Web Traffic has been one of the most popular words on the internet for many years. And over time, the ways to attract people to websites have evolved a lot. Marketers providing content marketing services in India utilize different types of content to generate website traffic and sales. They include articles, blog posts, Q&As, videos, podcasts, infographics, and listicles.
All of them are effective and have their pros and cons. But in this article, I am going to discuss Listicles as part of your content marketing strategy. I will talk about what it is, why you need to have them, and how it can help increase your sales and revenue.
When you search for something on a search engine, which one would you click to read first from the results?
The one with a simple title, or the one that contains words like List of…, or Top…, or Best…?
For example, if you search digital marketing strategy for wedding planners, you would get results, as shown in the screenshot below. Which one would you click first?
More likely the one that says “5 Best Digital Marketing Strategies for Wedding Planners”.
It is a listicle, and most people would click it. And that is why it is on the first page of the search results.
What is a Listicle?
As the name suggests, a listicle is an article that contains a list as the prominent structure. It can be anything from tips, ideas, benefits, advantages, disadvantages, places, people, items, and many others. And you can include any number of points and write for each of them in detail.
Both the producer and readers benefit from this type of content. It is easy for the writers to write and convenient for the readers to read. No wonder why content marketing agencies from across the world and content writers in India give preference to listicles.
How listicles can help with your content marketing
There can be many ways a listicle can be beneficial for attracting more traffic and sales. But they may vary from business to business. But I would mention the most common points here.
1. It creates brand awareness and reputation.
People love reading lists. It is because they can go through it quickly without reading each point in detail. Further, they can read those more relevant to their question and ignore others.
Also, most people will find something useful from a listicle since it comes up based on their queries. Hence they will visit your site or blog frequently, opt for your newsletter or enable notifications, and share it with others.
Any content marketing agency in India would include listicles in their SEO strategy for clients. So your branding and content strategy should give equal importance to this for better and long-lasting results.
2. It gives your audience a reason to stick to your blog.
Do you visit a specific blog or website for the latest information and answers to our questions in your niche? Most probably, yes, there would be one or more. It is also true for millions of people.
And this is how listicles can bring traffic to your website. The majority will be regular visitors, not just one-timers if you keep them busy with your interesting posts.
3. It increases your search engine ranking.
Most of the queries that contain words like Ideas, Tips, Strategies, How to, Ways, Most, Best, and Top, will show listicles on top of the first SERP. See the screenshot below for the query – Lead generation strategies for real estate.
4. It establishes your expertise in your niche.
As mentioned above, listicles attract more readers and rank high on the search engine. That means more people will read your content and know about your brand, products, and services.
Your listicles are a tool to clear the doubts and queries of your audience. They provide information on how you can help them solve their problem or deliver a better experience. Hence it proves your expertise and improves your reputation. And it should be a part of your content marketing strategy for your business.
Why should you write listicles for your blog?
Ideally, you have to write regularly on your blog. But listicles have their advantages, as discussed below.
5. Topics like Top 10 or Best get attention.
And do you know why this is so? Because these words give readers a feeling that it contains information about the best on what they have searched. So they will prefer to read your listicle when found on the first search results page.
Even if readers have some names in mind, when they see a listicle title, the chances are high that they will click it first. Even you, in most cases, do this. Right?
6. Easy to write
Yes, it is easy to write a listicle compared to other types of content. It would take far less than the time you would need for a 1000 to 1500 words article.
You can effectively list several points, ideas, tips, or benefits while discussing your products or services in a listicle. Also, you do not have to maintain a flow of reading and connection between the paragraphs all the time.
So you can create more listicles than articles in less time and get better results in terms of ranking and traffic. If you are a content writing agency in India, listicle writing would be your best service. If you are doing content marketing for your own business, listicles can be the quickest and cheapest way to promote your products and services. Why would you not have them if they can give these benefits and save your time and money?
7. Easy to read and understand
Would you read an article containing large paragraphs and long sentences that may have your answer in the middle or end? Or would you prefer to go through a list quickly and read a particular point that can solve your problem?
Listicles catch the attention in search results because they efficiently address the query of the reader. And most people like to read straight and simple text divided into small paragraphs under several points. Also, your readers do not have to read the entire article at once to grasp the idea. So, they are more likely to click on it when shared on social media or displayed in the search results.
Final words
Having listicles as part of your content marketing strategy is not only helpful for your website but also good for your business. If your website can attract readers, you can one day convert them into your paying customers. Organic traffic is better than paid traffic since it is quality traffic. And you would not want to leave any opportunity to have it. Right?
So, we hope you have pretty good reasons to start adding more listicles to your blog. You can write some of them quickly. Or, since you have many crucial tasks to do in your business, you can hire me as your content writer from India!
Cheers!