Listicle link building means getting your product added to “best of” articles in your category, such as “The 10 best customer onboarding tools for SaaS”. For a SaaS these are some of the most valuable placements there are: they rank for buying searches, they are read by people actively comparing tools, and they are the pages AI assistants read when someone asks which tool to use.

  • Buyer intent. Someone reading “best [category] tools” is choosing, not browsing. Being on the list puts you in the shortlist.
  • Relevance. The link sits in an article about your exact category, next to your competitors. That is as relevant as a link gets.
  • AI visibility. Assistants answer “which tool should I use?” from pages like these. If you are not on them, you are rarely in the answer. Our guide to link building for AI search covers this in depth.

Step 1: Build your target list

Collect the lists that already rank or get cited:

  1. Search Google for “best [category] software”, “top [category] tools for [audience]”, “[competitor] alternatives” and “[competitor] vs”.
  2. Note every article on page one, and the second page for your biggest terms.
  3. Ask the same questions in ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity and note the sources they cite.
  4. Merge the two lists. Pages that appear in both are your priority targets.

Step 2: Qualify each list

Not every listicle is worth the effort. Check that:

  • The site has real organic traffic, not just an authority score. A list nobody reads helps no one.
  • The article ranks or gets cited for a query your buyers use.
  • The site is about your space, or a close neighbour, rather than a general site that publishes lists on any topic.
  • The list is maintained. A recent “updated” date suggests the editor adds tools; a list untouched for three years probably won’t change.
  • The page isn’t a link dump. Dozens of thin entries with links to anything is a red flag.

The same checks apply to any backlink; see how to vet a backlink.

Step 3: Make inclusion easy for the editor

Editors add tools that make their article better. When you get in touch, give them everything in one message:

  • One clear sentence on what your product does and who it’s for, the same sentence you use everywhere.
  • The differentiator that earns you a place on this specific list.
  • Pricing and a free plan or trial, if you have one. Lists often compare on price.
  • A screenshot or two, sized for the article.
  • Where it fits: the category or position in the list where your product makes sense.

Step 4: Keep your listing accurate

Once you are on a list, check it every few months. Pricing changes, features ship, and an outdated entry misdescribes you to buyers and to every assistant that reads the page. A consistent description across lists is also what makes AI summaries of your product come out right.

What to avoid

  • Lists on unrelated sites. A “best tools” article on a site about something else carries little weight with buyers, Google or assistants.
  • Self-published lists only. Your own “best tools” article ranking yourself first is fine for your blog, but assistants and buyers trust third-party lists far more.
  • Volume over fit. Five lists your buyers actually read beat fifty they never see.

Autolinks includes “best of” listicle placements on the Growth and Dominate plans: your product added to relevant comparison lists on sites with real traffic, alongside contextual authority links. Each placement passes the same 10-point review as every other link and is monitored for 12 months. See getting on best-of lists.