How To Compose a Headline to Catch Attention - AdMarketing Titan

Catching the reader's attention is important even before the reader has started reading your content.

Those are in the headlines.

Headlines are short sentences. 


Headlines are instrumental in catching the attention and convincing a part of their brain that the blog post will be worthy enough for them to read and get value. 


Headline-to-catch-Attention


Fun Fact, just adding a few words to a template such as “A Guide to ___” or “How to do ___”, doesn't always work (Even though the Title of this blog post is). 


The headlines should be short and catchy. 


In this article, we are going to understand what makes a good headline and how to compose a good headline: 

 

What makes a Good Headline 

In short, a good headline should be an attention grabber and easily understandable. 

 

A good headline should have the following characteristics to give context to the reader as well as to the search engine. 

 

Specificity: Being specific about what the blog post is about. Instead of “5 Tips for Better Blogging”, try instead “5 Actionable Tips for Boosting Your Blog Traffic in 2024”. The latter is better as this convinces the reader about what the blog post is about and what the value can be after reading the post. 

 

Relevance: The headline should be relevant enough for the people to read. Clickbait Headlines are a big no-no. Google scans every page before it ranks the page, therefore, there are chances that your web page (even website) can be flagged. 

 

Curiosity: There are hundreds of bloggers trying to divert attention to their blogs. Therefore, it is important to entice people to come to your blog, to create a sense of urgency, or promise a solution to a problem. 

 

Numbers: People love specific numbers, lists, and characters. Use them in the headline as an attention-grabbing mechanism.  

 

Keywords: Include relevant keywords in your headline, as Google scans your website headline to get an idea of the website content. Note: Do not stuff keywords in your headline, as at the end of the day, it's about creating helpful content for the people, not for search engines. 

 

Examples of Good Headlines 

Let's see some examples of how headlines that follow the following characteristics: 

 

“The Surprising Secret that Would Help You Get More Leads” 

The first part,” Surprising Secret” invokes curiosity in the mind of the readers.  

 

“How I Made $100 Walking My Neighbor’s Dog” 

“$100” is a specific number that would ingrain in the mind of the readers and invoke curiosity. The title is also specific as the author has made money just by “Walking My Neighbour’s Dog” 

 

How To Compose a Good Headline 

Simple and Short 

A headline should be 55 words, that is, about 8 to 10 words.  

 

Why? 

 

The characters would appear fully in search results and tend to get more clicks. 

 

Headlines should be the gateway and the answer to the first question that comes to mind of the consumer, "What's in it for me?” 

 

Sparking Curiosity 

As said earlier, the headlines should hold a curiosity factor that would create interest and want the reader to read the post to satisfy the interest. 

 

For example: 

This type of headline wouldn't spark interest in the mind of the reader. 

 

“Trello, a simple tool that increases my productivity” 

 

Rather, 

 

“This Tool 50x My Productivity and Yours Can Too” 

 

This headline sure would generate interest for your readers and increase traffic. 

 

Highlighting the Benefits 

Let's take the same example. 

 

“This Tool 50x My Productivity and Yours Can Too” 

 

The headline tries to convey that this tool will help you get your work done faster and increase your productivity.  

 

If the headline included things like, 

 

“This Tool has ____ Feature and ____ Feature for You” 

 

Tell me, do you think that would increase clicks to the webpage. 

 

The headline should clearly state the benefits, rather than the features. 

 

Using Power Words 

Power Words are those words that help in triggering powerful emotional and psychological responses for the readers. 

 

If you have read articles, especially on Medium, you will understand how Power Words are used in many cases. 

 

Super words can help draw readers in like magnets, making them curious, excited, or compelled to take notice. 

 

Here is a wonderful list by OptinMonster about 700+ power words. 

 

Using Keywords Strategically 

Include relevant keywords in the headline so that it becomes easier for both the searcher and the search engine to get your website more visibility. 

 

Keywords in the headline help the blog post get credibility and clarity for the reader. 

 

It is important to remind again not to do keyword stuff because Google can ban your webpage from ranking again on the search. 

 

Here is an example of a title with keyword stuffing: 

 

“SEO Optimized! Ultimate Guide to Baking the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies in 2023: Easy Recipe, Essential Tips & Tricks, Must-Have Ingredients, Top Baker Secrets, Delicious Results Guaranteed!” 

 

Again, the good title can be “The Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe” 

 

Using Numbers 

In this fast world, people scan through the webpage and select the web page that can stop the scroll and gain their attention. 

 

Numbers jump out and make it easier to grasp the key point of the content, even if they don't read the whole thing. 

 

It's important to note that relevance matters. Don't force a number just for the sake of it. Make sure it's relevant to the content and adds value. 

 

Pro Tip: Odd numbers work better and become more memorable than even numbers. 

 

A/B Test Headlines 

Now, repeat the same process and write a few more headlines. 

 

You can now, either: 

 

Ask someone else to choose and the reason behind choosing that headline 

 

OR 

 

Using online tools that analyze headlines such as tools from MonsterInsights or Co-Schedule.  

 

This should give a better idea of which headline to choose and get references for future headlines. 


Conclusion 

By understanding your audience, leveraging emotional triggers, using powerful words, and testing different variations, you can create headlines that not only capture attention but also compel readers to engage further with your content. 

With practice and persistence, you can master the art of headline writing and make your content stand out in the competition. 

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