{"id":14084,"date":"2022-09-25T00:18:11","date_gmt":"2022-09-25T04:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/?p=14084"},"modified":"2022-09-26T17:41:33","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T21:41:33","slug":"quick-tip-push-your-listicle-to-the-top","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/quick-tip-push-your-listicle-to-the-top\/","title":{"rendered":"Quick Tip: Push your listicle to the top"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quick tip: Push your listicles to the top<\/h2>\n

AP Style<\/em> and everyone else says to spell out numbers up to nine when you’re writing copy or content, right?<\/p>\n

But you really should break this rule when naming a numbered list (listicle).<\/p>\n

Here’s why.<\/p>\n

Consider two white papers, called:<\/p>\n

\u2014Three Secrets of SEO You Must Understand<\/em><\/p>\n

\u20143 Secrets of SEO You Must Understand<\/em><\/p>\n

The first title follows the recommended style, so it’s more proper, right?<\/p>\n

Yes, but… it will appear lower in any search results.<\/p>\n

That’s because computers sort numbers before letters. They’re programmed to do it that way.<\/p>\n

Don’t believe me?<\/h3>\n

Try it yourself: Sort your files in any folder with any software. Any file name that starts with a numeral will percolate to the top of the list.<\/p>\n

Or see this report<\/a>\u00a0from the National Information Standards Organization:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Headings beginning with numbers written in Arabic numerals should be sorted in ascending arithmetical order before<\/strong> headings beginning with a letter sequence. (p.8)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

That means in any list of search results, our two titles will show up in this order:<\/p>\n

\u20143 Secrets of SEO You Must Understand<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014Three Secrets of SEO You Must Understand<\/em><\/p>\n

The second might even be pushed way down to page 3 or 4. That’s not where you want it, right?<\/p>\n

So break the rule in your titles<\/h3>\n

Use a numeral at the start of the title of any numbered list white paper you do from now on: 3 Things, 4 Myths, 5 Hidden Gotchas, 6 Ways, 7 Strategies, and so on.<\/p>\n

That will push your paper up ahead of all the rest that follow the rule set down before computers were invented.<\/p>\n

Being on top is as easy as 1-2-3.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

For more quick tips like this, subscribe to my free newsletter<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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