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7 Tips for Better Titles and Headlines

18 Oct

TypewriterGood headlines are extremely important: You have only a 1 or 2 second window of opportunity to show that your article is worth reading or that your website is worth visiting.  This is the average amount of time that a reader scans an individual search item before deciding whether to click on it or move on to the next one.

Tips for better headlines:

1. Your aim as a writer or a blogger is to get the attention of specific people who are searching the topic you are writing about and who will be interested in the content. The headline you write should accurately reflect the specific topic.

2. Use words that give the promise of a solution or beneficial information, such as

  • “7 ways to draw more customers to your website”
  • “When you should start to…”
  • “How you can boost your sales”

3. Effective techniques are to use numbers in the headline to convey a list of ideas or suggestions. When you begin the titel with such words as “10 ways to…”, a large audience will feel drawn to read such articles due of the promise of a list of  suggestions or solutions.

4. Words such as “how to”, “what” and “when” are also very effective words to begin your headlines with.

5. Include keywords in your headlines, they are important because they are what your target audience is using to search / google for the answers to their questions.

6. A question in your article title is sure way to get noticed. Questions draw attention and will encourage readers to search for answers in your article or book. They work well due to the doubts they create in the mind of the reader. They feel the need for assurance to know enough on the subject and read it to get more information.

  • Is dieting really helping you to lose weight?
  • Are you a savvy investor?
  • Can you eat healthy at fast-food joints?
  • Who Else Wants …

7. Some suggestions for eye-catching headlines:

  • The Secret of …
  • Here is a Method That is Helping …
  • Little Known Ways of …
  • Get Rid of Your …
  • Here’s a Quick Way to …
  • Now You Can …
  • What Everybody Ought to Know About …
  • Are You Ready to Learn …
  • 11 Ways to Cope With …
  • If you Love …

If you want your writing to stand out from the thousands of competitors, good article, book or blog headlines are one of the most important things you can do to entice people to read further.

 
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Posted by on October 18, 2011 in Marketing, Writing

 

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