Becoming a successful blogger can be a beast in its own right. It takes time, patience, and the ability to draw readers in and keep them. If you are new to blogging, you may not realize the importance of blog titles, or headlines. Statistics tell us an average 8 of 10 people will read a blog title that is put in front of them. Only 2 of those 10 will click through to read the post. Being able to construct effective headlines can greatly impact your success as a blogger.
However, there are some simple tips and tools to make writing appealing titles less daunting.
1. Be Descriptive
Tell your potential readers what your post is about. You may think using cutesy or elusive titles will get people clicking through, but it may have the opposite outcome. If they are unable to comprehend how your new post is going to inform or entertain them, they may move on to the next post that tells them they have found what they are looking for.
2. Touch on Emotions
When writing effective headlines, use power words to hit on your potential reader’s emotions. There are certain words that stir up emotion; easy, simple, finally, important, secret, how to, etc. We all act on emotion. Phrasing your title as a question can have the same effect. Use a tool like Advanced Marketing Institute’s Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer or the Headline Analyzer from CoSchedule. Input your potential headline and it will return the emotional value and which emotion your headline is impacting.
3. Keep It Short
The most common line of thinking in writing headlines is that 5 to 7 words are ideal. The purpose of a blog title is to tease someone into clicking through. Give away too much in a title and your potential visitor may feel there is nothing left to learn. Lengthy titles may also keep your post from going viral. If a reader needs to edit the title to fit into a Tweet, they may not be willing to take that time.
4. Use Keywords
The more we can get search engines to take over some of our active marketing, the better. Incorporate keyword phrases that people are typing into the search engines to find information. Google Keyword Tool will give you those terms along with their search volume. If you are an EzineArticles Expert, you can use their Title Suggestions Tool to find ready to use titles with keyword phrases included.
Conclusion
It may seem overwhelming at first to construct good blog titles, but it is not. Once you grasp the essentials of what works and what doesn’t, it will become second nature. Take a few moments on your next headline to gauge its effectiveness in the online world.
What tips do you have for crafting catchy blog titles? Drop us a note; we’d love to hear from you. If you enjoyed this post — please share it on your favortite social media site.
Angie - The Work at Home Wife
You ladies are welcome. Hope it helps!
Karen T
Great post! This will really help me with future posts. I haven’t been good about enticing readers with the article heading so far.
Chaplain Donna
Thanks for these helpful reminders Angie. The more I let the search engines take my message to people, the more I can concentrate on other blogging business.
Nicole Bandes
Great tips. I was needing a post like this.
Angie - The Work at Home Wife
Thanks, Holly! Have a great day, ladies.