Your blog headlines are more important than you think they are. It’s usually the biggest text on the page (which means that it draws the eye) and it also the line of text that is going to convince someone to click on that post and read it. While the post itself has to be high quality in order to engage with and capture the attention of your readers, most people will not get anywhere near that far if they your blog’s headline is boring or dry. This is what is going to make or break your blog, so you absolutely need to have the very best headline.
What makes a great blog headline? First of all, it should accurately represent what the reader is going to find if they click on it and read the post. You’ll often see blog posts being accused of clickbaiting, by using an over-the-top or downright misleading title in order to get people to click. Don’t do this! It’s tempting to use clickbait headlines to get your readers engaged, but once they actually do engage, they are going to feel misled and whatever clout or rapport you might have had will be gone.
Here are some tips for creating blog headlines that are both enticing and truthful:
Keep it as short as possible.
Always think about how your blog’s headline is going to show up in search results. Is it so long that it is not going to fit into Google’s character count limit? It should be short enough that all of the relevant information is available before the ellipses. It’s also important, however, to not make the mistake of shortening your title so much that it is difficult to read or so that it no longer accurately reflect the contents of your post.
Articulate the topic.
You might write a blog post about how to use your product. Would you title it with just the name of your product or would you use a “How to” title? If you want the headline to be effective, you would use a headline like “How to Use
Provide some value.
You are already striving to create valuable content. That is the foundation of a content marketing campaign. You can demonstrate that value right in the headline of your blog post. For example, you are looking online for information about how to create an infographic. Would you click on the blog post that is simply titled, “How to Create an Infographic,” or on the one titled, “How to Create an Infographic that Grabs Your Reader’s Attention?” The second title clearly demonstrates both the information that you are going to find in that post and, just as importantly, why you should care about it.
Use distrust.
No one wants to feel as though they have been lied to. A great way to create an eye-catching headline is to use the consumer’s inherent distrust. For example, you have written a blog post about common car repair scams. While you could simply title it “Car Repair Scams,” a more effective title might be, “7 Common Car Repair Lies Your Mechanic Will Tell You.” This is a headline people will click on.
Use a little bit of exaggeration.
You’ve written a blog post about questions that first time home buyers should ask their real estate agents during the buying process. While many home buyers get through the process without asking their real estate agents these questions, the process probably would have been easier if they had. A good title for this post might be something like “5 Questions You Absolutely Must Ask Your Real Estate Agent before Buying a Home.” This creates a sense of urgency that will help attract more clicks, without being such a wild exaggeration that your readers will resent the content.
Ask a question.
One of the best ways to get someone to click on your blog’s headline is to phrase it in the form of a question. “Have You Been Making These 5 Fatal CTR Mistakes?” is much more compelling than “5 CTR Mistakes.” A question turns the topic towards the reader. It makes it personal. The searcher will wonder if they have actually been making those mistakes and will click on your link to see what those mistakes are and, perhaps more importantly, how they can stop making them.
Use keywords.
While it is vitally important to make sure that your headline makes sense (the inclusion of some keywords can be extremely difficult), it is also important to include a keyword in your headline. This is one of the signs that search engines look for when determining the relevancy of your post. And while you can still rank well even if you do not have an exact match keyword in your headline, there is no reason not to include one if the keyword fits nicely into the headline
Your blog headlines are more important than you think they are. It’s usually the biggest text on the page (which means that it draws the eye) and it also the line of text that is going to convince someone to click on that post and read it. While the post itself has to be high quality in order to engage with and capture the attention of your readers, most people will not get anywhere near that far if they your blog’s headline is boring or dry. This is what is going to make or break your blog, so you absolutely need to have the very best headline.
What makes a great blog headline? First of all, it should accurately represent what the reader is going to find if they click on it and read the post. You’ll often see blog posts being accused of clickbaiting, by using an over-the-top or downright misleading title in order to get people to click. Don’t do this! It’s tempting to use clickbait headlines to get your readers engaged, but once they actually do engage, they are going to feel misled and whatever clout or rapport you might have had will be gone.
Here are some tips for creating blog headlines that are both enticing and truthful:
Keep it as short as possible.
Always think about how your blog’s headline is going to show up in search results. Is it so long that it is not going to fit into Google’s character count limit? It should be short enough that all of the relevant information is available before the ellipses. It’s also important, however, to not make the mistake of shortening your title so much that it is difficult to read or so that it no longer accurately reflect the contents of your post.
Articulate the topic.
You might write a blog post about how to use your product. Would you title it with just the name of your product or would you use a “How to” title? If you want the headline to be effective, you would use a headline like “How to Use
Provide some value.
You are already striving to create valuable content. That is the foundation of a content marketing campaign. You can demonstrate that value right in the headline of your blog post. For example, you are looking online for information about how to create an infographic. Would you click on the blog post that is simply titled, “How to Create an Infographic,” or on the one titled, “How to Create an Infographic that Grabs Your Reader’s Attention?” The second title clearly demonstrates both the information that you are going to find in that post and, just as importantly, why you should care about it.
Use distrust.
No one wants to feel as though they have been lied to. A great way to create an eye-catching headline is to use the consumer’s inherent distrust. For example, you have written a blog post about common car repair scams. While you could simply title it “Car Repair Scams,” a more effective title might be, “7 Common Car Repair Lies Your Mechanic Will Tell You.” This is a headline people will click on.
Use a little bit of exaggeration.
You’ve written a blog post about questions that first time home buyers should ask their real estate agents during the buying process. While many home buyers get through the process without asking their real estate agents these questions, the process probably would have been easier if they had. A good title for this post might be something like “5 Questions You Absolutely Must Ask Your Real Estate Agent before Buying a Home.” This creates a sense of urgency that will help attract more clicks, without being such a wild exaggeration that your readers will resent the content.
Ask a question.
One of the best ways to get someone to click on your blog’s headline is to phrase it in the form of a question. “Have You Been Making These 5 Fatal CTR Mistakes?” is much more compelling than “5 CTR Mistakes.” A question turns the topic towards the reader. It makes it personal. The searcher will wonder if they have actually been making those mistakes and will click on your link to see what those mistakes are and, perhaps more importantly, how they can stop making them.
Use keywords.
While it is vitally important to make sure that your headline makes sense (the inclusion of some keywords can be extremely difficult), it is also important to include a keyword in your headline. This is one of the signs that search engines look for when determining the relevancy of your post. And while you can still rank well even if you do not have an exact match keyword in your headline, there is no reason not to include one if the keyword fits nicely into the headline
Published on September 13, 2016
About the Author: Ashley Bardonaro
