How AI-Powered “Best & Worst” Listicles Can Generate $10K+ (My Step-by-Step Strategy)
If you’re running niche websites, you already know content is king—but not all content is created equal. After testing countless formats, one type consistently outperforms the rest for me: “Best & Worst” listicles.
Some of these AI-assisted articles have earned me $10,000+ through ads, affiliate links, and social shares. Today, I’ll explain how my team and I create them, so you can replicate the process.
Why “Best & Worst” Content Works So Well
These listicles thrive on emotional triggers—specifically, curiosity and fear of missing out (or worse, making a bad choice).
Take a title like:
- “Best & Worst Dog Breeds for Allergy Sufferers”
- “Top 5 (and Bottom 3) Budget Laptops for Students in 2025”
Readers instantly wonder: “Is my choice on the ‘worst’ list? What if I’m about to buy the wrong thing?” That urgency drives clicks, shares, and conversions.
My top-performing listicles pull in 5,000+ monthly organic visits and frequently go viral on social media. Here’s how we create them.
Step 1: Research Like a Pro (Skip the Fluff)
Most AI tools scrape generic blogs or sponsored articles, which are often biased or shallow. My team avoids these entirely. Instead, we go straight to real user experiences on:
- Reddit threads (Goldmine for unfiltered opinions)
- Forum discussions (Niche communities = trustworthy insights)
- YouTube video comments (Surprisingly detailed pros/cons)
For example, a sponsored post might claim “Labradors are the perfect family dogs,” but Reddit owners will tell you about the shedding, energy levels, and chaos. Raw data beats polished fluff every time.
Step 2: AI That Understands Context
We use TDWS AI (shameless plug for ai.tdwebservices.com) to:
- Aggregate discussions from the sources above.
- Identify patterns (e.g., 82% of users say X about Product Y).
- Draft a structured outline with rankings based on real sentiment.
The key? We don’t just paraphrase—we analyze. Most AI writers regurgitate top Google results. Ours digs deeper.
Step 3: Editing for Profit
AI gives us a 90% complete article, but we always:
- Add personal anecdotes (e.g., “My sister bought X and here’s what went wrong…”).
- Insert affiliate links strategically (e.g., “If you ignore our warning and still want Y, at least get it here for 20% off”).
- Optimize for voice search (e.g., “Is [Product] worth it?” matches how people ask Alexa/Siri).
Monetization: Turning Clicks Into Cash
- High-value audiences: Articles targeting wealthy demographics (e.g., tech, finance, luxury travel) earn $50–200 RPM with display ads.
- Affiliate arbitrage: Redirect “worst” list readers to better alternatives (e.g., “Skip Brand A—here’s a durable substitute with free shipping”).
- UGC boosts SEO: Reddit-heavy content ranks for long-tail queries like “why does [Product] overheat Reddit”.
Try It Yourself
You don’t need a big budget. Start with:
- A niche (e.g., pet gear, SaaS tools, skincare).
- TDWS AI’s research tools (or another trusted scraper).
- A monetization plan (ads, affiliates, or lead gen).
Pro tip: For a limited time, use code TDWS25 for 25% off our AI tools.
Add comment