Blog titles are easy to create if you don’t have to worry too much about generating traffic. However, what do you do when you must compete for traffic with other blogs?
It is one thing to create mind-blowing content and another to get your blog or articles read and rated.
A catchy title is of the utmost importance to a blog’s potential for success. It not only has to be informative but must also attract the attention of numerous readers.
Before you can start writing blog titles that are hip and catchy, you must first understand what types of blog post titles attract the most traffic.
Here are some writing tips you can follow to create catchy blog titles to drive traffic to your website: (H2)
1 Use numbers in blog titles (H3)
With a simple Google search, you will find that over half of the websites in the results have numbers in their titles or headlines. Moz and Conductor analysed many titles posted on websites and social media platforms and identified five high-level headlines, of which titles with numbers in them were the most preferred type. Number-type titles did 15% better than “reader-addressing” titles, which came in second place.
Headlines or titles with numbers are easier to read and understand. It allows readers to skim over the important content and focus on what matters. It is the same reason list posts do so well among readers.
Keep in mind that not all blogs or articles fit the list format so, don’t get stuck on numbers. Also, researchers have found that odd numbers more attention than even numbers as the latter comes off as too neat.
#2 Sensationalise but don’t resort to clickbait titles (H3)
Catchy titles are vital to driving traffic to your blog. However, over the years, clickbait content across the internet has ruined things for content creators. Why? Because the title entices readers into clicking on the blog for specific information only to serve up sub-par content. Sensational blog titles are welcome, especially if they are a precursor for genuinely great content. Anything else is just labelled clickbait and dooms the blog.
While your headline serves to attract readers, it is your responsibility to deliver on the promise made by your title, or you will lose your readership.
Also, don’t undersell your blog just to avoid being branded as clickbait if you actually have amazing facts to offer the readers. Avoid phrases like “this is the”, “will make you”, “what happens when”, “here are the”, “in the world”, “I’ve ever seen”, “blow your mind”, “how to make” if you don’t want your title to look like a clickbait cliche.
Hubspot also found that titles that contained a clarification in brackets performed 38 per cent better than those without any clarification. Some blog title examples for this are:
“9 Tips to Write Irresistible Blog Post Titles (With Examples!)”
“How to Craft the Perfect SEO Title Tag (Our 4‑Step Process)”
“What is a Smart City? [Infographic]”
“One-Third of Drivers Only Clean Their Car Once a Year [Survey]”
#3 Include target SEO keywords (H3)
Keywords are central to any content as they are the subject matter. It informs the readers about what the content is. When using keywords in your blog title, you need to ensure that the rest of the content revolves around and explains the subject or your click-through rate will suffer.
The use of search engine optimised (SEO) keywords in the blog title will also boost your readability.
Doing keyword research will also help you if you are unable to come up with good blog title ideas.
#4 Spark curiosity with a question (H3)
Who doesn’t like having their questions answered? Blog titles that ask questions that interest readers entice the intended audience into opening the blog to find out the answers. Before framing the question, ponder the topics and concerns your target audience is most interested in learning. Titles that employ the “yes question” strategy do really well as the reader feels obligated to learn the answer.
Don’t underestimate the power of provocative questions that generate intrigue. Be sure not to use questions to get readers to click on your blog even though the content is unrelated or insufficient, as this enters clickbait territory.
#5 Keep it simple and short (H3)
Many things go into making a blog title appropriate and attractive; one of them is the length. A title that’s too long can be distracting to your readers, and one that is too short may not adequately convey your message. It was also found that different title lengths do well on various social media platforms. Generally, the ideal blog title length is 60 characters. Titles between eight and 12 words are shared the most on Twitter, while those containing between 12 and 14 words are shared more on Facebook.
If your titles are too long, there is a good chance that the readers will lose interest and just skip over your content. It is especially true if they come across your content during a casual browse.
Don’t forget to connect with your audience (H2)
The ultimate goal of your content must be to connect with your target audience on some level or another. There are enough blogs that might be churning out the same kind of content as you, which is why you will need to establish yourself as an authority or a familiar and trustworthy source for the readers. Even though there are no magical blog title generators to help you create the perfect blog title, you can try to use online tools like blog title analysers or title checkers to help you.
