What made you click on this article?
The headline probably had something to do with it. Right away, the headline told you what the post would be about and provided some extra information in brackets. Imagine if the headline had been How to Write Headlines That Get More Clicks. Would it have appealed to you as strongly?
Writing amazing headlines that make people click is less of an art and more of a science. That is, we’ve figured out the formulas that seem to work and those that definitely don’t.
Steer clear of clickbait
Surprisingly, many bloggers and writers are still using outdated buzzwords that turn readers off and repel people from your potentially well-written content.
Poorly written headlines are everywhere you look online – “I Thought It Was a Normal Aquarium Until I Noticed THIS” – and people have officially wised up. Clickbait headlines are not effective.
3 things every headline needs
Here’s a tip that will help you create better headlines every time you write a blog post or article: Most of the words used in headlines fall under the category of nouns, verbs, or adjectives. Without going into a full-on grammar review, the three work together to create appealing phrases that are enough to spark our interest and make us click on a headline.
For example, the headline “Writing Headlines” doesn’t appeal to many people. It’s too short and it doesn’t describe anything about the contents within the post.
However, add an adjective, and it’s a relatively appealing phrase: “Writing Better Headlines.” Suddenly, better headlines are occurring to you:
- Writing Better Headlines (Verb Adjective Noun)
- How to Create Click-worthy Headlines (Verb Verb Adjective Noun)
- 10 Awesome Formulas for Writing Headlines (Adj. Adj. Noun Verb Noun)
The more descriptive, active, and powerful language you use in your headlines, the more compelled people will be to click on them. While there isn’t a specific formula to follow as you write headlines, if you remember to be descriptive and direct, you really can’t go wrong.
Phrases to start headlines with
The following phrases are great ways to start your headlines and get your creativity flowing. Save this list and refer to it when you’re having trouble coming up with a good headline.
- How to
- Learn to
- You can
- Here’s how
- 10 ways
- 5 tips
- The best
Above all, stay in testing mode when it comes to your headlines and content in general. Even if you strongly believe a headline you tried should’ve worked, if the results say otherwise, accept it and test something else. True optimization has no hangups and is always striving toward what’s working best.
