So you’ve got a beautiful blog post, perfectly crafted and ready for the people! But it’s never going to be seen if that headline isn’t so darn good that it doesn’t connect with your audience and give them some incentive to learn more.
Here, we’ll offer tips on writing the best headline for inspiring folks to read that post (and we’ll actually recommend that you turn things around and write the headline first, before your beautiful blog post!).
Use the right amount of detail
Using a headline that has a level of detail in it and is not vague gives the reader a much better sense of what they are going to read about.
Brian Clark of CopyBlogger writes about a “Marketing Experiments test that showed that an optimized headline increased website conversion rates by 73%. This means that not only did overall readership of the content rise but 73% more people took the requested action, due only to a modified headline.” In that Marketing Experiments test, a number or dollar value in the headline made it work best because of the specificity. For example, wouldn’t you rather read “How to Lose 15 Lbs This Month” than “Lose Weight Fast This Month”?
Use your keywords
Using keywords is critical for improving the search engine optimization of your blog. Make sure you have identified your appropriate keyword list for your blog, and then weave keywords into the headline.
Don’t cram them in so that it’s obvious, though. Use keywords gracefully, and consider using the more specific keywords as opposed to high-level keywords. Google has a great tutorial on selecting the right keywords.
Write the headline first
Another interesting statistic about headlines is that “on average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest” (per CopyBlogger).
Headlines have always been an important way to draw in readers, regardless of the medium.
So you want to make darn sure that the headline is magical enough to get people to read the blog post. Building the headline first will create a North Star that you can and should continue to look to for inspiration until the article’s completion. Keep going back to the title to make sure that the blog post is paying it off properly. Don’t disappoint your readers by letting the headline be better than the article. Make the headline a merely great starting point.
Make sure the copy in your blog is consistent with the title
Don’t trick your readers into getting to your post with a fantastic title, and then not show up with related content. This is a no-no and a great way to denigrate your online reputation.
In short, writing a great headline can set you up for writing an even better blog post. It can also set you up with readers for that blog post if it’s good enough (which is the goal). So focus hard on writing the most interesting headline possible, and the blog post to follow. Your readers will never be disappointed.