How to Write Attention-Grabbing Headlines
Although you want to write headlines that pop and attract your readers, you also want to make sure the headline accurately represents the content you created.
And since your goal is to draw readers in to read your full post, a best practice would be to stick to a proven format and structure when creating headlines. Make sure your headline represents the story you’re telling.
In this post, we’ll cover what you need to know to write amazing headlines that attract your target readers and gets them to want to read more.
How do you go about creating a headline?
First, come up with several potential headlines before you begin writing your post. You’ll find that when you start with the headline, it will better guide you on the content you’re creating.
According to Copyblogger:
- 8 out of 10 people will read a full headline
- Only 2 out of those 10 will actually click on the headline to read its full content
And you definitely want people to read your content.
Pro tips to help you create solid headlines:
- Experiment with multiple headline options.
- 3 to 5 headlines would be a great start for each blog post.
- Review what you came up with and pick the best one.
- Consider adding a statistic to your headline to increase your authority
- Avoid making your headlines too wordy or not specific enough while creating a sense of urgency.
- Consider which types of headlines are most effective for your topic. Here are five types of headlines to consider:
- Normal headlines: “Ways to Make Working Out More Enjoyable”
- Question headlines: “How Can You Make Working Out More Enjoyable?”
- How-to headlines: “How to Make Working Out More Enjoyable”
- Number headlines: “5 Ways to Make Working Out More Enjoyable”
- Reader-addressing headlines: “Strategies You Need to Make Working Out More Enjoyable”
Note that question headlines and reader-addressing headlines directly engage your reader.
Which headline structures drive the most engagement?
According to Conductor, number headlines are the most popular. They found that number headlines are 15% more popular than reader-addressing headlines, which are the second most popular headline type.
Keep these in mind when creating your blog post, and just make sure you have a nice mix of all types of headlines to keep your readers coming back for more.
Keep an eye on your analytics and watch what your readers prefer. This will help you decide which headline structures work the best for your business
Avoid Too Many Superlatives.
According to Conductor, superlatives should only be used in moderation.
- 51% of respondents preferred headlines with 0 to only 1 superlative.
Headlines become too complicated when you use any more than that, so avoid creating headlines that are full of superlatives because, quite frankly, it turns readers off. Your goal is to attract customers, not repel them.
You want your post to perform well in search.
According to HubSpot, you should keep your headlines to no longer than 70 characters for the best results in search engines. An ideal length for a headline is plus or minus 60 characters.
KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid!
Finally, keep your headlines simple, clear, and not too wordy. You want to make sure your audience knows exactly what your blog post will be about.
Headlines should be readable, informative, and engaging, so keep them simple when writing and creating content.
There is definitely no one, single approach to structuring your headlines, but you definitely want to keep these tips in mind as you write.
And remember: Keep it simple, stupid! 😉
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