In this guide, you will discover 12 easy-to-implement tips that will help you to write effective titles, and that will generate more traffic and visits to your website / blog.
By the end of this article, you'll be able to write catchy headlines that can grab the attention of even the most inattentive visitors on the web.
Are you interested?
Great!
Get into a comfortable position and keep reading....
When you learn how to write catchy headlines, you'll be able to conquer the web.
Or rather! You'll have one of the most important skills to have.
First impressions are key, right?
If you make a bad impression with your partner's parents, you'll probably never get on with them.
And if you write a bad headline, no one will ever read your article.
If you can't get people to click through in the search results, then the content you've spent so much time and passion on will be useless, because no one will read it.
People often say "never judge a book by its cover", and yet everyone does it anyway.
(Don't lie - you know you do)
Especially on the internet, this mindset is very common.
The purpose of the headline is to get the reader to read at least the first sentence, after which the remaining copy should "slide" the reader step by step to the rest of the content.
In a copywriting and content marketing perspective, knowing how to write headlines is a fundamental skill that every person who writes for the web should master.
So, why is it important to know how to write titles for your blog posts?
Let's take a look at some research.
3 Reasons (based on research) to learn how to write headlines that get more clicks
Uno degli errori che molti bloggers fanno quando scrivono un articolo sul blog, è quello di dedicare tutta la loro attenzione e il loro impegno solo nella qualità del contenuto dell’articolo.
Once the content is complete, they slap a quick title on it and then publish.
After all, it's the information within the blog post that readers really want, right?
While this is true... it doesn't mean you should overlook the importance of learning how to write a headline (which will attract those readers in the first place).
In my opinion, the title of the article should receive the same amount of love, attention and research that the main content enjoys.
Here are three reasons, supported by the data, why headline writing is important:
- People's 80% will only read the title of your blog post (and nothing else)
- Users 95% never go beyond the first page of Google search results (so a title that helps your article get on the first page is key)
- Studies show that a good headline has the potential to increase a content's traffic up to 500%.
Still not convinced?
Here's an analogy for you: Writing a weak headline for your blog post is like attaching a prosciutto sandwich to the end of your fishing hook... no fish will likely be interested in your bait.
And if you can't (first) hook your readers with the headline - by writing a headline strong enough to reach the first page of Google's search results - those readers will will never get to read your fantastic content.
Well, now let's get to the fun part and go through the best tips for writing catchy headlines together.
12 tips for writing catchy headlines
1. Define the objective of your article even before writing the title
Ogni blog post dovrebbe avere un obiettivo chiaro in mente (call to action), ed è per questo che praticamente tutti i blog di successo sono costruiti su un business plan ben progettato e strutturato che definisce le decisioni del blogger sui nuovi contenuti da scrivere.
Now, what does content objective have to do with writing attention-grabbing headlines?
Risulta che il titolo ha molto a che fare con l’obbiettivo principale dell’articolo.
Your headline should act as a mini Call-to-Action (CTA) that starts the reader's journey towards your ultimate goal for the blog post.
If you are not able to make the reader act (read the content) with your headline, then the reader will never take the action you defined for the article.
This would result in fewer conversions, brand awareness and earnings.
2. Write Multiple Titles For Each Article
I usually try to write at least 5 titles for each article and then pick the best one.
Many bloggers and professional writers recommend it, and this tip has definitely helped me write better headlines.
There is no exact formula for writing perfect headlines every time, so you need to write more than one headline to stimulate creativity and generate more ideas.
3. Use persuasive language in the titles of your articles
One of the most important skills to develop in order to learn to write catchy headlines is the art of persuasion.
"A headline should not only draw readers' attention, it should also convince them to take the next step, which is to read your blog post."
This is why it is crucial to use persuasive language in your headlines.
Persuasive language can take many forms (lots of forms), but simply put, it translates into using words that attract readers:
- Logic: What do your readers want to know? Strive to write a headline that clearly demonstrates the benefit they will get from reading your article.
- Excitement: What emotions do you want your headline to evoke? Write a headline that makes your readers feel like they are compelled to click and read your article.
- Ethics and values: What do your readers value most? Write a headline that draws them in through a reminder of their values.
By appealing to these 3 characteristic aspects of human nature, you'll learn how to write headlines that are much more likely to draw readers to your blog articles.
4. Use keywords to write a headline (for search engines)
One mistake many bloggers make when incorporating keywords into their content is not giving as much attention to the importance of using keywords (in the right place) within their headlines.
The title is the first place you need to highlight your main keyword. These are the 2 best rules for learning how to write a title that is optimized for search engines:
- Place the keyword as close to the beginning of the title as possible
- Avoid going overboard with keywords in the title, but consider including synonyms and related words
Utilizzare la parola chiave al posto giusto all’interno del titolo è essenziale da una prospettiva SEO.
But how to find keywords? or rather, how to find keywords (low competition) that are easy to rank for?
There is no single answer to this question, and I don't want to get off topic either.
Let's say there are many ways, as well as SEO tools to use.
SEMrush è lo strumento che uso, adoro e consiglio vivamente.
Semrush allows you to:
- Ricercare keyword per il tuo piano editoriale
- Find your competitors,
- Analyze your competitors' websites,
- Find out which of your pages/articles (or those of your competitors) perform best.
- Generate a report containing all SEO errors on your site,
- Monitor the positioning of your keywords,
- Analyze your market niche in detail,
- Lots of other wonderful features.
5. Use dates to make your title more current
Il mondo è in continua evoluzione, e tutto cambia così rapidamente che è difficile stare al passo con i tempi. Soprattutto quando si tratta di blogging e di digital marketing.
That's why, if you want to learn to write attention-grabbing headlines for your readers, you need to demonstrate that your article contains current and up-to-date information. And one of the best ways to do this, is to add a date within your headline.
And what happens if a new year begins?
Simple!
Just update your article with more relevant, up-to-date information and of course... the date.
6. Use Numbers and Statistics
Numbers are a great motivator to intrigue and capture the attention of potential readers as they scroll through the web looking for information. This happens because numbers often promise:
- A specific result.
- Clear structure (and a defined end point).
- Easy-to-scan content (for readers in a hurry).
In essence, numbers are brain candy for people - they promise both order and logic, which is something our minds deeply desire - especially when it comes to understanding complex information.
7. Write a direct and concise headline
Get straight to the point in your blog titles. What is your article about? Say it clearly, quickly and without confusion.
Your readers should immediately know what your headline means and have a clear picture of what will be covered in your article.
If they have to think twice about the meaning of your headline, or try to figure out what you're trying to say, you'll lose them. A good headline doesn't require much cognitive effort to understand.
So, be direct and get to the point as soon as possible.
8. Follow the instructions of search engines regarding the length of titles
Believe it or not, the length of your title is an important factor to consider. Here are a couple of reasons why:
- If your title is too long, it may be shortened in search results (thus losing impact and meaning).
- If it's too short, it may lose its ability to drive your readers to action.
You're probably wondering...
What is the ideal length of a headline?
According to the Studies, the best performing headlines average about 6-12 words. They are usually between 50 and 80 characters.
9. Emphasize a problem and propose a solution
The best article titles emphasize a problem and propose a clear solution.
It may be a problem the reader knows they have, or even one they're not aware of until you point it out to them.
To learn how to write a headline in this format, just take this simple two-step approach:
- Introduce the problem in simple terms.
- Mention the solution in your title.
For example, many bloggers struggle to drive visitors to their blogs (a known problem).
One of the solutions is to learn how to write catchy headlines that intrigue visitors on search pages and get them to start reading the article.
If you've made it this far with me, it means that the title I wrote for this article has achieved its goal!
Make you read this far.
10. Learn from your best competitors
Another way to learn how to write headlines that grab users' attention on search pages is to analyze your competitors' top-performing blog post titles.
Of course, you'll just have to take inspiration from their best titles and not copy them (which might even penalize you on search engines instead).
By analyzing the top-performing article titles on the web, you'll be able to more easily understand what online users want. As a result, you'll be able to craft your titles to align with the needs of your ideal audience.
Chance does not exist in SEO, and if someone is getting a lot of organic traffic from search engines, then it means they are doing things right.
Study the strengths (and especially weaknesses) of your competitors, and use them to your advantage.
Tip:There is no better SEO tool for analyzing your competitors in detail than SEMrush. Try it for free by clicking here, e mi ringrazierai un giorno 🙂
11. Use brackets (round and square) in your titles
One way to create more engaging headlines is to use parentheses.
Some of the world's most influential copywriters and bloggers consistently use brackets in both the titles and content of their articles.
In addition, Outbrain and Hubspot have conducted a study of more than 3.3 million links sponsored and found that stocks with brackets performed better on 38% than stocks without.
Parentheses can be considered as a short subtitle inserted in the title itself.
Adding a few parenthetical words can strengthen your headline by adding credibility, curiosity and promising additional benefits or giving readers another reason to click.
12. Consider using questions in the headlines of your articles
Another tactic that can trigger more clicks is to ask a question in your headline.
Questions can spark curiosity and people who want to know the answer to the question will click on your headline to learn more.
Make sure that you use questions that cannot be answered easily, but that can generate curiosity and stimulate reflection.
Example: Are you making any of these 7 common mistakes that all bloggers make?
If you're a blogger, you might be curious to at least see what these 7 mistakes are.
Questions are a really great way to write catchy headlines.
Conclusion: ready to write headlines that rock?
We have discussed some of the most crucial points to learn how to write headlines that are able to generate more traffic to your blog articles.
The last thing I'd like to add before concluding this article is....
Don't stop practicing headline writing!
Always make sure your titles continue to improve, and never be afraid to experiment.
Write, experiment and repeat!
Still not sure how to write catchy, search engine optimized headlines?
If you have any questions or anything to add to the discussion, add it in the comments.
I'll see you soon.
A hug.
