Writing great content is one thing, but writing catchy blog titles is another. Your blog titles represent your image and your brand. They serve as the lure that convinces potential readers to click and read your post. Without the right blog title, it can become more challenging to improve your blog’s page ranking. Hence, if you want to gain leverage, you have to master the art of creating blog post titles that can really grab the attention of readers.
Set Early Expectations
No matter how excellent your content or your web design is, you should never neglect the fact that your blog post titles greatly influence readership. When it comes to writing attention-grabbing blog post titles, remember that most readers only have one goal in mind: to benefit from the post.
Marketers have tested various principles on creating blog titles and, generally speaking, readership gets higher when readers see that they could tremendously benefit from the post. By contrast, mysterious titles that don’t imply any advantage to the readers always get lower readership rates.
So when writing a title, it is always important to focus on how your blog post title will benefit your reader as this will convince them that your post is worth their time.
Play with Numbers
Directly telling your target readers that they are going to benefit from your post may not always be enough, especially since there are so many online posts vying for their attention. So when writing blog titles, using numbers can be advantageous since it can give readers an idea on how much information they are going to get from reading your blog post. Instead of plainly writing “Website Design Dos and Don’ts” as a blog title, it is better to write “26 Website Design Dos and Don’ts” as it implies that your readers will learn a lot from your post.
Add Personality to Your Blog Title
Grabbing the attention of your target readers can become more challenging if you stick to plain and ordinary blog titles. While learning the basic principles behind writing a title is important, it is always best to add a bit of art and creativity into your blog post title. Don’t be afraid to add your personality to your title as this can add color to your post.
Add a Powerful Adjective
With hundreds of blog posts being uploaded every day, it can be extremely challenging to outshine other blogs and convince your audience that your post is worth their time. With this in mind, it’s important that you look for ways to catch your target readers’ attention by using powerful words that do not only provide them an overview of your content, but also indirectly persuade them to click your link.
For example, instead of writing down “20 Writing Don’ts Every Writer Should Avoid”, you can change this phrase into something like “20 Mortal Sins Every Writer Must Avoid”. Both these titles imply the same meaning and are descriptive in nature, but the second title is more powerful. Hence, when writing a blog title, take your time in brainstorming for words that can work to your advantage.
Write Down Popular Search Queries
When writing titles, it’s important that you greatly consider how your target audience thinks. Even though “how to” and “what is” phrases may look plain and boring, they can significantly increase your readership, especially since many people use these phrases whenever they search on Google and other search engines. Plus, since they are some of the most frequently typed phrases, your blog post will be friendlier to search engines as well.
Add Intrigue to the Equation
Challenging your audience may seem risky, but it can really increase your readership. Gaining audience interest by creating intrigue or by challenging your target readers can work really well. For instance, writing down “10 Things Your Husband Won’t Tell You” or “Why Your Posts Aren’t Gaining Readership” can trigger the curiosity of your target audience and in turn convince them to read your post.
Present Real World Data
As a writer, building trust and rapport should be one of your goals. Instead of presenting data in a way that every regular writer would, let your post stand out by showing readers that the information you are presenting is based on your previous experiences.
For example, rather than writing down “Mistakes Every Entrepreneur Should Avoid”, you can make your post more interesting by writing down “10 Business Don’ts I Learned After My Business Went Bankrupt”. The first title may work, but the problem is, there are so many titles like these that appear on search engines. By using techniques that can set your blog apart, you can get more clicks and develop a strong relationship with your readers.
Put Relevant Information First
The first few words in your blog title should already give your audience an idea on what they would gain from reading your post. Let’s face it: not everyone reads blogs. By going straight to the point and writing down a concise title that speaks to your audience, you can gain higher readership.
It’s Okay to Go Negative
Often times, we read posts centered on providing benefits to readers, and this is primarily because most people look for ways to improve their lives in different aspects. From tutorials on fixing household plumbing to posts on becoming a successful entrepreneur, readers are supplied with all the information they need to step up and become a better person. However, you don’t always have to focus on openly offering benefits to your readers as you can also direct your post on things that your readers should avoid.
Rather than concentrating on the “dos”, write about common pitfalls your target readers commonly make, and how to avoid them. This way, you are still offering benefits, but you are approaching your readers in a different way.
Simplicity is the Key to Readership
While you may be tempted to write a long title to give your readers a clearer overview, it is always best that you keep your titles simple and concise. By keeping your title simple, direct and relevant, you can fair better in catching your reader’s attention. Also, as mentioned, make sure that your blog title is relevant to your post as this will help you gain your reader’s trust and build a solid online reputation.
Have Fun in Writing Your Blog Title
The words you use in your blog title have the power to either convince your target audience to click on your link or keep scrolling and ignore your post. The beauty of writing is that you are never limited in using different words. The more you move away from typical blog titles, the higher your chances are in gaining readership.
Play with the words you use and have fun with alliteration. Words like “foolproof”, “surefire”, “superb” or “wonderful” can be the perfect addition to your blog title as they are not only pleasing to the eyes, but they also have the power to influence your target readers’ thoughts and emotions. The title of a post can make or break your chances of grabbing attention, so play with it and use a combination of powerful and meaningful words that clearly present your post’s value to the readers.
Writing catchy blog post titles can become very challenging especially since your titles are selling your posts. Don’t be afraid to take your time in thinking of great blog post titles that really reflect your content as this will develop trust between you and your readers.