Headlines That Work

What gets your attention when you browse through topics online? Does a news story with a picture displayed to it make you feel more inclined to read it? Does recognizing the name of a particular author draw you in? Is it perhaps the headline that goes with the story that gets your attention? If you are like most people, each can play a factor in making your choice, but the headline is the one thing that can really grab readers and makes a significant difference regarding your SEO efforts as it it a prime way to get your keywords out there.

Not everyone is actually aware that writing good headlines isn’t just for newspapers. Some people think that regardless of the headline, if it is online it will get traffic, but that isn’t so. You have to have a good headline for your articles as well. With the need for SEO, your title may need to be keyword optimized, so you may not have the freedom to be too creative.

That doesn’t go for everything though – and that is fortunate because there are ways to get very creative still. Your subtitle can be used to draw attention in a number of ways while allowing great freedom to be creative. This post, for example, is about how to write a good headline.  I could have used a subtitle to jazz it up. But what should I have used? What would have caught your eye the most?

There is no denying that people like to be shocked and stunned. It is equally true to say that they also like to read about things that are sexy, exciting or new. Good headline writers know these things. They also know that humor is appreciated, as are references to common culture.

Lets see what subtitles could have been selected for this post just to get an idea of what can be done:

Hot New Research From Focus Group Shows Why People Click (could use a scientific discovery showing percentages of people who click on headlines with different trigger words)

Sexy Headlines Hint at Revealing Secrets (sex sells! There is simply no denying it so why try to)

Exciting Ways to Spice up Your Headlines (oooh, excitement)

Headlines – the Good, The Bad and the Ugly (everyone knows that movie)

How Headlines Affect Your Bottom Line (haha!

Make your Marquee Sparkle (headliner – get it?)

News at Eleven Words (eleven is about all you can get away with)

You’ve seen a sampling now, so maybe you have an idea of  what we’re talking about. Do you see where this is going yet? You are probably writing about something more intriguing than how to write a headline, so put on your thinking cap and be creative. Have some fun with your work and try these ideas out to add a dash of spice to otherwise dry topics as appropriate. Get more people to choose to read your article that the next one, and see your links and conversions rise as well.