How To Write Effective Listicles

Introduction

Listicles are great. They're cheeky, they grab people's attention, and you can write them quickly. But the best listicles go beyond just being fun or interesting—they actually help your business or organization by driving traffic back to your site. In this post, we'll show you how to write effective listicles that will keep people coming back for more content!

Find A Trending Topic

Start by finding a trending topic. You can use Google Trends to find popular searches. BuzzSumo is also useful for this purpose, as it allows you to search for terms that have been shared by other sites recently. Once you know what's trending, look at the SERPs (search engine results pages), and see which of these topics are getting lots of links from authoritative websites.

If it seems like everyone is talking about something, maybe that's not such a great idea for your article! Instead, look for something that has been popping up in search but isn't too big yet—this will give you more space to add your own spin on things before someone else writes about it later on their blog or website too soon after yours goes live

Check Virality Of The Content

If you’re looking for some great examples of viral content, BuzzSumo is an excellent tool to use. It allows you to search by topic and find the most shared content on that topic, as well as what kind of content did not do well and why it didn’t do so well. You can use this information when writing your own listicle!

Enter any keyword, then click “Share Counts” in the dropdown menu at the top left corner of their homepage. Clicking Share Counts will show you all of the popular posts related to that keyword.

In order for something like this not to work out too well (especially if you're hoping it'll go viral), it needs attention-grabbing headlines that are also relatable so readers understand why they should care about whatever's inside them (for example, someone might think something like "10 Ways Your Dog Changed Your Life" sounds boring because they don't have pets).

In addition, there needs to be some sort of connection between each point made within a piece before moving onto another one; otherwise everything just seems random or unorganized--and who wants stuff like that?!

Check Related Posts

One of the best ways to find popular content is to check out the Related Posts section on GrowthHackers. This can be found by clicking on a post that has already been published and then hovering over Related Links. It will also show up if you click on a keyword in Google’s search bar, like “how to write effective listicles” or “how often should I post on my blog?”

You can use this site as an example of what kind of content works well with your audience and why it is resonating with them. In addition to looking at how many shares each article has gotten (which you can easily check using BuzzSumo), look for comments that someone left about the piece saying something like: “I couldn't agree more! This was so helpful for me as a first-time blogger! Thanks for sharing!” This shows that people are finding value in what you write; therefore making them more likely to subscribe or share your posts with their friends.

Flip The Script

Using the same format as before, flip the script by using a different topic. Make sure it is still relevant to your audience and that it is still interesting for them. Use a different angle of attack to make it more interesting. Use a different title or headline to make it even better

Use Social Proof

Use Social Proof: Listicles are all about the social component. This means that you need to show your readers, who are typically skimmers, that other people have read and enjoyed your content. One way to do this is to use a list of influencers (i.e., celebrities, bloggers and other publications) that have shared/recommended your article in their social media posts or elsewhere online. You can also include a list of press mentions from magazines or websites where you've been featured. Another way to use social proof is by including testimonials from customers who were impressed with your product/service and want everyone else to know their story too!

Tips To Write Better Listicles

Now that you know the basics of how to write a listicle, let's look at some ways to make it even better. Here are our top tips for creating an effective listicle:

• Include a call to action. This can be something simple like "Subscribe" or "Follow us on Twitter," but make sure you include it somewhere in your piece. It will help increase engagement and keep readers engaged with your content.
• Remember that links are important! Don't forget them! They're important! Links help websites rank higher in search engine results, which mean more traffic for your site—and more money coming in from ads (if you have them). If there's no link where people can learn more about what you're talking about, then why would anyone click on your article?

Conclusion

If you’re looking to write a good listicle, you’ve come to the right place. There are many ways to improve the quality of your content, but we believe these tips will help you get started on the right foot.

Remember that not all listicles are created equal! Even though this format seems simple on its face, there’s a lot that goes into making an effective one—including finding topics that have been proven successful (or at least popular) before. We hope our advice helps make your next article more engaging for readers and profitable for you as well! If you want to learn more about SEO, click here to read our more newsletter