Listicle examples: 10 list articles that earn every month (and what they do well)
10 live list articles from Zapier, TechRadar, CNET, Buffer and others, with what each does well: answer first, a stated test method, best-for labels, update dates and disclosure.
The best listicle examples are list articles that keep earning clicks for years: Zapier's best CRM software, TechRadar's best CRM platforms, CNET's best password managers and Tom's Guide's best antivirus. They share five habits: a short answer up top, a stated test method, one "best for" label per entry, a visible update date and a clear disclosure.
Below are 10 real, live list articles we checked on 1 November 2026, mostly B2B software plus a few famous consumer formats. For each one we describe what it does well and link to it. Then a pattern table and a step-by-step method to write your own. It is part of our guide to earning every month from your list articles.
What makes a list article earn every month?
It keeps its place in Google and keeps getting picked as a source by AI assistants. Both reward a page that answers fast, shows how it chose and stays current.
Answer first. The top picks appear in the first screen, before any history of the category.
A method you can check. How many products were looked at, how they were tested and which criteria counted.
One label per entry. "Best for small teams" or "best free plan", so a reader (or an assistant) can match a pick to a need.
A visible date. "Last updated" near the title, and a reason to trust it: a re-test, a changelog, an editor's note.
Disclosure. A line that says how the site makes money from the links.
Which list articles are good examples to learn from?
1. Zapier: the best CRM software
Zapier's CRM list has 11 picks. It was first published in 2014 and last updated in June 2026. The method is specific: the writer considered 150 CRMs and tested the shortlist by running a made-up marketing agency in each one. Five criteria are named, from ease of use to follow-up automation. An at-a-glance table and pros, cons and a price per entry follow.
What to copy: a test scenario a reader can picture, and one list kept current for more than ten years.
2. Zapier: the best free email marketing services
This list by Kiera Abbamonte (dated January 26, 2026) covers 8 apps out of more than 60 tested. Each pick has its use case in the heading, such as "for advanced email marketers". The criteria are written out (free sends, templates, segmentation, scalability), then the test steps in order. A box explains how Zapier evaluates apps and says it is never paid for placement. The commission disclosure sits right under the byline.
What to copy: a written test workflow, and a disclosure that says both how money is made and what money cannot buy.
3. TechRadar: the 13 best CRM platforms
TechRadar's CRM list shows its author, three contributors and "last updated 12 January 2026" above the fold. A jump menu lists all 13 picks by use case. Every entry repeats the same blocks: specifications, reasons to buy, reasons to avoid. The test section is concrete: a fresh account, several days of real tasks such as lead scoring, integration checks, a support audit by chat, email and phone, and a hunt for hidden add-on fees.
What to copy: identical blocks per entry, which make the list easy to scan and easy for an assistant to quote.
4. Backlinko: the best SEO tools
Backlinko's list (last updated February 5, 2026) presents 12 tools the team uses, each with a "best for" line, pricing, a pros and cons table and one named alternative. The page states that Backlinko is owned by Semrush, and Semrush is listed first.
What to copy: a named alternative under every entry, and an ownership line any reader can find.
5. Buffer: the best social media management tools
Buffer's list (published September 29, 2026) ranks 11 tools and puts Buffer first. The writer says so in the entry itself and explains why. A comparison table covers best use case, free plan and starting price, with the note "pricing verified: August 2026".
What to copy: if you rank your own product, say it in plain words in that entry. And date your prices separately from the article.
6. My Hours: the best project management software
My Hours, a time tracking app, wrote this list of 7 project management tools. It opens with a "best for" summary and a "Last Updated: June 2026" line. The shortlist came from tools mentioned on more than 50 review sites and blog posts. Each tool was tested on a free trial without a credit card, and every support team got the same three questions about data deletion and storage. Each entry shows price, a support score out of 10 and a "best for" team size, then sections for overview, test and support.
What to copy: one repeatable test (the same questions to every vendor). What to watch: the date shows only the month, with no note on what changed.
7. Ahrefs: free SEO tools
Ahrefs' list by Si Quan Ong, reviewed by Joshua Hardwick, has 34 free tools. About nine are Ahrefs' own, mixed with tools from Google and others. Each entry has a one-line description and a "highlighted feature" section. The visible date reads "Updated: May 28, 2024".
What to copy: a named reviewer next to the author. What to watch: a visible date two years old tells readers the list may be out of date.
8. CNET: the best password manager
CNET's list by Joe Supan was updated on August 10, 2026. An editor's note explains that 13 password managers were re-tested from scratch and that the top pick changed. Four picks by use case are followed by a feature comparison table with ratings, prices and features. The test section gives the weights: 30% value, 30% features, 20% security and 20% usability. A section explains the ones that did not make it.
What to copy: published score weights, and an editor's note that says what changed in the latest update.
9. TechRadar: the best VPN service
TechRadar's VPN list shows "last updated 27 October 2026" under the byline and the affiliate line right after. The top five come first as a quick overview with a one-line verdict each. Every entry is star-rated on the same four areas: ease of use, streaming, privacy and security, speed. The test section says each VPN is tested twice a year, against more than 20 streaming services.
What to copy: a stated re-test schedule. It gives the update date a real meaning.
10. Tom's Guide: the best antivirus software
Tom's Guide's list by Olivia Powell, edited by James Frew, was last updated 22 September 2026. It has five picks, each under a use case (best overall, best budget, best for families), with specifications, reasons to buy and reasons to avoid. The test section is unusually specific: it measures slowdown during a scan by running a demanding game and recording frame rates, and it checks protection against results from three independent labs.
What to copy: outside evidence (lab results) next to your own tests, named so readers can check them.
What patterns do the best list articles share?
Patterns in 10 live list articles (checked 1 November 2026)
Read on each page on 1 November 2026. Counts and dates as shown on the page. "Not stated on the page" means we did not find a disclosure line in the article text.
Three patterns stand out. All ten put a date on the page, and the most recent ones show a reason for it (a re-test, an editor's note, verified prices). Seven name their test method in enough detail to repeat it. And the most common entry format is a use case label, a short verdict, then pros and cons.
How do you write a list article that earns every month?
These steps follow the examples above and work for a software list of 5 to 15 entries.
Pick one search a buyer types, such as "best CRM for agencies". Write the answer in the first two sentences: your top pick and why.
Decide the criteria before you test. Write down 4 to 6, and their weights if you score. CNET publishes its weights; you can too.
Test the same way for every product. One scenario, the same tasks, the same questions to support. Note what you could not test.
Give every entry the same blocks: a "best for" label, a two to four sentence verdict, pros, cons, a starting price with the date you checked it.
Add a comparison table near the top. Best for, standout feature, free plan, starting price.
Add a short "also tested" section. Saying what did not make it, and why, makes the picks more credible.
Put the date and the disclosure under the title. Say how you make money from the links and whether money can change a position.
Re-test on a schedule and say so. Update the page in place under the same URL, and write a one-line note on what changed.
Mark up the list with ItemList schema so search engines can read the order, and keep a visible update date that matches real changes. A best-of list that only changes its year in the title is not a refresh.
Can a list article with paid spots still be a good example?
Yes, if the reader can see how it works. The best lists above say they may earn a commission and what that money cannot change. If you sell a spot in a list, label it, and keep your test method the same for paid and unpaid entries. Our guide on how much to charge for a listicle spot covers pricing.
On Rank Monthly, publishers are paid every month for the spots they hold in list articles that already rank. The sponsored label and rel="sponsored" are on by default, and each publisher decides whether to keep them. Payment is held until the placement is verified live. Pricing on request. If you run lists like these, see how it works for publishers.
Zapier's best CRM software list is a good example. It has 11 picks, a named test method (150 CRMs considered, tested by running a made-up agency), a comparison table, pros and cons per entry, a commission disclosure and a visible update date. It was first published in 2014 and last updated in June 2026.
How many items should a list article have?
There is no fixed number. In the 10 live lists we checked on 1 November 2026, the main picks ranged from 4 (CNET's password managers) to 34 (Ahrefs' free SEO tools). Pick the number your testing can support.
How often should you update a list article?
Update it when products, prices or your picks change, and say what changed. TechRadar tests each VPN in its list twice a year. CNET re-tested 13 password managers and added an editor's note. Changing only the year in the title is not an update.
Should a list article include a disclosure?
Yes, if you earn money from the links or own a product in the list. Most of the lists we checked put a one-line commission note under the byline. Backlinko states it is owned by Semrush. Buffer says in its own entry that it ranks Buffer first.
A media kit is one page with six parts: who you are, who reads you, dated numbers, what you offer, rates and how to book. Copy the free template here, no email needed.
Price a list spot from its real clicks: monthly clicks to the page, the share that goes to that position and a value per click, adjusted for buyer intent, AI citations and exclusivity.
Pick one or two ad formats, price them by CPM or a flat fee, put your numbers in a one-page media kit, pitch brands your readers already use, and label every ad clearly.