11 Elements of A Successful List Blog Post [with Listicle Examples]

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Lori Ballen is a member of the Amazon Associates Program

One of the best-performing content types today for bloggers is the listicle. A listicle is an article that contains a series of bulleted lists, each with three or more items on it. The listicle-style blog post is popular because people love lists, and they are easy to read. They also have a very high click-through rate, so you can easily make money from them.

The most popular type of content among bloggers are “how-to” articles (77%), followed by listicles (57%) and news and trends (47%). – Semrush

What is a Listicle?

A listicle is an article that is a list. List Article = Listicle. Generally consisting of 5 or more items, a listicle format is a great way to get readers to engage with content and generate traffic.

The first thing you need to know about writing a good listicle is that there are two kinds: short ones and long ones. Short listicles are usually between 500 and 1,000 words, while longer listicles are typically around 2,500.

Short listicles are easier to write than longer ones, but they don’t provide as much value to readers. They cater to the short attention span of today’s blog readers. Longer listicles are harder to write and take longer to produce. However, they offer more value to your readers and will help you earn more money.

To start making money from writing listicles, you should focus on creating long listicles. You can do several things to ensure that you create great listicles.

Types of Listicles with Examples

There are many different ways to structure a listicle. Here are some examples:

1) Top List: Keller Williams Realty Las Vegas Summerlin included a top list of local mechanics in the Las Vegas area.

2) How-To Guide: Ryan Fitzgerald published a listicle on his real estate website about how to sell a house by owner.

3) What I Learned From This type of list includes one item per line. Fast Company published a list-style post using subheadings only rather than bullet points about what they learned teaching the top 1%.

4) My Favorite Things: One of the most popular favorite things style blogs ever is Oprah Winfrey’s Favorite Things.

5) Reasons Why: One Green Planet published a listicle about why zoos are bad.

6) Ways to The Mayo clinic wrote an article listing 10 ways to reduce blood pressure without medicine. 

7) Top Benefits:  This list gives you a chance to share a strategy that worked for you or someone else. Healthline created a list of 7 benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training 

8) Best Practices: This list shares information that helps others improve their business. An example is “Best Practices for Writing Effective Press Releases”.

9) Best of List: Scott Taylor published a blog about the top neighborhoods in San Diego for Millenials.

8) Items to include: when packing, camping, or moving. Carnival published a list-style article on what to pack for a cruise.

9) Checklists: Today’s Parent created a checklist containing items every new baby should have.

10) Gift Guide: CNN published a list of 22 Gifts under $25.00

How To Create a Listicle

Step 1: Choose Your Topic

You have to choose what kind of listicle you’ll write before you even begin. Think about what you want to say and why people would care about reading your post. Make sure that it’s quality content. 

Step 2: Write Out Your Post

Write out your entire post in bullet points. Don’t worry about grammar and punctuation at this point. Just make sure everything makes sense.

Step 3: Edit & Proofread

After you’ve written your list post, review it again and edit it until it sounds natural. Then proofread it once more to make sure it reads smoothly.

Step 4: Find Images & Videos

Once you’ve edited your list post, you’ll need to find images and videos to support your content. Try searching Google for relevant images and videos.

Step 5: Add Links

Add links to other websites so that people can easily access additional information.

Step 6: Publish!

The Key Elements Of A Good Listicle

Here are some elements that make a great listicle:

1) Easy to Read: This is probably the most important element of a listicle. People don’t want to spend too much time reading long paragraphs of text. They want to quickly scan through a list of things to move on to the next task.

2) Short Paragraphs: If you’re writing a listicle, chances are you want to create short paragraphs. Longer paragraphs will take longer to read, which decreases the likelihood that readers will click through to your website.

3)Subheadings: Headings help break up the paragraph structure and allow readers to easily find what they are looking for. It’s beneficial to SEO efforts if the primary keywords are used in the subheadings.

4) Lists: If you create a listicle, you need to ensure a clear separation between each item in the list. Don’t forget to use bullet points!

5) Images: Images add visual interest to your listicle. You can also use images as callouts.

6) Quotes: Quotes are another way to add personality to your listicle. Use quotes from famous authors or celebrities to show how popular the idea is. A statistic quote with a link is always beneficial.

7) Numbered List: Numbers work well in listicles because they are easy to read. However, you shouldn’t go overboard with them. If you do, it might become difficult to tell where one number ends and the next begins.

8) Bolding: Bolding is a great way to emphasize certain words within your article. It helps draw attention to those words and increases the likelihood that users will click through to your site.

9) Tags: Tags are an effective way to organize your listicle. Make sure that you include tags like “best,” “most,” and “worst” so that people know exactly what type of listicle they are getting into.

10) Clickable Links: If you’re creating a guest listicle blog post, provide a link to your website. This shows visitors that you created the listicle and gives them a reason to visit your website.

11) Use Keywords: Search engines love list posts. When people search for something online, they often look for a list of results. To gain search rankings, your marketing strategy should include listicle blog formats. List articles can take a complex topic and break them down into digestible chunks.

Final Thoughts

Listicles take a complex thought and break it down into digestible chunks in the form of a list. Generally, the list is numbered or contains bold items or subheadings.

Find affiliate links if you’re writing a list post about a product or service. Affiliate links allow you to earn money by promoting another company’s product or service.

When you’re ready to publish your post, submit it to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc.

Include hashtags in your posts so that people can find them easier. Hashtags are keywords that appear after a symbol.