Listicle template for best-of SEO pages
Name the category, the criteria, and the items — so the list earns the click, not the scroll.
- Ahrefs
- DataForSEO
- Notion
- Google Docs
Draft a listicle for "best CRM for small businesses."
- Pulled the categoryCRM for small businesses, 12 competitors
- Named the category"Best CRM for small businesses (2026)"
- Named the criteriaPrice, ease of use, onboarding speed, integrations
- Named the items7 CRMs ranked by criteria, with proof per pick
The listicle named the category ("Best CRM for small businesses (2026)"), the criteria (price, ease, onboarding, integrations), and the items (7 CRMs ranked with proof). The listicle earned a #3 rank and 4.2k monthly visits in 60 days, up from #12 and 200. The template earned the click because it named the category, not wrote the list.
A listicle template is the draft that earns the click. It fixes the category, the criteria, and the items — so the list reads as a guide, not a scroll. An SEO who writes the list earns the scroll; a listicle template that names the category and the criteria earns the click and the traffic.
What is a listicle template?
A reusable draft shape for the listicle — the category, the criteria, the items — that earns the click and the traffic. The template fixes the shape so the list reads as a guide, not a scroll.
Build the listicle
- Category named — the one class the list earns
- Criteria named — the one rule the items earn
- Items named — the one set of picks the list earns
Ship the draft
- Name the category, do not write the list
- One criteria per list, not five
- List 5-10 items, not 30
What category does a listicle template name?
The one class the list earns — the tools, the strategies, the examples — that earns the click. The category is the part that earns the click, because an SEO who writes the list earns the scroll; an SEO who names the category earns the click.
What criteria does a listicle template name?
The one rule the items earn — the price, the feature, the rating — that earns the click. The criteria is the part that earns the click, because a category without the criteria earns the scroll and loses the click; a category with the criteria earns the traffic.
What items does a listicle template name?
The one set of picks the list earns — the top 5, the top 10, the top 20 — that earns the traffic. The items are the part that earn the traffic, because a category without the items earns the criteria and loses the click; a category with the items earns the ROAS.
How the listicle template fits your stack
The agent reads your category and the competitors, drafts the category, the criteria, and the items, and ships the list. It pairs with the best of product category and the comparison page strategy templates.
- Ahrefs
- DataForSEO
- Notion
- Google Docs
Who uses this listicle template
- SEO leads
- Name the category, do not write the list.
- Content leads
- One criteria per list, not five.
- Founders
- List 5-10 items, not 30.
How to run this listicle template in Metaflow
Pull the category
The class, the criteria, the items.
Name the category
Agent names the one class.
Name the criteria
The one rule the items earn.
Name the items
The one set of picks.
What you provide
- Category
- Competitors
- Criteria
What you get back
- Listicle draft
- Category named
- Criteria named
- Items named
Why use this listicle template?
Names the category, does not write the list
One criteria per list, not five
Lists 5-10 items, not 30
Pairs with the best of and comparison templates
Listicle template FAQs
How do you write a listicle?
Name the one category, the one criteria, and the one items. The list reads as a guide, not a scroll, which is why it earns the click, not the rank.
What is a listicle?
The page that earns the click — the category, the criteria, the items. An SEO who writes the list earns the scroll; an SEO who names the category and the criteria earns the click and the traffic.
How many items should a listicle have?
Five to 10, not 30. A list with 30 items earns the dilution; a list with 5 earns the click, because the criteria is what earns the click and the criteria needs the depth.
What makes a listicle convert?
A category that earns the click, a criteria that earns the trust, and items that earn the traffic. The list that writes earns the scroll; the list that names the category earns the click.
Similar SEO templates
Key takeaways
- Names the category, does not write the list
- One criteria per list, not five
- Lists 5-10 items, not 30