Although it might sound like the beginning of a dirty joke, listicles are quite effective for engaging an audience. They can easily be the backbone of a lot of content for the blog, as well. What are they, and just how effective is a listicle for generating views?
In reality, I’ve seen lists be the most effective types of content for myself as well as my clients. Unfortunately, they are also one of the most time-consuming types of content to create. The trade-off is often a massive boost to traffic and income.
When it comes to the return on investment for time, listicles are probably one of the most lucrative pieces of content to create.
What Are Listicles?
The term “listicle” is a combination of “list article.” These are entire pieces of content dedicated to providing a list of something. Although list articles have been around since the dawn of the Internet, listicles were made ultra-popular by Buzzfeed from 2006 and beyond.
List articles can provide a reader with a wealth of information regarding any topic. Essentially, they are like micro-reviews of multiple products, services, or information delivered on a single page.
Listicles are user-friendly pieces of content that Google apparently loves. But there is a caveat: your lists need to be from a unique perspective. In other words, you don’t want to simply create the same list that floods the search results page.
Pros and Cons of Creating Listicles
PROS
- Effective at Generating Traffic
- Lays Groundwork for More Content
- Multiple Ways to Make Money
- SEO Signals Galore
CONS
- Can Be Time-Consuming
- Risking Copied Content
Effective at Generating Traffic
Lists are one of the best types of content you can create for a website of any kind. They tap into a person’s needs for specific information, such as finding the “best” of anything. Looking for “free” products and services is also among the most sought-after results.
For example, over the past 90 days, my list of the “best writing apps for authors” has generated 24.03% of all views on WriterSanctuary. And yes, I have future plans to create far more lists for all of my blogs.
Replicating the success of the listicle is quite easy, as long as the content is relevant to the rest of the blog. And as you can see, a single listicle generates more than 3x the traffic against my best review.
This is the kind of stuff that my clients pay me exceptionally well to produce. And I’ve created lists for everything from animals to travel, many of which still generate a great deal of traffic a decade later.
Lays Groundwork for More Content
Listicles can be the starting point of a lot of content for your blog. Start with a list, write a review about each product, and then dive deeper with tutorials about the products that you’re reviewing. I’ll dive deeper into how to do this in a moment.
The bottom line is that you don’t have to stop with just creating a list and calling it a day. A single listicle could provide tens or even hundreds of ideas for future posts, all of which remain relevant to your audience as well as your niche.
Just make sure you’re creating lists of things your audience wants in the first place. You do that by using keyword tools and diving into search intent and research.
Multiple Ways to Make Money
Listicles can contribute greatly to the income you generate each month. I’m not just talking about ad revenue from Google AdSense, either. There are several key methods to make money with listicles, as long as you create them properly.
For instance, the list I mentioned earlier generates roughly 35.36% of all ad revenue for this website. That’s one blog post making up over a third of all ad income! Coincidentally, this is also 4.76 times more revenue from AdSense than the next article below it, which is a review.
I do need to point out, though, that the review generates more income overall because it uses an affiliate link. That means I make money from the sales of that product. But from a perspective of ad revenue, the listicle performs way better thanks to the influx of traffic.
Now, you can probably see why Buzzfeed was pushing them so hard back in the day. Also, keep in mind that this doesn’t include affiliate links or sponsored additions.
SEO Signals Galore
List articles are excellent for building SEO strategies. When structured correctly, they can add value to how Google interprets your entire blog. Listicles will also boost user experience by breaking down products and services, which contributes to on-page time.
Let’s not forget that a properly worded list also has a higher chance of being in a featured snippet or being used by Google’s AI Overviews.
Can Be Very Time-Consuming
Out of all the types of content I create, lists are one of the most time-consuming. That’s because I take the time to actually experience the product or service in the list to provide my expert opinion. I just don’t make it up as I go, unlike some people online.
That’s probably why Google loves my lists; I add value and personal experience to the content.
In any case, a properly structured and written listicle will take you quite a bit of time to put together. But as I said earlier, the trade-off is lots of traffic and vastly improved chances of generating revenue.
Risking Copied Content
Although Google likes listicles for a variety of reasons, it also started curtailing them a few years ago. Too many people were copying and pasting lists for the sake of scoring well in search. The result was a search page full of the exact same lists from hundreds of sources.
That’s why Google pushes a unique and personal experience over just having the list itself.
So, whatever you do, don’t just copy a list and call it a day. Actually put effort into these micro reviews and provide the best information you can for your visitors.
How to Use Listicles Effectively
Do you just create a list of things and put them on your blog? No. In fact, not all lists are going to land well with your target audience. You may even find that a few get completely ignored. However, that could also be caused by a lack of high-quality content in the post itself.
So, what can you do to greatly improve the chances of having a listicle that rocks for your audience?
Keep Listicles Relevant
One of the most important aspects of creating listicles is to make sure they are relevant to your blog’s niche. Not only do you not want to create a disconnect with those who follow your site, but Google hates niche-jumping.
For example, you wouldn’t create a list of the best places to find a steak dinner on a vegetarian blog.
Every niche has corresponding lists for a plethora of products and services. Don’t be afraid to try narrow-focused lists, as they may be ultra-effective for your audience.
For instance, a health and fitness blogger could make a listicle about the best healthy alternatives to chocolate peanut butter ice cream. In fact, “chocolate peanut butter ice cream” has over a thousand searches per month on Google.
Search for High-Volume Lists to Create
Keyword research is still an important part of SEO and gaining visitors. After all, no one is going to click on your content if it’s not obvious what the blog post is about.
Anyway, there are a lot of online tools you can use to look for relevant list ideas for your site. I enjoy using Rank Tracker, but you can use something as simple as Google Ads keyword planner.
When you start digging into the terms people use, you’ll find that a large portion of relevant lists have over 10,000 searches per month. If you hit the number-one spot of Google search, you could be bringing in some big traffic numbers.
Just remember that you can’t force people to read your content. All you can do is put together the best material you can to convince humans and search engines to frequent your site.
Don’t Rehash the Same Lists
As I pointed out earlier, Google cracked down on duplicating lists. So, don’t rehash the same information that you’re gleaming from another blog. You can use other sites as a base, but try to build listicles that are better than everyone else’s content.
The point of your blog post is to stand out among the crowd. Ask yourself why anyone would want to read your list as opposed to the hundreds that are already out there? What do you offer visitors that the competition does not?
You can use the same products or services, but make sure you’re adding your own perspectives and experiences. Perhaps add a few more to the list that others missed.
Go Beyond the Listicle
Over the years, I’ve found the best listicles we’ve created for clients involve more than just the list. Yes, the list is what brings in a lot of traffic. But it’s the extras that go beyond the list that seemed to resonate with hundreds of visitors.
For example, I added a section about what I look for in the listicle for writing apps. In one client article, we added plugins to use that accentuate a list of wedding themes for WordPress websites.
We’ve gone so far as to add an FAQ section at the bottom of the article, which attracted a lot of visitors, according to heat mapping.
The bottom line is that you want to dive a bit deeper than just simply slapping up a list and calling it a post. Think of what else your visitors would like to know or how you can help them after the list.
Trickle-Down Content with Listicles
As I mentioned earlier, listicles can lead to a wide range of content ideas. Instead of wasting time staring at a blank screen, awaiting inspiration, the list can deliver a constant flow of things to write about.
For instance, let’s say you write a listicle about the 10 best apps to use for live streaming on YouTube. That one listicle just gave you 10 ideas for reviews, one for each app. Then, let’s say you start with writing 5 tutorials for each of those apps. Instead of a single blog post, you now have ideas for 61 articles.
Although the other articles might not be as effective to drive traffic as the initial listicle, they will boost your reputation, expertise, and bring in new readers looking for similar information.
Continue to Update as Necessary
Google loves it when you update content with fresh ideas. Lists can be expanded upon, which keeps the post current and informative; two aspects that humans and search engine bots appreciate.
You’re demonstrating the post isn’t abandoned, and you could gain even more visitors by simply adding one more product or service to the list.
When updating your list, make sure you check the other entries to ensure they are still relevant and current as well. Adding new information to a list with obsolete information still visible doesn’t help you much.
Don’t Forget the Backlinks!
Lastly, don’t forget to add backlinks to your new articles. Building internal links is a vital part of SEO while also providing a way for visitors to find your other content. It’s imperative that you add internal links with every blog post you write if available.
If you start writing reviews about the items in your listicle, make sure you link to the review from the list article. You want to create an intricate web of relevant links within your website.
How to Make Money with Listicles
I’ve mentioned a few times about making money from listicles. That’s because the potential is great, depending on the niche and information you’re sharing.
No one can guarantee income from a blog. However, as with gaining visitors, you can improve your chances by implementing ideal methods to accompany well-written content.
What are the best ways to make money with listicles across the board?
Affiliate Marketing
One of the most common methods of making money from listicles is using affiliate links. Instead of linking back to a brand, you can use the affiliate link instead and earn a commission should someone makes a purchase.
This is such a common practice that most popular bloggers fill their content with affiliate marketing in some regard. There are also tons of videos on YouTube about how to implement these links and best practices.
For instance, you can put a button at the end of the list item with something like “Buy Now” or “Try for Yourself.”
Ad Revenue from Listicles
AdSense doesn’t pay a lot, but it’s one of the easiest ways to monetize a website. As long as you have a collection of high-quality articles, you can join the AdSense program and start earning a few cents per day.
The more popular your website becomes, the more money you make. This is based on your blog’s niche and RPM. Some industries will pay more than others, meaning there are a lot of variables that will affect how much you make.
The bottom line is that ad revenue is a great form of passive income, especially if you let Google implement the ads itself.
There are more ad sharing networks out there, but AdSense is perhaps the most common and widely used. Besides, some ad sharing networks require certain monthly visitor requirements. I know of one that requires your website to have 10,000 unique visitors per month, which is quite high for a personal blog.
Sponsored Additions to the List
One of my clients allows others to request being added to listicles for a fee. This is akin to sponsored posts, as the customer is paying for a spot on a popular page.
I offer something similar, but I am far more anal about who I add to my lists.
Something like sponsored content will take longer to accumulate, though. That’s because most people and businesses willing to throw a couple of hundred dollars at you have traffic requirements themselves. They don’t want to give you money if the post is only seen once or twice per month.
Creating Listicles
It takes more than just a number and a topic to really grab the reader’s attention. The title is what will stand out to most people, especially during a Google search. So, what can you do to make them better?
When it comes to titles, I’ve been using CoSchedule’s headline analyzer for quite a few years. CoSchedule will analyze the text you choose and give a score based on things like power words, emotion words, and more. The higher the score, the better the headline.
CoSchedule currently gives you 10 headline credits per month, which may not be enough depending on how often you need to use the tool. Still, it’s a great place to start if you want to add more umph to your titles.
OK, let’s burn through some credits with these title examples for listicles.
Let’s say that I want to write about the 10 best places to buy Christmas presents. My title could look like:
“10 Best Places to Buy Christmas Presents”
That example might work for some, but it scores a 72 according to CoSchedule.
What can we do to improve the score and make the title stand out? Power and emotional words are often the best choice. With that being said, let’s try adding “Awesome” and “You” to the title, which makes it more personalized:
“10 Best Places You Can Buy Awesome Christmas Presents”
Now, the score is 81, according to CoSchedule.
There’s a bit of psychology when it comes to creating titles that attract readers. Just make sure you’re delivering on what the title promises for those who click to view the post.
The more specific and focused your listicles are, the better they’ll perform on the search results page.
Listicles Are Great, But…
Never forget that there is more to building a great website than just showing lists. Yes, Buzzfeed made a massive run at the style, but your target audience will want more meat in their recurring content.
Those who follow or subscribe to your blog are more than likely going to want more than just list articles every day. Not to mention that some forms of content are going to make more money from direct sales and affiliates.
For example, a full-on review of a product you’re selling is more likely to generate interest and purchases than a listicle.
Find a balance that works best for your audience. Use listicles as a base for producing a wide range of relevant content people will love to read.
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