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When was the last time you read an article word-for-word?

Chances are, you skimmed it, jumped to the headers, scanned the bullet points, and moved on. 

Your readers do the same thing. Listicles are built for exactly this behavior, which is why they outperform other content formats in clicks, rankings, and engagement.

In this guide, you’ll learn what makes listicles so effective and how to write one that improves SEO and helps you show up in AI recommendations.

What Are Listicles?

Listicles are a form of articles structured as lists, presenting information in a bulleted or numbered format. 

They use headlines with a specific count of items, such as “10 Best Platforms…” or “Top 5 Tools to…”, and are popular for their ease of reading.

Here’s an example

Why Are Listicles So Popular?

Listicles have remained one of the most effective and widely used blog formats for years. Their popularity is not accidental. Here are the main reasons why listicles perform so well.

• Simplify complex information: Listicle format breaks information into small, digestible chunks. Instead of presenting large blocks of text, the information is organized into clear points. Each section focuses on a single idea, which helps readers quickly understand the topic without feeling overwhelmed.

• Improve SEO performance: Listicles often rank well on Google, as they match the way people search for information. When a listicle directly matches the user’s search intent and answers their questions, search engines are more likely to rank it higher. As a result, listicles can bring consistent and highly relevant traffic to your website.

• Increase AI/LLM visibility: AI-powered platforms and search features rely heavily on well-structured content. Platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini prioritize content that is clear, organized, and easy to scan. Listicles naturally follow this format. Since each point is clearly separated and explained, AI systems can easily extract and reference the information when generating answers. This allows you to rank in AI overviews, too.

• Improve user experience: Readers usually prefer easily skimmable and scannable content. Listicles help with that. Clear headings, short sections, and logical ordering allow readers to jump directly to the part they care about most. This keeps them engaged longer and reduces the bounce rate.

• Help buyers make a purchasing decision: Listicles are especially powerful when users are comparing options. Articles like “Top 6 SEO tools.․.” or “Top 5 Guest Posting Services” help readers to review different solutions in one place. When the content is clear, specific, and informative, it helps potential buyers evaluate their choices and move closer to making a decision.

Now that you know why listicles work, let’s understand how to write them. 

5 Easy Steps to Write a Listicle

We’ve been writing listicles for a while and know what actually works. 

Follow these simple steps to create listicles that not only rank high on Google but also appear in AI citations.

Step 1: Choose a Topic

First, identify the topic of your listicle. 

What would you like to write about? Preferably, it could be something related to your business.

For instance, if you are a design company, you could create “Best 5 Website Design Trends for 2026” or “Top 7 Tools Every Graphic Designer Should Use.” 

And, you can get even further and write listicles that promote your services/tools/solutions. For example, if your design company offers a logo maker tool,  you could write “Top 5 Logo Maker Tools for Small Businesses,” including your tool alongside other popular options. 

This not only provides value to readers but also showcases what you offer, helping you attract potential customers.

Step 2: Target the Right Keywords 

Once you’ve identified the topic, it’s time to pick a keyword to make your content not only user-centric but also search-engine friendly.  

Yes. We’re talking about keyword research. 

It helps understand what users are searching for, learn what keywords your competitors are targeting, and make your content more discoverable and relevant.

Here’s how to get started with keyword research with Ahrefs. 

Step 1: Type your seed keyword into Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer (e.g., SEO services). This is the starting point of your keyword research. 

Step 2: Then, go to the “Keyword ideas” to explore more options for both primary and secondary keywords. Here’s what to pay attention to:

• Terms match: Keywords that include all of the terms of a target keyword. Here’s how you can explore them. 
• Questions: A list of keywords in the form of questions.

Step 3: Filter the keyword by difficulty, global search volume, traffic potential, and search intent. We recommend picking keywords with low difficulty and high global search volume to maximize your chances of ranking higher on Google.

Step 3: Research the Topic

The next step is doing topical research.

Let’s say you want to write a listicle about the best keyword research tools of 2026. Here’s what research methods we recommend.

• Interview industry experts or people who actively work in link building. Their insights can add depth to your article and help you include insights based on real experience.
• Explore discussion platforms and communities like Reddit to see what real users are recommending and talking about.
• Try a simple search on Google. Look at the top-ranking articles and see which tools they mention, how they structure their lists, and what information they include.
• Product review websites such as G2 and Capterra can also help you understand which tools are popular and why people choose them.

The goal of this research is to understand the topic from multiple angles so you can create an accurate and useful listicle.

Step 4: Identify Listicle Items

Once you are done with your research, the next step is choosing the items for your listicle. These are the main points, tools/services/steps/ideas you will include in the article.

At this stage, your goal is to narrow down the most relevant and valuable options for your readers. 

For example, a listicle about “Best SEO Tools” could include items like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and more.

Step 5: Choose a Structure

Next, decide how you want to present your listicle. The structure will guide readers through your content and make it easier to scan.

You can organize your items in several ways, depending on your goal: 

• Ranked order: List items from best to least, or in order of importance, effectiveness, or popularity.
• Step-by-step: Perfect for tutorials or processes, where each item builds on the previous one.

Next, define key discussion points for each listicle. For example, if you’re reviewing tools, it would be helpful to add the following information for each. 

• Overview
• Features
• Pros/cons
• Pricing
• Best for

This gives readers enough context to understand why each item matters and helps them make informed decisions.

Boost AI SEO Visibility With SayNine Listicle Services

Want to get noticed by Google, get recommended by ChatGPT, and other LLMs? 

We provide professional listicle services that put your brand as a top tool/service in the articles and get your company seen, trusted, and recommended.

Here’s how our listicle services work.

• Step 1: Choose your package: Pick your preferred pricing model, fill the form, and we’ll get back to you as soon as it is possible.

• Step 2: Select your approach: You can either trust the listicle writing to us, or provide us with your option, whichever works for you the best.
  
• Step 3: Sit back and relax, while we make your listicles live: Our team will create listicles and get them published, so your tool or service starts showing up in search results and AI suggestions.

Curious about the results? We can give you samples of our previous work so you can see exactly what you’d be getting.

Why Choose SayNine

• Our listicle service works across any industry
• You stay in full control of the content
• We publish on relevant, niche-specific websites
• Every listicle comes with a dofollow backlink and a high-quality piece of content that drives real results

Listicle packages and pricing (yearly billing)

• 3 listicles per month/$990
• 10 listicles per month/$3200
• 20 listicles per month/$6000
• Custom plan: Choose from 3 to 20 listicles and get a custom quote. 

Wrapping Up

Not every content format stands the test of time. Listicles have, and with AI search changing how people find information, they’re only becoming more valuable.

Whether you’re just getting started or want to scale what’s already working, we’d love to help. Reach out and let’s talk through your options and find out how our listicle service can work for your business.

FAQ about listicles