This title is effective because it tells you how long the list is, why you’d want to read it, and it targets a super-relevant, high-volume keyword. Use a similar strategy when coming up with your title.
Tips for choosing your listicle title:
- Start with a number, telling the reader how many items are on this list.
- Clearly describe the main topic of your listicle without overpromising.
- Include your target keyword.
Listicle Introduction
A practical listicle introduction should do two things:
- Establish the main selling point of your listicle (why should readers care?)
- Get in and out as quickly as possible.
Readers love listicles in part because they’re easy to read quickly (or they feel that way). Your introduction should feel the same way. Give your readers the essential information, and then move on.
Listicle Body Copy
Before you write your body copy, start by listing each item you want to include. This list should:
- Have the same number of items as promised in the title.
- Consistently relate to your main topic.
Once you’re happy with your list, each item can become an <H2>. Ideally, you’ll number each header. Numbers help readers keep track of their progress through the article and entices them to finish reading.
Bonus tip: Headers aren’t the only way you can recycle your outline. Once it’s polished, you can also use it to create a super shareable infographic to promote your post.
Once you’ve laid out your list headers, build out each section with:
- A supporting image (an illustration, photo, infographic, or even a video could work here)
- Essential details about each item
- Links to additional content if they want to learn more.
Include all the best, most relevant, and most exciting information for each section, but make sure each section of your list is only as long as it needs to be, not longer.
Listicle Conclusion
Use your conclusion to highlight the reader’s main takeaway from this list. Try to include a relevant call to action (CTA) here as well. You could promote a related product or service, encourage readers to download additional content, or link to other related articles.
How-To Blog Post Template
How-to blog posts are instructional articles that guide the reader through a specific process or workflow. Because you’ll also number these processes, how-to posts can look similar to listicles. They can help you establish authority in your specialty area and build trust with readers, so the more helpful and reliable you are, the better.
To determine if your blog topic should be a how-to article, ask yourself these questions:
- Am I describing a process made up of multiple steps?
- Do all those steps have to be completed in order?
- If the reader follows this process, will they achieve a specific goal or solve a particular problem?
If the answer to any of those questions is “no,” then reconsider whether you should be writing a list post instead.