3 builders who never spoke to each other

Give the page the shape search rewards

Format is a ranking input, not a style choice. A table of contents on a long article gets its anchors pulled into the result itself, keeps people on the page longer and hands you extra long-tail terms from the section labels. Write in the shapes people search: this versus that, alternatives to a named product, the numbered roundup that outdraws the same advice written straight.

The method

1. 01

   Add a table of contents to long articles so its anchor links get pulled into the search result itself, giving you more of the page.

2. 02

   Easier navigation keeps people on the page longer, and time on page is itself a ranking input.

3. 03

   The section labels in a contents list give the page extra long-tail terms to rank for.

4. 04

   A numbered listicle of tools would pull many times the traffic of the same advice written honestly.

5. 05

   Write in the formats people actually search: this versus that, and alternatives to a named competitor.

What it returned

• 2.6

  Pat Walls A/B tested this on Starter Story and measured session duration rising 2.6 times after adding a contents list.

• 28

  The author jokes his post would get ten times the traffic retitled as a roundup of 28 customer support tools

• $171

  Named A vs B posts and x alternatives to y posts as the August SEO plan, after a month that brought in $171.

Sources

• July 2021: Retrospective & Income ReportBhanu Teja · bhanuteja.dev · Plans for August · undated
• A Table of Contents can work wonders for SEOHarry Dry · Marketing Examples · A Table of Contents can work wonders for SEO · undated
• Customer Support for Solo Founders - Tyler TringasTyler Tringas · tylertringas.com · Tools of the trade · 2015-09-14