related media as well? These can help drive your point home by providing a better context for what you’re talking about. Plus, people are very visual creatures. For example, by adding images to your listicle, you can break the monotony. How much you should add depends on the content. Let’s say you’re listing the top vacation spots: you’ll need a lot! Just make sure that you use relevant media!

Successful Listicle Examples to Emulate: Posts from MGID

Our team regularly publishes blog posts about everything connected with marketing. And in providing both publishers and advertisers with the latest information, we have created a lot of listicles. Here are some of our most recent listicle publications:

The Ultimate Christmas Playbook: Must-Know Marketing Tips and Trends: Here, you’ll learn about the trends and tips surrounding the holiday season! We used the headings to organize the information and the subheadings to cover various aspects of our holiday playbook.
Mobile Advertising on the Open Web: Myths Busted: For this listicle, each heading represents one of the myths discussed.
How to Use Quizzes to Reach the Right Audience: We used a highly straightforward approach in this article, presenting various ways that you can create quizzes, such as personality tests and chatbot quizzes.

Listicle Ideas to Engage Your Audience

Audience engagement requires two things: captivating someone’s attention and keeping it. Just like with the list of article examples that we’ve shown you in the previous section, your content needs to be relevant and high-quality. But for many, the problem starts with what to write about in the first place! If you’re racking your brain for ideas, we’ve got you! After creating content for ourselves and helping our clients with the same for as long as we have, we’ve found a fool-proof way to find interesting listicle ideas. We use at least one or a combination of the following as an inspiration.

Problem-Solving Lists

This requires knowing your target audience intimately so that you can preempt their needs. But what do we mean by a problem? It can be:

An issue or obstacle that the reader is facing;
An information gap that hasn’t been filled yet;
Something that they haven’t realized is an issue.

A how-to or tips and tricks listicle generally works well in this case. However, don’t limit yourself to just these. If you believe another listicle type will give a more logical presentation of the solution, then go for it! You don’t have to follow what a listicle example is supposed to look like based on existing content.

Seasonal Lists

The holiday season is just around the corner, so the search for anything related to Thanksgiving and Christmas will surely see a surge. So, we hope that there’s a listicle in your content calendar that takes advantage of the interest surrounding the holidays. For example, “5 Non-Secluded Mountain View Hotels to Visit During the Holidays” will capture their attention! Using the season as the context of your listicle makes it more interesting and relevant than one simply about hotels. How you can apply this in your content-creation process will depend on the industry you’re in. So, feel free to get creative! A catchy title will help you get noticed, but make sure to incorporate the theme into the listicle text, as well.

Industry-Specific Lists

Tailoring your content to specific industries will help you get heard. You’re calling out a specific segment of the target market through your listicle and telling them that what you wrote is specifically for them. They’re also more likely to see value in your content. Imagine that you’re a chef. Which of these two headlines would catch your attention?

5 Knives To Have In The Kitchen
5 Knives That Every Chef Should Have

Even if the content presents literally the same knives, the second listicle will most likely generate a better response from chefs. Of course, the content has to be tailored for them as well.

Promoting Your Listicle Articles for Maximum Reach

Using list-type content may naturally draw people in, but you can’t rely on just that to get views on your text! You should be proactive in promoting your listicle to help it reach the right audience and help drive traffic right to your website. So, what are the most effective ways that you can do this? Below, we’ve outlined what we have seen to be generally effective strategies. If you have limited resources, don’t worry! Instead of spreading your resources out too thin, identify which of these will have the most impact on your reach.

Invest in Organic Search

A listicle has already been created to do well in SEO. It’s well-structured and easy to read, both of which can help pull the text’s ranking. So, it only makes sense to implement on-page SEO best practices to help get your listicle right to the first page of Google. This includes:

Researching keywords;
Incorporating relevant keywords into the listicle as well as the meta title and description;
Creating an SEO-friendly URL;
Modifying the alt text to the media used in the content;
Linking to relevant pages within the website and to credible sources.

However, that may not be enough to get your ranking high in search. Search engine optimization requires constant effort.

Use Various Channels to Promote Your Content

Even if you want to stick with free methods of promoting your listicle, you still shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. Strategically use various channels to increase the readership of the text. This can include:

Reposting the content with a relevant caption on social media pages;
Using an email newsletter to tell people about the content;
Commenting a link to the article, along with a relevant response to the post.

No matter what channels you decide to use, just make sure to optimize for the various platforms. For example, if you’re using X, then you should incorporate hashtags to get more people to see your text.

Incorporate Native Advertising

There are many forms by which you can implement native advertising to get more eyes on your listicle. What will make the most sense in this case will depend on various factors, such as budget and the purpose of the content itself. An advertiser who wants to use your publishing platform to promote their list-type article can either:

Create sponsored content on your site: This is a good idea if they want to use the listicle to boost authority and drive traffic to their site.
Place a sponsored ad on a relevant page: If they want readers to read the text right on their site, this is a good alternative.

If you don’t know which of these would be the most suitable offer to a particular advertising client, don’t worry! Our team at MGID can already automate the entire process for you.

Don’t Make a Bad Example of a Listicle! Here Are the Biggest Mistakes That You Should Avoid

We have extensively talked about what you should do. However, when creating your listicle, you should be wary of the common mistakes that people make. As promising as a listicle can be, doing things wrong can also severely impact your authority and trustworthiness. Your goal should be to preserve the value of any content that you create (yes, including listicles). In doing so, you’ll also keep the interest of the reader and the rest of your target audience. So, avoid these mistakes at all costs.

Clickbait Titles

If there’s anything that you take away from how NOT to write a listicle, this should be it. The title is what captures a potential reader’s attention, setting expectations of what the article will be about. If the created content fails to meet these expectations, then the credibility of the site may be put into question. You can create enticing titles by being specific and honest so that it speaks clearly to your intended audience. If you claim to list things readers will be surprised to learn, you’d better deliver on that promise!

Super Long Lists

No one wants to read 50 items of anything. Everyone’s busy, and a listicle that overwhelms you with that long of a list will probably not provide a lot of value to the reader. Now, don’t get us wrong; you can list 50 or even 100 items in your article. It’s all a matter of how you organize your information. For example, instead of straight up enumerating all the affiliate marketing tools here, we organized them according to purpose so that you could easily find relevant recommendations. Doing something similar will make your text more readable as well.

Filler Content

If an existing article lists the top 10 vacation spots, you may think that going for a top 11 or even top 15 will make sense. And up to a certain point, you’re right. But the question is, will adding more stuff bring value? Or are you just adding more items to appear to provide more value? Adding unnecessary or irrelevant details can dilute the impact of your listicle. So, when you’re creating your list, make sure that every item adds important information that will actually help the reader.

Remember: Listicles Examples Work When They’re Relevant to Your Audience

Using a list article helps keep the audience engaged because it’s formatted in a way that allows them to take in information more easily. But what are examples of listicles good for when they’re not aligned with any marketing objective? Absolutely nothing. So, you need to think of the why before the how. If you’re selling ad spaces, companies may be interested in using your platform for native advertising. What’s a listicle ad going to look like? Your personal manager from MGID and a team of creative experts will help them boost your brand and therefore, your income. You’ll get this along with our advanced tools when you sign up on MGID. We’ve worked with numerous list article examples, and we can develop one for advertisers who are interested in sponsored content on your site.

Victoria Mozolevska

Supervising the MGID blog as a Content Manager, Victoria wears many hats and combines the skills of an eclectic writer, reflective researcher and forward-looking content strategist. She has over 10 years of experience creating diverse content cradled in creativity and backed by tangible goals for B2B, B2C and B2G.