Crafting Catchy Headlines: 11 Writing Tips To Generate More Traffic And Clicks

Not sure how to write an attractive headline that generates massive click-throughs? The best headlines are closely linked to the content and based on relevant keywords. They are also impressive. Though there is no definitive formula for writing a headline, there are guidelines you could follow to craft one worthy of a professional.
 

Let the keywords define the headline

If you’re crafting a piece of evergreen content (an article that will remain relevant for an extended period), always do a keyword search to find words/phrases related to the story that your audience is likely to use in their searches. Even a slight change in wording can have a massive effect on traffic.
Let’s take this text, for instance. As with all content, we did keyword research before writing this article to identify terms relevant to our topic that people were searching for. We sorted and reduced the list to these keyword phrases, based on monthly search volume data.

  • writing tips: 100-1k
  • Headline writing tips: 10-100
  • Catchy headlines: 1k-10k

By identifying a relevant keyword phrase that draws large amounts of traffic, we can improve the return on investment for our content. So, as you may have guessed, we chose “catchy headlines” as the primary keyword (and of course, it’s not wrong to use the others as supporting keywords).
As you may know by now, our headline reads,” Writing catchy headlines: 11 tips to generate more traffic and clicks.” It’s relevant to the story, it’s packed with keywords, and it promises value.
 

Draft several headlines

If you can’t find the right words for what you think would be the perfect headline no matter how hard you try, then try writing several. The cognitive effort required to create multiple headlines will jumpstart your creativity and help you create something exciting.
 

Understand that sometimes, short and sweet is how it should be

Sometimes it’s best to get to the point right away. Not all headlines should be lengthy. On some occasions, a brief, punchy headline is a more practical approach.
 

Pick a quote from the article

Another option for creating a compelling headline is to pick a quote from the content. A quote, mainly if it’s from an influential figure, will make excellent raw material for a great headline. The citation, of course, must be relevant to the topic, and to the entire article. There’s also an issue to watch out for; unlike body text, quotes in your headlines should always be presented with single quotations.
 

Use an intriguing statistic

Consider adding an interesting fact or statistical trend to your headline. This strategy can make irresistibly compelling headlines. Take this for example; “91% of brands are shifting to In-House Digital Marketing.” It sounds catchy.
 

Evaluate your competitors’ headlines

If the ideas aren’t coming and feel you can’t create a good headline without some help, you may find inspiration in what your competitors are doing to draw audiences to their content. You can’t just use their headlines as they are, of course. But you could gain some useful insights into how yours should look.
 

Put a word in all caps

There are a few occasions you may put a word in all caps. This will immediately give your headline a sense of urgency and immediacy. Using this strategy correctly will also make your headline punchy. However, please note that it’s not something you should do for every article.
 

Use a question

What question does your content address? Presented as a question, your answer itself may be an exciting headline. Consider this for an example. If you’re writing a guide on Google’s indexing algorithm, a headline like “What is Google’s indexing algorithm? 5 things you need to know” would be perfect.
 

Don’t forget a call to action

Whenever it’s appropriate, add a Call To Action to the headline. Use terms like “find out,” “learn,” and “understand” to make your reader feel they’re making an empowered decision to read your content.
 

Use a number

Research says including a number in your headlines will drive clicks. That’s it, plain and simple. The Associated Press also recommends spelling out the numbers. Though this may work for print, the web is a very different place – attention spans are short, and space is a rare commodity. Numerals will perform better.
 

Try the headline – would you click it?

Uncertain of whether the headline you’ve created is okay? Put it to the test: would you click it? Put yourself in the audience’s position and ask yourself if you’d be convinced. If you’re content with the result, then you have a winner.
If not, keep trying – you’ll get there eventually. You can come back to this guide for a quick reminder whenever you feel stuck. Try these tips whenever you feel you can’t craft a good headline; going over familiar advice will help reawaken your creative spirit. If you liked this article, follow our digital trends news for the latest on digital marketing.