Headlines: 5 Reasons They’re the Hardest Working Part of Your Blog
I like to think of my blog headlines as the doorstep to the rest of my post. If I want readers to cross the threshold and enter the room, I’ve got to give them good incentive to land on my porch in the first place.
The value of developing catchy headlines that grab attention is often overlooked when developing blog posts. You can have the best content in the world, but it won’t do you any good if no one is clicking through to read it. Here are some tips to give your posts the headlines they need and deserve.
Be True to Yourself
You know your voice and online brand better than anyone. Your headlines should reflect that and be consistent with the rest of your messaging.
Make it Memorable
This can stem from any number of factors. Did your headline make people laugh? Promise something of value to them? Instead of choosing something that will get lost in the crowd, try to make it stand out. One client of mine used the headline “How is your F/U?” which got a ton of traffic. In her case, F/U it referred to follow up, but it grabbed the readers’ attention in a sea of “how to do XX” “Tips to XX.”
Lists and Numbers
People love numbers and lists. “5 Ways to Make Your Life Easier.” “10 Tips for Blogging Success.” “The Top 20 Places to Travel in 2015.” These are generic examples, but if you can incorporate these into your headlines and content, and combine it with the tip above to make it something people will remember, it can draw traffic to the post and be something people remember in the future if searching for it again.
Use Strong Language
Your headline sets the tone and expectation for the rest of the post. If you use humour in the headline, you can incorporate some into your content. Words like “easiest,” “fastest,” “secret,” promise something beneficial and concrete to the reader. A headline that promises to add value or ease to their life can be a powerful tool in drawing them to your content. Just be sure your post delivers that.
SEO and Keywords
How your post shows up in search engine results and on social media sites helps determine how likely people are to click through to It. An SEO-rich headline will show up for searches, but also needs to entice the reader enough to take it further. Determine the keywords in the post and try to use them to create a headline.
