Lists can be a great way to draw your site users in. The very form of the list suggests that the topic has been sorted into a kind of order, and therefore will be easier to understand. Lists also have a very distinctive image pattern which catches the eye as soon as the page is loaded. From a site owner’s perspective, lists can also be an easy format to deliver information in fresh content.

One of the attractive things about lists is that they work on so many platforms. A list-based article will work not only on your site, but on article publishing sites, e-zines, and blogs. A list can even be broken down to string users in using Twitter. Is there anything this form of content can’t do? Well, yes, there is – look at number six on the list below.

• Find your angle. This is possibly the most important tip for writing up lists. Some incredibly successful list-based pieces have come from a topic that in any other form would be uninteresting. The key is not to find the right subject, but the most interesting way to look at the subject. The right angle will make even snail breeding interesting

• Keep it interesting. The worst kind of list is one that trails off toward the end, making you realise that the writer only had two things to say but used ten points to say it in. As your search engine optimisation consultant will tell you, you need to have something to say in every piece of content. Devising content can be hard, which is why many businesses seek professional help, and you can talk to us at SEO Consult

• Be accurate. If your list concerns factual information, as most lists for SEO content do, it needs to be accurate. This may sound like something that is too basic to need clarification, but it’s amazing how many businesses publish lists that they’ve gleaned from unreliable sources

• Keep it short. Too many lists go on too long. This applies to the number of points, and to the length of each point. Don’t be afraid of having a three-point list on occasion

• Give it the right name. Just as your other SEO content needs the right focus, your list-based content needs to be directed at the right kind of user. Titles are difficult to come up with at the best of times. List titles are fairly easy to write, but are frequently off-focus

• Don’t wear it out. A list format presents a very particular visual on your page. Featuring lists on your pages too often can wear out the user’s eye just as easily as not featuring them at all. Lists, and their relative the bullet point, are kind of like processed food. The processing has reduced the information down into a more manageable form, but too much of it is bland and uninteresting. Some nice, robust content will keep your site on a more healthy diet. Users can get bored with too many instructions, they often like to think more independently.

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