The headline of an article is the first thing a reader will see, whether on your blog homepage or a search page. The title of an article also plays important role in SEO. How to write headlines that grab readers’ attention and make them read the article?
Tell a story: The headline of an article should tell a story without the need for additional inputs. It should be complete in itself.
Be specific and factual: Give the complete information in your headlines. For example, “Truck Hits Car” doesn’t tell you what happened in the accident. Was anyone hurt? Compare it with “One Injured in Car-Truck Accident”.
Keep it short and crisp: You cannot use a long, winding sentence as a headline. It should convey the gist of the article in few words.
Don’t leave room for doubts: Be very clear and precise while writing a headline. Don’t leave any scope for the reader to confuse it with something else.
Be witty, but within limits: Unlike newspapers, headlines for the Web cannot be a two or three word teaser headline. For example, “Don’t Quit” does not convey the complete message to a person who is reading the headline on a search page. In contract, “Don’t Quit Your Job” is clearer.
Promise to solve a problem: Lots of people are looking for solutions to their problems. When addressing their concerns, make it clear what to expect in the story.
Involve your reader: Blogs are mostly informal communication platform. Try to make it like a personal conversation with your reader. Use words like “you” and “your” to involve your reader.