Listicle | Meaning, Examples & Tips

A listicle is an article that’s organized as a numbered or bulleted list. Listicles cover anything from top trends, steps in a process, surprising facts, and helpful tips. Because listicles are so reader friendly, it’s no wonder that they often go viral. They’re especially common in blogs, magazines, social media, and newsfeeds.

One of the most well-known listicles is Time Magazine’s “Top 100 Most Influential People.” Some websites, such as BuzzFeed, publish hundreds of listicles per day.

What is a listicle?

A listicle is an article in the form of a list. The title of a listicle almost always has the total number of items (e.g., “Top 10 Careers for 2025 Grads”). A brief introduction usually prefaces a bulleted list or a series of numbered headings with text, photos, and/or videos beneath. If the list includes text, it’s usually in bite-sized pieces.

This reader-friendly, skimmable structure makes listicles especially enticing for online readers. For that reason, marketers use listicles to attract online customers and improve brand visibility. Some online listicles also have a high volume of ads and sponsored content. However, not all listicles are branded content, and some don’t have ads.

Listicle examples

Listicles cover many types of topics. The examples below illustrate some of the most common listicle types.

How to write a listicle in 5 steps

Despite the simple format, successful listicles take practice and effort. Here are 5 steps for getting started.

1. Find keywords

To increase your listicle’s visibility in search engine results, find out which search phrases people use to learn more about your topic. Keyword research tools, such as Ahrefs and Semrush, will show you which words and phrases have high search volume. Once you find out what those keywords are, plan to use them naturally throughout your article.

2. Research your topic

Next, research other articles about your topic to gather information. Review the top results for your main keyword on Google’s search engine results page. What strategies are your competitors using to rank well? Also, review articles and websites by the go-to experts for your topic to get the most accurate and up-to-date information.

3. Choose a structure

Before you write the listicle, decide how you want to organize it. Some of the many options include:

• A simple bulleted list after the introduction
• Numbered headings (aka “H2s”) with a short blurb, photograph, or video beneath
• Ranked or reverse-ranked order (if you’re doing a “best of”)
• Most to least important
• Steps in a process

Write your H2s (if you’re using them), using keywords with high search volume where they fit naturally.

4. Write an introduction

Start your listicle with a concise introduction or hook about the importance of your topic. One approach is to start with a pain point and offer your list as a solution. The introduction to a listicle doesn’t need to be long. A few sentences will usually suffice.

5. Add the content

Finally, add text, photographs, videos, or other media to develop each part of your list. If you’re writing text for each H2, keep it short and simple (e.g., one short paragraph or 4 lines of text). Incorporate keywords where possible, and add hyperlinks to other articles on your website.

How to use a listicle generator

When you need to write a listicle on a tight deadline, QuillBot’s free listicle generator makes the process faster and easier. Follow these steps to generate an engaging and organized listicle on any topic.

• Prompt the tool with your listicle topic, number of items, and listicle type.
• If you have special instructions for the introduction, include those as well.
• Include details about how long you want each section to be.
• Tell the tool to ask you follow-up questions about the topic.
• Review the first draft, and prompt the chatbot to revise based on your feedback.

Frequently asked questions about listicles

Can AI help me with listicle ideas?

Yes, AI can help with listicle ideas. You can prompt AI to show you several ideas for listicles about a specific topic or niche. Here are a couple of examples of AI prompts for listicle topic ideas:

• Show me 5 listicle topic ideas for a blog about sustainable gardening on a retail garden supply website. Each topic idea should focus on a different type of vegetable or flower gardening.
• Write 3 listicle topic ideas for a fashion blog for teenagers. Focus each listicle topic on a different angle of 2025 fashion trends for teens.

QuillBot’s AI listicle writer can also help you write listicles on virtually any topic.