How to Get Into a "Best X Tools" Listicle That's Already Ranking

If you sell SaaS, you already know which listicles matter. Search your category plus "best" or "tools" and the same handful of articles sit on page one month after month. Buyers read them during evaluation. AI assistants pull from them when someone asks for recommendations. If your product is missing, you are invisible at the exact moment a buyer is building a shortlist.

Most founders and marketers try the obvious move: email the author, say "we'd love to be included," and attach a feature list. Most of those emails get ignored, and it is not because editors are rude. It is because the email gives them no reason to act. Updating a ranking article takes time and carries risk. A product they have never tested could make the article worse.

The pitches that work flip the framing. Instead of asking the editor to do you a favor, you show them how adding your tool makes their article more useful to their reader, and you make the update almost effortless. This guide walks through how to do that, step by step.

Step 1: Find the listicles worth chasing

Not every listicle is worth the effort. Start with the ones that actually influence buying decisions.

• Search your core terms: "best [category] software," "[category] tools," "[competitor] alternatives," and "[category] for [audience]" (for example, "for startups" or "for agencies").
• Check AI answers too: ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews the same questions and note which articles they cite. A listicle that shows up in both search and AI answers is doubly valuable.
• Note who publishes: independent blogs, media sites, review-style affiliates, and competitors' own "best tools" posts (yes, some competitors list rivals, and some will list you).

Build a simple sheet with the URL, publisher type, author name, last updated date, which competitors are listed, and whether the article appears in AI answers. That sheet becomes your prioritization tool.

Step 2: Read the article like its editor would

Before you write a word of outreach, understand what the article is trying to do and where it falls short. This is the step most pitches skip, and it is the source of your best angle.

Look for:

• Coverage gaps: is there a use case, buyer type or price point the article ignores? If every tool listed is built for enterprise, a product for small teams fills a real hole.
• Stale entries: tools that have been acquired, shut down, rebranded or changed pricing. Editors care about this because outdated information hurts their credibility.
• Thin sections: entries that are a paragraph of marketing copy with no detail on who the tool suits.
• The article's own structure: do they use categories like "best for budget" or "best for integrations"? Your pitch should slot into that structure, not fight it.

Write down, in one sentence, what reader need is currently underserved. If you cannot write that sentence, you probably do not have a strong pitch for this article yet.

Step 3: Decide on the reason that serves the reader

Your pitch needs one clear reason why the reader is better off with your tool in the list. Some reasons that work well:

• "Your list has no option for X." The article covers ten tools, all priced for large teams, and none with a free tier. You are the gap filler.
• "One of these tools has changed." A listed product was acquired or sunset. You flag it as a genuine heads-up and offer yourself as a replacement, without trashing anyone.
• "Readers searching this keyword want Y." If the article ranks for "[category] for agencies" but does not mention agency features, a tool built for agencies is directly on topic.
• "Here is something your readers can test." Offer free access for the editor, a demo account, or an extended trial code for their readers.

Notice what is missing from that list: "we are the best," "we just raised a round" and "we have amazing reviews." Those serve you, not the reader.

Step 4: Make the update nearly effortless

Even an editor who agrees with you will put off an update if it means research. Remove the work.

Prepare a short "inclusion pack" you can send on request or link to in the pitch:

• A ready-to-paste entry written in the article's existing format and tone (same heading style, same length, same pros and cons structure if they use one).
• Accurate, current pricing with a link to your pricing page.
• Two or three honest limitations. Editors trust a pitch more when you admit who your product is not for.
• A clean screenshot or two at a sensible size, with alt text suggestions.
• Login details for a free account or demo workspace so they can verify claims themselves.

The ready-to-paste entry is the most important piece. Write it so it reads like the editor wrote it, not like your homepage. Avoid superlatives. Be specific about who should pick your tool and who should not.

Step 5: Write the pitch

Keep it short. Editors read pitches on their phones between other work. Here is a template you can adapt:

Subject: A gap in your [category] tools list (for [audience])

Hi [Name],

I read your [article title] while researching [category] options for [use case]. It is one of the clearer comparisons out there, especially the section on [specific detail you liked].

One thing I noticed: none of the tools listed [serve the gap, e.g. offer a free plan for teams under five / integrate with X / work for agencies managing multiple clients]. Readers searching for [keyword] seem likely to need that.

Full disclosure: I work on [Product], which does fill that gap. If useful, I have drafted an entry in your article's format, with honest limitations included, and I can set you up with a free account to test it. Happy to send either over.

Also, heads up: [Tool Y] in your list [was acquired / changed its pricing], in case you want to refresh that entry.

Thanks, [Name]

A few rules for the pitch:

• Disclose that you work for the company in the first email. Hiding it destroys trust when they find out.
• Do not attach files on first contact. Offer to send them.
• Reference something specific from the article so it is clear you read it.
• Do not offer payment unless the site openly runs a paid listing program. Many editors will stop replying the moment money comes up, and undisclosed paid placements can create problems under search engine and advertising guidelines.

Step 6: Follow up without being a nuisance

Send one follow-up after about a week, and add something new instead of "just bumping this." Options:

• A short screen recording showing the gap-filling feature in action.
• A new relevant detail, such as a feature launch or pricing change that makes your fit even clearer.
• An offer to answer any questions they would put to a vendor during testing.

If there is still no reply, move on and set a reminder to check the article again later. Editors often update listicles on a schedule. When the "last updated" date changes, that is a good moment for a fresh, polite note.

Step 7: Handle the "yes" well

When an editor agrees, respond quickly and send exactly what you promised. Then:

• Check the published entry for accuracy and politely flag any errors.
• Share the article on your own channels. Editors notice who sends them readers.
• Keep your information current. If your pricing changes, tell them before they find out from a reader.
• Note the relationship. An editor who includes you once is more likely to consider you for related articles.

What to do when the answer is no

Sometimes the editor does not add you, or simply never replies. That is normal, and there are still useful moves:

• Ask what would change their mind. Some editors only include tools they have used for a certain period, or require a minimum number of reviews on a review site. Now you know the bar.
• Pitch a different article on the same site. A narrower listicle (for a specific audience or use case) may be a better fit.
• Look for the gap elsewhere. If the article lacks a category you serve, another site may be happy to write a dedicated piece on it.

This is the same reader-first approach we use at SAASY LINKS when working on listicle placements for SaaS clients: start from what the reader is missing, and the editor's yes tends to follow.

A quick checklist before you hit send

1. Is this article actually ranking or being cited for terms your buyers search?
2. Can you state, in one sentence, what reader need the article underserves?
3. Does your product genuinely fill that need?
4. Have you prepared a ready-to-paste entry in their format, with honest limitations?
5. Does your pitch disclose who you are and reference something specific from the article?
6. Is there a free account or demo ready for the editor?
7. Did you include any useful heads-up about outdated entries?

Key takeaways

• Editors include tools that make their article better for readers, not tools that ask nicely.
• Study the article first and find a real gap: a missing audience, price point, feature or a stale entry.
• Do the editor's work for them with a ready-to-paste entry that matches their format.
• Be transparent, keep the pitch short and follow up only with something new.
• Treat every inclusion as the start of a relationship, and keep your listing accurate over time.