Top headlines arrest readers’ attention, enticing them to click and read more. They also help attract search engine spiders that crawl web pages looking for information to index and rank. Whether they appear on a news page, blog post, or ad, the best headlines are short, clear and engaging. They use power words and persuasive sentence structure to deliver the benefits of your content or product and establish a strong brand voice.
Headlines are also the first line of text that appears on a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). That means they have extra importance for SEO, so they need to be compelling and contain the most important details. They should also follow the inverted pyramid approach, with most important facts positioned at the front of the story, to ensure that even a skimming reader can get all of the essentials.
Lastly, headlines should be written in active voice, not passive voice. Passive voice sounds dated and can confuse your readers. Plus, using active voice is more engaging and dynamic, so it’s worth the effort.
The following tips can help you write better headlines for any article or format, from news to blog posts to ads. Whether you’re writing for human audiences or for search engines, keep your audience in mind, and don’t be afraid to try something new. You may find that some headline formulas work better for you than others, but don’t be afraid to experiment with different options until you’ve found the right mix of words and phrases.