The number ten has been an attractive one for a long time. Some posit that it’s because we have ten digits on our hands and feet. Some think it could be because our numbering system is decimal, making ten more familiar. Regardless of the reason, ten has been the leader in lists for at least a hundred years. The phrase ‘top 10′ is something everyone is very familiar with hearing.

The list format is one that is popular with bloggers, search engine optimisation companies, and site owners everywhere. It’s a very easy format that is also easy to read, which is why most SEO experts favour it. You can talk to us at SEO Consult about premium content formats. While the ‘top 10′ list is still dominant, people have strayed to other small numbers in the hopes of standing out from the crowd.

This kind of experimentation comes from a close familiarity with the top 10 list, and as we all know, familiarity breeds contempt. Reaching for the number 10 is a instinctive thing that most writers do in the early stages of their compositional career. After a few top 10 lists, that instinct is questioned, and rightly so. Experience has shown too many site owners that following instinct on the net isn’t always the best path.

There have been quite a few informal studies in the blogosphere which aimed to find the optimum number for short lists. Although the studies weren’t definitive, they did reveal something interesting about the way lists and numbers seem to work. On the whole, what the research shows is that if a number doesn’t ‘feel’ friendly, it’s unlikely to attract a lot of readers. It can help to think of the number in the context of a list. For example, look at the number 2. Instinct and logic dictates that it just won’t work as a list. Something about such a small number suggests that it won’t make an appealing list, and in this case instinct is spot on. Similarly, a ‘top 4′ list just doesn’t feel right, and studies support the idea. There are a few ‘top 4′ lists around, but they are almost universally unpopular.

What about more ‘friendly’ numbers? The number 3 is one that seems to naturally fit in, but again it’s considered by some to be too small to make for a good list. While the research on ‘2′ lists isn’t very conclusive, as so few are written, lots of lists are based on the number 3 with a low success rate.

Things get a little more interesting when you get to the larger numbers. Strangely, eight and six completely fail to attract readers, perhaps because the roundness of the numbers makes the list seem too artificial in their composition.

So what are the numbers for success? Ten still tops the list for eye-catching numbers, with five following close behind. Seven is a surprise front-runner, its popularity being attributed to the ancient connections the number has in world cultures. These are the numbers to use when you want success.

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