Do you want to increase the number of readers that visit your blog? If so it’s vital to have an effective headline to capture your audience’s attention. Blog headlines are the first thing a reader will see, so they need to be eye-catching and appealing. In fact, 80% of people read only the blog’s title, which indicates that a catchy, well-written title significantly makes a difference in keeping your audience engaged.
Why Blog Titles Matter
Blog titles should be able to convey the content and message of your blog post in a concise and catchy way. They should also be SEO-friendly and keyword-focused so that they can rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs). By writing effective blog titles you can:
- Increase the number of people clicking through to read your post
- Encourage readers to stay on your website for a longer period of time
- Increase your chances of being found on search engine results pages
- Let readers know what they can expect to learn from reading your blog
If you don't have a compelling blog title you may not be able to attract the attention of your target audience. So if you want readers to click on your post here are six steps to help draw them in and make them want to learn more.
1. Research Your Audience
The first step to writing blog titles is understanding who you are writing for. You need to get into the head of your target audience and think about what kind of headlines will appeal to them. This means researching their likes, dislikes, interests, needs, and wants. Once you understand who you’re writing for, you can tailor your blog titles to fit their needs.
2. Tell Readers What to Expect and Use Numbers
When creating effective blog titles, let readers know what they can expect from your post. This will help prevent confusion and disappointment when readers click through expecting one thing and get something else. By using relevant phrases in your titles, readers will know exactly what they can expect from reading your post. Additionally, starting your blog post title with a number can increase click-through rates (CTR) by 36% and double social shares.
3. Add Keywords to Increase Visibility
Using keywords in your blog titles is essential to increase visibility and make it easier for people to find your content. So before you begin thinking of a title, search keywords related to the topic of your blog post to find the most popular and relevant search terms. This will help you target the right audience and make it easier for people to find your content.
4. Share a Story with Actionable Verbs
To make sure readers click on your post it's important to use actionable verbs. These will make your blog titles more compelling and give readers a sense of what they can expect from reading your post. You should also share an interesting story or message in the title as this will help draw readers in and encourage them to read more. For example, rather than using the phrase “Facts About Nutrition”, you could use “10 Life-Changing Facts About Nutrition you Need for Better Health" or "Are you Aware of these 10 Nutritional Facts for Better Health?" In fact, headlines with a "?" get 23.3% more shares on social than titles without one.
5. Keep it Short and Simple
When creating effective blog titles, remember that less is more. Longer titles can be confusing and may be cut off in search engine results pages, so it's important to keep them short and simple. Short titles typically have higher click-through rates than long titles.
6. Avoid Writing Clickbait Titles
Finally, you should always avoid writing clickbait titles that are misleading and don't deliver on the promise of the title. Clickbait titles can be damaging to your reputation and might even lead to people unsubscribing from your blog. A good rule of thumb is to ensure your title accurately describes what readers will get from reading your post while keeping the above in mind.
Following these steps will help you create more effective blog titles that will increase CTR, gain more readers and make it easier for people to find your content. Writing compelling blog titles does take time and practice, but once you get the hang of it, you will see results.