The one thing you need to realize about writing awesome blog titles is…
What? What is it? You need to know…
… and that’s the point.
The title you place above your blog post can make or break everything that comes after. Slap a boring headline there and readers will leave before reading the first sentence.
But… come up with a compelling headline – the kind that’s irresistible to readers – and they’ll not only read your post…
They’ll share it on other channels.
Since virality is a key goal for online content, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that writing amazing blog titles is a skill you need to have in your arsenal.
Here’s how to handle it.
Accuracy might seem like a boring bit of feedback to start with, but it’s definitely important.
Why? Because your title must reflect the content of the post!
If it doesn’t, readers may suspect you of pulling a bait and switch – drawing them in with a headline that makes promises the rest of the content can’t fulfill.
A good way to ensure you achieve this goal is to come up with a working title. It doesn’t have to be beautiful – we’ll get to that at another time – but it does have to describe the general direction of your piece and what readers can hope to learn.
Keywords aren’t the end all be all – but they’re not insignificant, either, especially when it comes to titles.
If you want your blog post to produce great results on Google, then you need to make sure that you use your best keyword as close to the beginning of your title as possible.
We’ll get into more detail about how to fine-tune your headline a bit later, but identifying keywords is a must. It’ll give you the best possible chance of getting a high SERP.
We’re supposed to sell the sizzle and not the steak – so put some sizzle in your blog titles to make sure they’re seductive to readers.
Let’s check out a few sexy options to give a shot:
1. Use powerful language – selectively. People react to superlatives whether they’re good or bad. In other words, using words like best, worst, brilliant, terrible, love, and hate inspire strong emotions. But… don’t overdo it. Everything can’t be the best or the worst – so choose wisely.
2. Use a little alliteration. Sometimes, repeating sounds makes titles more appealing. Using two or more words that begin with the same letter can give your title a little something special.
3. Add value to your headline. If you’re supplying a freebie or giveaway, then bracket it at the end of your headline, like this: Creating Cheat Sheets Customers Crave [TEMPLATE]. The value is clear – and customers will click to get their hands on that enticing template you’ve promised to give them.
4. Add visuals. Now, you can’t make a picture part of your title, but you can let people know that your post includes photos, videos, or an infographic. You have the choice of incorporating a word like “photos” into your title, or bracketing at the end as we did in the example above.
Adding just one sexy plus to your title can make an enormous difference in the number of clicks you acquire for your blog post.
How many tips will I get if I read this post?
Readers love numbers. They provide important data about your blog post and help quantify the post’s value to your readers. They also provide a sense of certainty in an uncertain world.
A Conductor study found that 36% of readers preferred headlines with numbers – and that more women than men preferred them.
You don’t have to use a number in every title, but adding them when it makes sense is smart.
A long title might be precise – but it’s also not likely to be visually appealing or memorable.
A ton of blog posts have bloated titles that could be made a whole lot better. Here’s an example of a lengthy headline that could be improved:
Think You Can Ignore Snapchat for Marketing? Here Are 12 Statistics That Prove You Shouldn’t
There isn’t anything wrong with that title exactly, but it’s not exactly bewitching anybody with its elegance or snappiness. We might rewrite it like this:
12 Stats That Show Why Snapchat Should Be in Your Marketing Mix
Not only is the second title appealing – and more interesting – but it’s also shorter. We’ll explain more about why that matters in the next tip.
Another thing to keep in mind when shortening blog titles is that the rhythm of your title matters. Even if people are reading it on a screen, they still feel the rhythm as they read it. If your title’s clunky, they’ll know.
Do you want your title to display in full when people search on Google? That means you need less than 70 characters.
Look up above. The initial headline – the clunky one – has 92 characters. That means the title will be cut off when it appears on Google.
The second headline has only 63 characters. Readers will be able to view it in its entirety – and that can make a difference when it comes to the number of clicks you get.
Now let’s discuss Twitter. You know that the limit for a Tweet is 140 characters – so what does that mean for your blog title?
According to one study, titles shared on Twitter should have between 120 and 130 characters, leaving enough room for the Tweeter to include a brief comment or hashtag.
Of course, Twitter users have the option of shortening a link using bit.ly or another site, but then all the time you put into creating a killer title is wasted because users will have to click to see it.
On occasion, there’s no other way to fine-tune a title than to get someone else’s eyes to check it out – especially if you’ve been developing it for a while.
Have a trusted friend who’s a word wizard? A marketing buddy who knows what customers want to read? Try sending them your headline and workshopping it a bit.
If you don’t have someone to assist, then put the headline away and sleep on it. After a day or two, you’ll be able to come back to it with fresh eyes – and fresh insight.
Want Your Titles to Slay?
Stop settling for OK titles and fight for the best. The tips we’ve expressed here will help you write compelling, killer titles that’ll have readers hungry for your content.