Do you want more readers on your blog? You need to spend more time learning how write blog titles that will attract readers.
Some beginner bloggers think blog post titles don't really matter. They write an article, find a title and publish it. The same goes for the following article.
And then they are surprised that no one seems to read their blog…
The titles of your blog posts (also known as "titles") are crucial. They make a huge difference in the number of readers you get through all the traffic sources e.g. search engines, social media and email in particular.
If you don't put the time and effort into writing your post titles, you might as well not put the time and effort into managing your blog. Bad blog post titles will seriously hamper your chances of success.
The good news is that finding good blog titles isn't hard. Plus, it's easy to fix old titles that don't work for you.
In this quick guide to blog titles, I'll walk you through everything you need to know: what works, how to write a great blog title, and what to avoid at all costs.
How to Write Blog Titles (9 Tips for Writing Catchy Titles)
Why You Need to Write Catchy Blog Titles
On average, out of 10 readers, 8 of them will only read the title. 2 will read the article itself.
This is why blog titles are so important. You need to increase this ratio so that more people read your entire article, not just the title.
Think about how people come to your blog. They will probably visit it because:
- Your blog post appeared in a Google search
- Someone shared a link to your article on social media.
- They're already part of your audience, and you emailed them about a new post.
In all of these cases, they will see your article title, but not necessarily much else. The headline really needs to grab their attention, especially if you're competing against a lot of other articles they might be reading.
But your title is even more important than that. If the headline isn't good, potential readers may never see it.
Indeed, blog post titles are a crucial on-page ranking factor for Google. If your title isn't clear and doesn't contain your main keyword, it's almost certain that you won't rank for that keyword, no matter how good your content is.
Titles can also influence who shares your article. If your article has a clear and catchy title, you can see why readers will be more likely to share it with their own audience than if you simply title it "Update" or "News."
In fact, there's growing evidence that many social media users only read the headline or headline before sharing an article – and this isn't a new phenomenon. As the Washington Post reported a few years ago:
The satirical news site Science Post published a "lorem ipsum" block of text under a chilling title: "Study : 70% of Facebook users only read the title of scientific articles before commenting on them“. Nearly 46 people shared this post, some of them in earnest — an unwitting example, perhaps, of life mimicking comedy.
Now that you know why titles are so important, it's time to learn what works for writing a great title.
What makes a good blog title?
The best blog titles are clear – not vague or confusing, and don't try to be too clever.
They use direct language, but also include emotive words that grab people's curiosity, create a sense of excitement, or entice the reader to click through and read the article.
Now let's do an exercise. Compare these sample blog titles and see which one you'd most want to click through and read:
- blog post titles
- This strange 8/10 rule will amaze you
- How to write powerful blog titles that hook readers
The first title is specific and contains a keyword (“blog post titles”), but it is not particularly interesting. It would be easy to overlook, especially if you find it on social media and aren't specifically looking for blog post title tips at the time.
The second headline is all about getting clicks, but it seems a bit snooty – we've probably all seen headlines like this. It is also very vague: what rule? It could relate to any niche. A few readers might click out of curiosity, but most will avoid it.
The third headline is the title of this article and since you are reading this article, I assume it worked for you! It's a clear, specific headline that lets readers know exactly what they're getting — and it includes a few words with good emotional appeal (“powerful”).
How to Write a Great Blog Post Title (9 Quick Tips)
So how do you find a good title for your blog post? And should you write the headline before or after writing the blog post itself?
1. Begin the title with your target keyword phrase
It's extremely important to have your headline in mind early in your writing process, when you start making keyword research and identify possible topics to write about. This makes it easier to match your article to the promise in your blog title. Of course, your title can (and probably will) change over time, but you need to start thinking about it as soon as possible.
When you're doing keyword research for a new article, you may have a whole list of potential keywords in mind that could set the tone for your article.
Let's say you want to write about shades of SEO for bloggers. Here are some good keywords to incorporate into your blog title:
None of these keywords could be used as a title on their own, but they are a great starting point for thinking about a catchy blog title start.
2. Add a number to your blog post title
You don't have to use a number in your headline… but it's a great shortcut to creating a headline that attracts readers.
Let's take the four topics we found during our keyword research and see how easily we can add a number at the beginning. I put the parts I added in bold:
- 6 steps to start a blog
- 12 ways to make money blogging
- 10 best free blogging sites
- 8 tips for a guest blogging intelligent
These titles aren't perfect yet, but see how just adding these short phrases turns them from keywords to eye-catching blog titles? It also gives you an instant structure for your article.
You can use these number formulas again and again. "6 Steps to Starting a Blog" could work in almost any niche. Here are some examples :
- 6 steps to start at a new university (student blog)
- 6 Steps to Make Traveling With Kids Easier (blog about travel or parenting)
- 6 Steps to Overcome Anxiety (self-improvement or health blog)
Of course, you can replace the number 6 with any other number.
3. Appeal to the reader's emotions using strong words
The best headlines have some kind of emotional appeal, often using what some bloggers call “strong words” to achieve this.
Let's take a look at our running titles again and add a few more words and phrases:
- 6 easy steps to start a blog today
- 12 Ways to Make Money Blogging (That Really Work)
- Top 10 Free Blog Sites Compared
- 8 tips to guest post and skyrocket your sales
Can you see how these blog titles have become more compelling?
In the first example, for example, we focus on the reader's desire to make things quick and easy. Words like “simple,” “straightforward,” “beginner-friendly,” and “step-by-step” can emphasize that your article will be easy for the reader to put into practice. And words like today, instantly, quickly, quickly and immediately reassure readers that your solution is one they can put into practice right away.
6. Try Online Blog Title Generator Tools
There are many tools that can help you write headlines. Some can even generate potential blog post titles for you.
Although there are certainly other tools to analyze your securities, be careful not to fall too deeply into analysis paralysis. Start by sticking with what's good – and you can always change your blog titles over time, based on the reaction of search engines like Google.
7. Create Your Own Swipe File of Blog Post Titles
Another great way to find titles for your blog posts is to find interesting titles that you want to read (and make a collection of them to save on your desktop). It doesn't matter that these titles are from completely different niches, they can teach you a lot.
Create a document containing the list of blog post titles. (“Swipe file” is a copywriting term for a file where you store large chunks of writing that you can learn from and imitate).
In general, when reading other blogs, pay attention to what gets you to click (and stay on a blog). What kinds of words and phrases in titles appeal to you? Could you incorporate some of these into your own blog post titles?
8. Create Several Different Blog Post Titles (To Test)
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. When a new article is published on my blog, its title is not necessarily the first that we found.
When we write an article, we offer at least three different titles. And these titles are often changed along the way.
For this article, we worked with these three examples of blog titles as potential winners – and ultimately opted for a more direct focus on keywords (since that term is quite competitive):
For your own blog posts, you should take the same approach by testing blog titles.
Don't settle for just one good title: think of several different titles you could use. It's helpful to do this at the planning stage, as the title you choose can affect the tone and structure of your article.
9. What to avoid when writing blog titles (2 major mistakes)
There are a few things to avoid when writing blog post titles – even if you see other bloggers (or journalists) using these techniques.
You should stay away from:
1. Clickbait or misleading blog titles
Headlines are referred to as “clickbait” when they entice people to click by making exaggerated claims or playing on a shocking element. In fact, they distort the actual content.
These types of headlines can be effective at enticing readers to click, but they often result in annoyance from readers who never return to your site.
Here are some examples of clickbait titles, collected by Ranker. Notice that they don't use keywords, but rely heavily on shock value:
- "When you find out what these kids are getting themselves into, your jaw will drop."
- “Baby Ducks See Water For The First Time – Can You Believe What They're Doing? »
Clickbait can also involve overpromising. It's not a good idea to call your blog post something like "The Billionaire's Guide to Making Six Figures Blogging Overnight" when you've only ever made a few dollars from your blog and your article only contains some general points on how to make money online.
2. Titles of blog posts that don't match your blog's niche or brand.
Some titles may work well in some niches, but not in others. For example, if the your blog niche is rather academic and serious, dramatic titles that might work in other niches might make your blog look out of place and not taken seriously.
You also need to make sure your titles are on-brand: if you have a calm, relaxing blog about meditation, you probably don't want angry-focused titles, like "The Most Annoying Yoga Moves Everyone's Saying". hate”.
Such a headline might suit a sarcastic exercise blog, but it's unlikely to suit your target audience.
Ready to write awesome blog post titles?
Now you know what makes a good blog post title – and what to avoid.
Today, find three possible titles for your next blog post (or the one you're writing). You can even submit these ideas to a friend to see what they like best.
If you have time, check your archives and look for blog posts that don't have a very compelling title. Could you spend a few minutes editing them? Adding a number, a strong word or a short phrase like “how to” or “best tips” can make a huge difference.
