A Step by Step Guide to Writing Irresistible Headlines
When we’re trying to come up with blog post titles that draw readers in, we need to focus on what catches their attention quickly.
Your content only has a few short seconds to entice a reader to make that all-important click. It’s a quick first impression that you’re striving to make the most of.
This is why our blog headlines mean everything. You want them to attract attention, peak curiosity, and persuade them to look further.
There are lots of strategies and tools that make it easier for bloggers to write headlines that grab. The problem is trying to figure out what to use and what works better. This can become a fairly time-consuming process.
The first thing we need to do is take a look at this whole idea of an attention-grabbing headline.
The headline is sort of like a welcome message and an announcement letting a potential reader know what you’re about to talk about.
We all skim headlines even if we are not aware of it so we can figure out right off the bat if we want to read something or not.
The Most Important Elements of Irresistible Headlines
Keyword Research
If you want your post to be found by readers and you want to rank in the search engines you have to use keywords. Think about what your target audience is looking for. What keywords do they use in Google searches? Once you know what it is your readers want you need to use those keywords in your headline. You also need to sprinkle the keywords and secondary related words throughout the body copy of your content.
Titles with numbers really do make a difference.
Get specific. Pick a certain amount of something and give it to them…. 5 ways to style your hair for summer. 10 reasons your dog eats his own throw up. LOL… Seriously, whatever you are writing about, tell your reader up front how much of it they are getting and it will increase your post views.
Oddly enough, it’s been determined that people click through more odd-numbered titles than even. So instead of the number 10, use 9 or 11.
Emotions.
We all have them and they have been used in marketing for decades. Use language that evokes emotion. Strong adjectives encourage more clicks rather than lazy sleepy words.
Examples of emotional words are:
- Proven
- Instant
- Guaranteed
- Secret
- Unique
- Best
- Important
- Huge
Your irresistible headline should be clear and easy to understand. I recommend brainstorming ideas in advance and writing down about 10 or so possible headlines.
Freewrite
Don’t edit or worry about what you throw out there on paper. Just get it down as your imagination flows and see what you come up with. Share some of your ideas on social media and ask your followers for their thoughts. People love to jump in and tell you what resonates better with them.
You can test how the headlines work by experimenting with a few post using different headlines and linking them to the same article. Analyze them and see which ones got the most clicks.
What Types of Irresistible Headlines Will Boost My Blog Page Views?
How to Articles
It may sound cliché but how-to articles are truly evergreen. People are always looking up ways to do something. You can also use a number or the word “Ways” to do something.
Remember the headline is to attract your audience and get the click but don’t forget it is also your job to make sure the content measures up to their expectations.
As soon as you start to write your first blog post, always try to create the best piece of content possible. Set your production for quality and the quantity will follow.
Listicles a/k/a List Articles
These are known to draw in readers. The organized and structured format makes them easier to skim over. Your readers will love the in-depth content and they are easier for you as a blogger to write.
Media companies and bloggers grab tons of blog traffic just by using listicles.
If you are thinking about using listicles. Remember to go in-depth with steps and make sure the content brings value to your readers. Your goal needs to be content that is good enough they will want to share it.
Examples are:
15 Ways to Increase Your Blog Traffic
9 Steps to Organizing Your Home
Ultimate Guides are also catchy. They are great for eBooks and videos.
Irresistible Headlines That are Questionable
Okay, I used a spin on words in the above headline. Use questions in your headlines! Yes, ask your readers some questions. Get them engaged and involved. This inspires their natural curiosity.
A few notes about question headlines.
Don’t ask questions that are super easy to answer and obvious. Be sure your article gives the answer to the question you asked and doesn’t mislead your readers. Clickbait will cause you to lose traffic and give you a bad reputation.
Ask questions that you believe your target audience is already asking. Make them genuine problems and do the research so you can be the one who solves these problems for your readers.
Use personal stories to connect with your readers. Make your irresistible headlines personal. Explain someone’s personal experience with something. Tell about a time a product or service helped you and discuss what you loved about it. People love to connect and enjoy personal stories.
Remember, the power of catchy headlines is tremendous so it’s important for you to stay on top of this as a serious blogger. You want your readers to love what you have to say and keep them sharing your content and coming back for more themselves.
As you write your blog posts ask yourself:
Will my audience benefit from this article?
Does this post give value to my readers? Will it help them solve a problem?
Coming up with headlines can actually be fun if you put your mind to it and brainstorm ideas. Just use my advice above and run with it!