Wondering how to write a headline that drives traffic and clicks?
The best headlines are:
- Extremely relevant to the content
- Contain a keyword
- Generate interests
There’s plenty of room to be creative and demonstrate value, right off the bat.
While there’s no exact science to writing a headline, there are useful headline writing tips that will help you whip up brilliant headlines.
Discover 11 ways to write good headlines.
1. Let Keywords Drive You
If you’re writing a piece of evergreen content, always do keyword research to find out what people are actually searching for.
A slight difference in wording can make a huge impact on traffic.
Let’s take this content, for example.
As with all content, I did keyword research beforehand to pinpoint what people are actually searching for.
I narrowed it down to these keyword phrases, based on their monthly search volume:
- Headline writing tips: 360
- How to write a headline: 360
- Good headlines: 390
- How to write a good headline: 170
By choosing a relevant keyword phrase with the most search volume, I can boost the ROI of the content.
Accordingly, I chose “headline writing tips” as my main keyword (and, of course, I can use the others as supporting keywords).
As you can see, the headline on this content is “12 Headline Writing Tips to Drive Traffic and Clicks.”
It’s keyword-rich, relevant and (hopefully) demonstrates value.
2. Come up with Multiple Headlines
If you find yourself with a bout of writer’s block and can’t come up with a headline that really strikes your fancy, try writing a bunch!
The act of brainstorming multiple headlines will really get your creative juices flowing, and you’ll land on something great eventually.
3. Know that Sometimes Short and Sweet is A-OK
Sometimes we need to get straight to the point.
Not every headline needs to be lengthy – sometimes being punchy and straightforward is a better approach, so don’t automatically discount a potential headline just because it’s short.
4. Pull a Quote from the Article
Another option for coming up with a good headline is pulling a quote from the content.
A quote, especially from a celebrity or influencer, can be excellent fodder for a headline.
The quote, of course, should be on-topic with the article as a whole.
Here’s one technical issue to keep in mind: unlike body copy, quotes in headlines should always appear in single quotations, according to Associated Press Style. – Read more
