Writing articles and blog posts always came pretty easy to me. The words would flow from my fingertips to the keyboard at a rate of 65 words a minute, but the second I tried to summarize my writing into a simple title, I’d hit a block. Crickets began chirping and my fingers would freeze while each dimly lit key on my keyboard begged to be pressed.
Sound familiar?
Well, cancel the crickets and fire up that keyboard, because I think I’ve got some answers. It took a few hundred (okay, maybe a thousand) headers to get there, but I’ve crafted a set of guidelines for writing a title that’s both engaging and witty. Let’s start with my favorite:
1. The Rule of Numbers
Consider structure. Does your blog post have a list of steps or a means to break it down into segments? Studies show that titles that include numbers generally yield higher traffic than those that don’t.
Even if we back away from science, it makes sense—when you see a number, you think “answer.” Readers can see your 5 bolded ways-in quickly, without having to delve deep into a thorough how-to.
And finally, make that number an odd one. One thing that always stuck with me from my journalism classes in college is that odd numbers are more powerful. Even numbers often appear to be too structured, as if the information was added just to make it fit into a “top ten” list. Stick to odd numbers in your titles to come off as relatable, and use the number 7 whenever possible (it’s a crowd favorite!).
*Pro-tip: Don’t use number-based titles for ALL of your blogs. It may start to come off as a series of fluff pieces or irrelevant information.
2. Give Your Titles a Trim
Nothing reads worse than a headline long enough to tell the full story. Headlines should tease the information without fully supplying a solution.
Remember the episode of The Office where Kevin decides to stop saying a majority of words in his sentences to save time?
Be like Kevin.
When you write your title, think about where you can remove excess wording. Start with the adjectives and work your way down.
Don’t Say: A Woman Was Shocked to Find an Alligator In Her Kitchen at Breakfast
Do Say: Woman Woke to Find Alligator Under Her Kitchen Table
Don’t Say: These Are The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes You Will Ever Eat
Do Say: Must-Try Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes Recipe
By abbreviating wherever possible and swapping adjectives, you can easily reduce your title to be less than a mouthful.
3. SEO is your BFF
Don’t let those three capital letters scare you away. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it’s like the popular girl at school who makes you more popular, too. All you have to do is take your title and write-in a few internet-friendly words.
Here’s what I mean: SEO is based largely off of keywords. Search engines like Google and Yahoo! have set algorithms that look out for combinations of words or stand-alone words that have a high search volume.
If you’re writing a title for an article about low-carb breakfast options and you know the ketogenic diet is popular, write a line that includes “Keto” in some way to attract that niche.
Don’t Say: Low-Carb Breakfast Ideas for Busy Mornings
Do Say: Low-Carb Breakfast Ideas for the Keto Beginner
SEO Is kind of a beast in itself, this article can help you with the basics.
4. Be a Copywriting Criminal—Break the Betteridge’s Law of Headlines
Betteridge’s Law of Headlines states that “any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered with no.” Eh. Not so fast. If your question is too simplistic, and can be answered with a “yes” or “no”, change your game. Ask questions that make people think. That’ll make ‘em click.
No clicks means no engagement, and your powerful advice will sit there unread as your potential audience brings their attention to another blog that managed to capture them. Prove Betteridge wrong.
Don’t Say: Are You Tired of Ab Workouts That Don’t Work?
Do Say: What’s the Secret to 6-Pack Abs?
Don’t Say: Should You Go Gluten-Free?
Do Say: How Do You Know If Gluten-Free is Right for You?
5. The Re-Write Test
The most useful thing I’ve adopted in my title-writing process is the Re-Write Test. By far. For each post, I’ll take away the distraction of my finished piece and open a blank document. Then, it’s on. 50 titles minimum. Go.
Next, I take a look at the damage. I skim through the initial word vomit, pull out a few favorites, then rewrite each one in a fresh, new way. I can usually beat it.
Sounds like a headache, but forcing your brain to come up with at least 50 possibilities eventually leads to word choices that you wouldn’t have thought of before.
So, now that you can write a snappy title worthy of outsmarting Google’s SEO algorithm, it’s time to learn how to write the rest. Get started our 8 tips for success.