If you’re just starting out with a blog section on your website, your first job is to get some interesting content on there to help increase traffic to your site.
Not only do you need to produce engaging content optimised for SEO, you also have to craft blog titles that bang.
Just like the newspaper headlines before them, blog titles (also referred to as headlines or H1s) have to be interesting and exciting to pull your reader in. Not only should your blog title make readers want to read on but it is essential for getting users to your blog in the first place.
Read on to find out how to create blog titles that will grab people’s attention without resorting to clickbait. You can use this guide to help you craft new blog titles and maybe even improve some existing ones.
Why is your blog title so important?
When your blog article appears on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), there needs to be something to set it apart from the other results displayed, which will encourage users to choose your site rather than someone else’s.
Research shows that while eight out of ten people read an article’s headline, only two of these will go on to read the article in full (source: Copyblogger), so your title is arguably the most important section of your whole blog post.
How to create a blog title that drives engagement
1. Ask a question
When you include a question in your blog title, it can help to entice people in to reading the article, as they may well want to know the answer, especially if it’s a problem or issue that they’re experiencing. Think about your users and topics they may want to know more about, and then craft your question around that.
Questions play a huge role in search. Dating right back to the days of Ask Jeeves (remember him?), people have been typing their questions into Google and the likes. Google even has a “people also ask” feature, showing enquiries related to your initial search term.
It therefore makes sense that a blog title which poses a question and promises to answer it can really help you to rank in search.
Example: What should I bring when I go wedding dress shopping? 5 essentials you shouldn’t forget
2. Avoid clickbait
There’s a fine line between engaging titles and clickbait. You’re going to want to stay on the right side of this to avoid disappointing or frustrating your users.
Ok, so what exactly is clickbait? And how can we avoid using it in our blog titles?
Clickbait refers to titles that use exaggerated, sensationalised, or vague language to urge users to click on the title. It’s a tactic often employed by online tabloids or gossip magazines to encourage clicks.
While extra clicks sound great, you need to be able to deliver once the user has clicked on your headline. By definition, clickbait often leaves readers disappointed and unfulfilled.
Clickbait can lead to a high bounce rate and this can harm your SEO as it signifies to users that your content is poor quality (source: Outerbox).
3. Share a story
It’s no surprise that people love a good story. Even if someone isn’t specifically interested in a topic, a story in a headline can pique their interest.
Tease the story in the headline, giving the gist of it but not giving everything away. Centre the title around a person or object.
People will tend to click on these types of titles just to learn more about what happened.
Example: Retired police officer fined £130 for chasing shoplifter
This example immediately makes you want to read more as you’re left curious as to why the retired police officer was fined and not the shoplifter.
4. Listicle titles
Listicles have been around for a long time, but they’re not going anywhere anytime soon. Listicles are still popular and are seeing excellent click-through rates.
Having a number in a title gives readers an idea of how long they will spend reading the article and how much information they’ll get out of it.
Odd numbers seem to work better than even numbers, and you should include numbers right at the beginning of your title. Don’t include too many numbers, this makes the article seem longer and, as we all know, attention spans are short.
Example: 5 easy ways to improve your click-through rate
5. Include superlatives
A superlative is a word used to express the highest quality of its kind. They usually end in “est” – bravest, greatest, loveliest.
Superlatives can help to cement the topic of your blog post, giving it an extra touch of quality or qualifying your topic. Superlatives can help to make it sound like you have written the definitive article on a given topic.
Example: 9 of the deadliest snakes in the world
6. Make your audience feel good
Making your reader feel great is a great tip when it comes to making your content more shareable. This is another way to increase traffic to your website and build your brand across social media. Craft blog titles that make people feel successful amongst their peers.
Closed questions with just yes or no answers work best for this, with the idea that the sharer knows the answer and is already doing this and seeing success from it.
Example: Are you diversifying to get the most out of your investments?
7. Use a “how to” formula
Another copywriting formula that works really well is a “how to” blog post. These blog posts are educational resources that explain processes to your audience.
These blog posts can be great traffic drivers, especially if they answer a common problem from your users.
Example: How to create blog titles that bang (this one!)
8. Use your keyword in the title
It’s essential to be strategic about your blog posts and create a content strategy from the get-go. After all, what are you creating them for if it isn’t to drive traffic to your website?
Get your title from your keyword research, and then make sure your post gives the user what your title promises.
For example, if your keyword is “ambush marketing,” you’re going to want to include the search term and explain more about it:
Example: Ambush marketing explained and tips for using it
3 responses
A good summary. Thanks. I worry that guidelines on word counts encourage people to write far more than they need to. No one should underestimate the time pressures on readers. A smaller piece looks far less intimidating; it’s much more likely to be read by someone with limited time to spare. Another option is to use the opening section as a summary. That gives busy readers enough information to know whether it’s worth reading on.
You’re absolutely right to suggest including a summary in the opening section which can then encourage the reader to spend more time on the article if they so wish. Time pressures are a consideration but relevant and engaging content should mitigate this concern. The SEO benefits of long form content shouldn’t be overlooked.