How to Mention Listings in Your Blog Posts with Adspotfinder

Content marketing is essential for directory websites, but creating engaging blog posts that drive traffic and conversions can be challenging. DirStarter solves this with a powerful feature that lets you mention and showcase listings directly within your blog content using MDX components.

This isn't just about embedding links – it's about creating rich, interactive listing cards that display screenshots, descriptions, and call-to-action buttons, all while maintaining your blog's narrative flow.

Why This Feature Matters

Traditional directory websites have a clear separation between blog content and directory listings. DirStarter's listing mention system changes this by:

Keeping Readers Engaged: Readers see the listing's name, description, screenshot, and call-to-action without leaving the page
Maximizing Monetization: Featured listings display prominent buttons, affiliate links are automatically included, and rich previews increase click-through rates
Boosting SEO: More internal links, longer time-on-page, lower bounce rates, and schema markup for better search visibility

How to Use It

DirStarter uses MDX (Markdown + JSX) for blog posts, which means you can embed React components directly in your markdown content. The simplest way to mention a listing is using the listing's slug:

<ListingEntry listing="github">
  GitHub is the world's leading platform for version control and collaboration.
  It's essential for any development team looking to manage code efficiently
  and collaborate seamlessly across distributed teams.
</ListingEntry>

The component automatically fetches the listing data, displays the favicon, name, screenshot, and handles all the styling. You can also leave the content empty and the listing's description will be displayed instead:

<ListingEntry listing="github" />

Here are some live examples:

Best Practices

Tell a Story: Don't just list listings – weave them into your narrative. Explain why each listing matters in the context of your article's topic.

Add Value with Context: The content you write inside <ListingEntry> tags should provide context that isn't already in the listing's description. Share personal experience, how it compares to alternatives, or specific use cases where it excels.

Strategic Placement: Separate listing entries with horizontal rules (---) for visual separation, and include enough content between them to maintain readability.

Balance Quantity: Use 3-5 listings for focused articles, 5-10 for comprehensive guides, and 10+ only for ultimate roundups where each listing is distinctly different.

Configuration

You can enable or disable listing mentions globally in config/blog.ts file:

export const blogConfig = {
  listingsMentioned: {
    enabled: true, // Set to false to disable listing mentions
  },
}

Real-World Use Cases

Product Comparisons: Create detailed comparison articles where each listing gets a dedicated mention with pros, cons, and specific use cases
Tutorial Content: Mention relevant listings at each step of your tutorial as they become relevant to the workflow
"Best Of" Lists: Curated lists are perfect for listing mentions with detailed context about why each listing made your list
Industry News: When discussing trends, mention the listings and companies involved to create opportunities to showcase your listings

The ability to mention listings directly in blog posts transforms your blog from a traffic source into a conversion engine, keeping readers engaged while creating natural monetization opportunities.