7 Ways To Level Up Your Listicle

The definitive guide to listicle writing for small business owners and blog writing beginners.

Listicles are my favourite type of blog post. In fact, they are my go-to blog format when I sit at my laptop and ponder “what should I blog about?”

Not only are they the easiest type of blog post to write, but they are also a fantabulous way to include allllllll the yummy keywords that your website definitely needs.

So, what exactly is a listicle?

List + article = listicle. Basically, a listicle is a blog article in list format.

It’s no coincidence that the majority of my blog posts are in listicle form- they are just so easy to write! The biggest tell-tale sign that you’re reading a listicle is that there will be a number in the heading (e.g. ‘5 ways to write a listicle’), and a list of bullet points or numbered headings in the article itself.

The most common form of listicle is a list of between 10-20 points about a particular theme, with added information and detail to expand on each point and provide value for the reader.

The 3 types of listicle

1- A simple, numbered list of basic points. This is a great top-of-the-funnel, short form blog post that gets the information across clearly and simply. I’m talking about your “27 Blog Content Ideas” or “15 places to visit in London” sort of article.

2- The definitive listicle, or expanded list posts. These are in-depth, exhaustive list on a particular topic.

3- The framework listicle- a step-by-step guide to achieve a particular result or outcome. We’re talking instructional guides and recipes.

6 Reasons to write a listicle

Here are 6 solid reasons why you need to write your next blog post in the form of a list (handily, also in the form of a list):

Easy to write– It is so much easier to write a 1000 word article when you have a clear structure in the form of a list of headings or points to cover.
Easy to read– Manageable chunks of text are so much easier on the eye.
Easy to navigate or scan quickly for important information.
SEO– Listicles provide many, many opportunities for important keywords. Listicles tend to appear in featured snippets on Google, giving a quick answer to search queries that match your content. This increases visibility and can lead to more organic traffic.
Provides value to the reader with important information.
Grabs attention with titles like ‘6 reasons to write a listicle’. This will grab your attention way more than, say, ‘Why write blog posts’. The number in the title suggests there is value in your post.

How to structure your listicle

I always follow this structure when writing a list-based blog article.

Introduction– Introduce the post, say what you’re going to cover. Keep it short, sweet and informal.
The list itself– you can use each list item as a heading and expand on each point. You can also add images and even subheadings and bullet points.
A conclusion– to tie it all up, so your listicle doesn’t just stop. I like to end with a call to action (CTA) like “If you want more like this, you’re going to want to read this unbelievably interesting article I wrote about…” and finish with a link to something you made earlier.