5 Blog Headline Secrets
Don’t you just love secrets to success?
The truth is, secrets to success aren’t magic bullets. But there are some “secrets” that can make your pet blog headlines grab the attention of a reader (and Google).
Whether you have an SEO program, like SEO by Yoast, that can help you determine whether your post is “SEO worthy,” your readers are still lured in by the headline… that’s what gets them there, and hopefully your content is compelling enough to keep them reading until the final word.
What can you do to make your headline a success?
Here are 5 headline secrets every blogger needs to know:
- Spend time writing your headline.
How long did it take you to write your content? You should spend at least that much time writing the headline. It is that important. Perhaps you were drawn to this post because you wanted to know what the “5 Blog Headline Secrets” are. Would you have clicked on the post if it was titled “Headlines”? Probably not. - Befriend adjectives.
If you remember from grammar school, an adjective modifies a noun. For example, rather than “Headline Secrets,” I could have written “Sure-Fire Headlines” or “Awesome Headlines.” Why didn’t I use one of those? It’s because I, personally, will click on a headline that promises a “secret.” - Numbers are your friend.
Google loves them. Readers love them. Why? Numbers let your reader know there is a chance he will receive quick numbered (or bullet pointed) lists. Look at magazine titles: “5 Ways to Lose Weight,” “10 Tips For Resume Writing Success,” etc. In our time-crunched world, we want quick, digestible content. Give the reader what she wants! Speaking of which… - Write for your readers.
If you discover that your readers click on your posts if you write the words, “secret,” “awesome,” “super,” or if they click on numbered blog posts, then give the readers what they want. Remember, too, you are writing your blog posts for a reader, not for yourself. This could be an issue if you don’t truly know who your readers are; if you have a pet blog business plan this could become a non-issue. - Jump on a trend.
While you don’t want to write your blog posts based on what’s trending–let’s face it: the Kardashians always seem to be in the top five trending topics–you do want to be relevant. Is there a holiday coming up? Can you blog about it? “5 Tips for Keeping Fido Safe on the Fourth,” for example.
What can you do to assure that your headlines grab the reader and pull them into your site?
Robbi Hess is an award-winning author, full-time writer, newspaper columnist, writing coach and time-management guru. She works with bloggers and solopreneurs and blogs at All Words Matter.
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