How to write an irresistible headline

Apr 12

Written By Martha Barnard-Rae

80% of readers never make it past the headline, so make it count.

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a blog, an article, a social media post or your memoir. ⁣

⁣What does that mean for you?⁣

⁣You’ve gotta make those headlines tasty. ⁣

⁣Here are 5 ways to make your headlines pop.

Tip #1: Numbers

The most popular headlines include numbers. These are slightly more popular with women than men. Why? People are afraid of commitment. They want to know what they’re getting into and when it comes to reading blogs, they want to know how much time it’s going to take.

Give your reader as much information as possible at the beginning of your article, so they know that they’re not committing to reading something ridiculous.

Here’s how: 30 ways to kill time during a pandemic

Tip #2: Questions

Questions are a great way to pique your reader’s interest. That’s because they build intrigue and draw the reader into the conversation. Of course, it’s up to you to know exactly what your people want to read about, but once you have that nailed, a question is a great way to make them feel like they’re part of something.

Another good reason why questions make great headlines is because many search queries are questions. When you title your post “How will you kill time during the pandemic?” you mirror their potential search questions.

Tip#3: Superlatives

A superlative is an adjective of the highest kind — it surpasses all others. Starving is the superlative of hungry. Tallest is the superlative of tall.

The wizards at Outbrain have analysed 65 000 headlines and they found that superlatives are a great way to engage your reader. The thing is, negative superlatives are 65% more effective than positive ones!

This is because humans are primed to be suspicious about anything that’s too positive. So instead of Best ways to kill time during a pandemic, you might want to try something negative.

I suggest; You won’t believe the terrible ways these women killed time during the pandemic!

Tip #4: Address the reader

This just in: your readers only care about themselves. Before you publish on social media or on your blog, consider what your post has to do with the reader. Why do they care about what you’re about to post? Why should they read your post, as opposed to the other ten trillion posts they see each day?

One way to make your reader stop scrolling is to put them right in the headline. That way, they’ll imagine how your post actually applies to them and they’ll be more likely to read more.

A great example is Do you have a plan to help you kill time during the pandemic? #6 will save your sanity!

Tip #5: Be explicit

Headlines are no time to beat around the bush. You need to make sure your reader knows exactly what they’re getting. This is particularly important when you’re trying to write keyword optimised blog titles. Skip the puns and vague references: just be clear.

Something like 30 cheap ways to kill time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic will capture the specific, long-tail search terms that users tend to use.

See what I did there? Used numbers and addressed the reader. Boom.

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Martha Barnard-Rae is a Denmark WA-based SEO copywriter. She supports businesses in Denmark, Albany, the Great Southern and beyond with all the wordy things they need to stand out in the best possible way.

Her words live on the websites, blogs, videos, emails, and socials of businesses all over Australia. An accomplished speaker, Martha helps brands, business owners, schools, and Government Departments understand what they need to do to find their voices.

Martha holds an Honours Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Education — communication truly lights her up. When she’s not crafting delicious words, you’ll find her walking two giant pooches, practicing her ukulele, or wrapped around a cup of tea, planning out her next Instagram reel.

To stay up to date, join the Word Candy crew on Instagram, or connect with Martha on LinkedIn.

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Martha Barnard-Rae