Let’s discuss About Key Elements of Writing Great Headlines
When it comes to content creation, the importance of headlines cannot be over-emphasized.
Headlines play a vital role in how well your content performs on social media sites as well as search engines.
Writing great headlines is not easy, but it is not unachievable; it takes time and patience.
Whether you are a newbie blogger or have been around for a while, this post will surely teach you one or two things.
Why Should You Write Great Headlines?
Headlines are the first thing that attracts people to your blog posts; no matter how good your content may be, if the headline sucks, you may find it difficult to get people to read it.
I learnt this lesson the hard way, but since I learnt the significance of crafting great headlines, I have started devoting enough time to crafting my headlines.
If you want more traffic and, probably, to create viral blog posts, I advise you to learn the art of writing great headlines.
Ehsan wrote a post here at Blogging Cage sharing tips on writing viral blog posts, and I was inspired to write this post during the comment interaction.
This is to help you in your journey of creating great headlines, which is an important aspect of writing viral blog posts!
3 Key Elements of Writing Great Headlines In 2024
1. Great Headlines Are Short
Great Headlines are pretty short! Yes, you heard me right. I have discovered that when a headline is becoming too long, something above 80 characters, it becomes boring.
I have discovered that most popular blog posts have short headlines, usually 50-70 characters long.
One of the most popular blog posts on CopyBlogger is â10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer. âThe headline of this blog post is short and straight to the point, and the post has about 300 comments.
Donât get me wrong. I am not totally against long headlines.
There are some instances and exceptional cases where long headlines have and will perform well; it all boils down to whoever is crafting the headline and how well he can write it.
That said, if you are starting with headline writing and you really want your headlines to work well, I will advise you to stick with short headlines between 60-80 characters.
Research has shown that it takes about 10 seconds (or so) to impress or convince people on the internet.
This means that it takes people just 10 seconds to make a decision, and it likewise takes you 10 seconds to convince them to click that link and head over to your blog to read your content.
So, if you have just 10 seconds to impress them, I doubt that what you need is a âheadline that looks like an essay bodyâ.
For you to impress them quickly, you need to make your headline short. You need to tell them what your blog post is all about in a few characters.
2. Great Headlines Are Compelling
Making your headlines compelling is very, very important (I intentionally emphasized that).
If your headline is short but not compelling, it will have no effect on your click-through rates or conversions.
I donât want you to joke with this aspect of headline writing because it is the heartbeat of great headline copy.
A headline is compelling when it is attractive and creates a sense of curiosity in your readers.
The best way to make your headlines attractive and compelling is to use compelling and attractive words, the kind of words that will raise curiosity in your readers’ minds.
A good example is â10 things you donât know about Traffic Generation.â
Many bloggers struggle with traffic generation, and when they come across such a headline, they are curious; they want to know what is missing from their lives.
They are eager to find out those ten things that they donât know about traffic generation.
Some will even start wondering if those ten things are the things that are preventing them from getting traffic to their blog.
Can you see the psychological effect of a compelling headline at play?
If you want to create such a headline, you need to take your time to think and rethink your headlines till you get a perfect copy.
You can use words like Unknown, sexy, effective, brilliant, new, unique, secret, truth, proven, etc., to help make your headlines more compelling.
For more of such keywords, you can check out 100+ Words to Make Your Headlines Attractive and Tempting.
3. Great Headlines Are Promising
Have you heard the phrase âWhat is in it for me?â Potential readers ask this question as soon as they see your headline!
Top bloggers and marketers donât joke with this third point because it is very important, just like the other two that I mentioned above.
People donât just want to waste their time; they want to get value in return for the time they spend clicking through to your blog and waiting for your blog to load up.
If you want your headlines to have a higher CTR, you should start promising your readers something in exchange for their time in your headlines.
For example, the initial idea I got for this blog post title was â3 Elements of Good Headlinesâ I later wrote â3 Elements of Great Headlinesâ, but I was still not satisfied, so I eventually settled for â3 Key Elements of Great Headlinesâ.
Note the word âkeyâ in this post’s headlines. That word promises you â3 importantâ or â3 keysâ to writing great headlines; who doesnât want to know 3 keys to writing great headlines? I doubt such bloggers/writers exist.
Another good example is â4 Techniques for Losing Weight in 7 Days.â Take a sneak look at that headline. It promises to help you lose weight in just seven days.
Although this headline can be rewritten as â4 Techniques for Losing 100 Pounds in 7 Days,â the concept remains the sameâit promises the reader something!
So start promising your readers something in your headlines from now on!
FAQs
âïž What makes a headline effective?
An effective headline is clear, concise, and grabs the reader's attention. It often includes keywords and promises value or sparks curiosity.
đ What are the key elements of a great headline?
The key elements include clarity, relevance, urgency, and emotional appeal. Using numbers, power words, and addressing the reader directly can also enhance a headline.
đ How important are keywords in a headline?
Keywords are crucial for SEO as they help your content get found by search engines. Including relevant keywords can improve your headlineâs visibility.
â How can I test the effectiveness of my headlines?
You can use A/B testing tools to compare different headlines or analyze engagement metrics such as click-through rates to see which headlines perform best.
đ How can I make my headlines more compelling?
Use actionable language, address the reader directly, and create a sense of urgency or curiosity. Ensure your headline accurately reflects the content to avoid misleading readers.
Quick Links:
- Ways by Which You Can Make Your Blog Post Presentable
- Know The Negative and Positive Sides of Guest Blogging
- Types of Blog Posts People Love To Read
- Ultimate List of Blogging Statistics and Facts
Final Words: Key Elements of Writing Great Headlines
Writing great headlines comes with practice. The more you write headlines, the better you become at it.
So donât just sit and wait for the magic wand of headline writing to come; it is not going to come!
So sit up and start practising till you become perfect with your headline writing skills.
I love comments and other peopleâs points of view. I would love to know if this post has been helpful to you.
Donât forget to share your experience with writing headlines in the comments.
