8 tips for writing catchy blog post titles that get more clicks

If you want people to read your articles and click on your content in Google’s search results, learning how to write catchy blog post titles is important. However, it can be difficult to stand out from other headlines.

Luckily, there are several best practices 😎 you can apply to your headline creation process to get the most out of your titles. When crafted carefully, your post titles can take your blog to the next level in attracting readers.

👉 By the end of this post, you will have a better understanding of how to write blog titles and why they are so important. You’ll also learn 🧑‍🏫 eight tips to improve your headlines. Let’s jump in!

The importance of blog post titles

First impressions are crucial, and your blog post titles are your readers’ first impression of your blog. You could have valuable long-form content in every post you write, but it doesn’t matter if nobody ever reads it.

Titles allow readers to find your posts and get them to click through to read more. Creating headlines that grab visitors’ attention and pique their curiosity will encourage them to stay longer and come back for more.

Titles also play an important role in search engine optimization (SEO). A carefully crafted headline includes elements that will help your post rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This could help drive more organic traffic to your site.

How to Write Better Titles for Your Blog Posts (8 Tips)

An ideal title includes a mix of specific information, interesting clues about the content of the post, and qualities that search engine algorithms like. Achieving a balance of these elements results in clickable, streamlined blog post titles.

1. Tell readers what to expect (and deliver) to avoid confusion
2. Share a story to keep readers wanting to know more
3. Provide useful information that solves a problem
4. Use numbers and statistics to provide clarity
5. Add your chosen keyword to help your title rank well
6. Optimize the headline length for readability and SEO
7. Address your target group
8. Use explanations in brackets

1. Tell readers what they expect (and deliver) to avoid confusion

The Internet is full of content, which can lead to information overload for readers. When hundreds of results for their search terms come up in Google, people don’t have time to casually read every article on the results page.

Readers want to know what they’re getting into before they click on a headline. Because of this, you want your headline to clearly convey what your posts are about. Then your content should deliver what your blog post titles promised, lest your visitors feel like their time wasted.

👉 Take that buzz feed Article, for example:

Anyone who clicks on the headline can be sure of what they are getting themselves into. people who are not interested Big little lies know that they need not read further, while those who are get exactly what they’re looking for by clicking through: the trailer, the release date, and a few comments about the upcoming season.

Try to be specific when writing your titles. A vague headline like “Big Little Lies Season 2” would be less persuasive than the example above, as it promises no benefit to the reader. Telling readers to wait for the trailer and release date will get them excited.

2. Share a story to keep readers wanting to know more

Everyone loves a good story. If your blog post titles can convey one without revealing too much, they will grab the attention of your readers. Even if they have only a slight interest in the topic, a reader may be willing to click on a headline just to learn what happened.

👉 Consider this emotion-based headline:

If the title had been something like “Relics Saved from Notre Dame Fire,” the post probably wouldn’t have gotten as much attention. For the casual reader, all they need to know is in the headline – the relics are safe.

However, the actual headline introduces a hero and promises details of his exploits. While readers know the relics are safe, they may be interested in learning more about this central figure and the human chain that helped him save the artifacts.

Writing these types of headlines requires careful thought. You don’t want to reveal too much, but you also want to share enough to draw readers in. Try introducing an important character or object and tell a little bit about why they are important.

3. Provide useful information that solves a problem

As you may know from personal experience, people often use search engines to find information on how to do things. People have problems and the internet has solutions. If your articles provide answers to common problems, make sure your blog post titles reflect that.

👉 Here are a few headlines, for example wikiHow:

Note that they all start with “How to”. This isn’t just a stylistic choice on the part of the site. Searchers often use terms like “how,” “why,” and “what” when searching for information in search engines, making these titles ideal for the top ten spots in SERPs.

Optimize your blog post title for search intent Using these terms is a solid strategy. When you show that you have a solution to a problem, your blog becomes a valuable resource for readers.

4. Use numbers and statistics to provide clarity

Many online content creators have found that numbers or statistics are included in their headlines brings more traffic. It’s difficult to pinpoint the reason for this, but it could be the appeal the numbers provide clarity. When a headline reads “25 Cute Pictures Of Kittens,” you know what you’re getting into.

👉Here’s a better example from Buzzfeed:

Using numbers is a quick way to give readers an idea of ​​how long a post will be — in this case, at least long enough to list 31 scenes from TV shows. They can also pique readers’ curiosity. People might not want to read an article about stressful moments on TV shows, but they might want to know how many of these 31 scenes they’ve seen.

While you certainly don’t want to start stuffing numbers into each of your blog post titles, it’s wise to use them where they make sense. If you offer any type of list in your post, adding a number to the headline can increase your chances of getting more clicks.

5. Add your chosen keyword to make your title rank well

Titles are key factors in the SEO of your posts. First off, your title and meta description will appear in the SERPs. It’s important that these elements are streamlined so that readers click through to the full article.

👉 However, it’s also important that your title includes the keyword you want your post to rank for. Take this Buzzfeed post:

We can’t say exactly what keywords Buzzfeed was targeting here. Still, we can pretty much surmise that it was something along the lines of Beyonce’s Homecoming Documentary.

👉 In fact, this article makes it to the first Google results page for the search term:

According to Moz, Titles still play a role in SEO. Including keywords in the titles of your blog posts can help your content rank higher in related searches. If you use an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO, you’ll find that this is a common suggestion.

6. Optimize headline length for readability and SEO

Another title-related aspect of SEO is the length of your title. Headlines that are too short risk missing the information needed to grab the attention of search engines and readers. On the other hand, readers may lose interest in long titles.

Also, long titles don’t fit the SERP character limit. If your blog post titles are too broad, readers won’t even be able to see the entire headline when browsing the search results.

👉 Here are some blog post titles from our own site:

While it’s difficult to set a definite character limit for headings, it’s generally best to keep it around 60 characters. This should give you enough space to provide adequate information to attract readers but remain readable (although there are always exceptions).

7. Address your target group

You should also make sure that your titles appeal to your target audience. They should contain elements specific to your readers.

This approach can help differentiate your items from the competition. While other blogs may use formulaic or generic post titles, you can aim for original headlines to catch the attention of your target readers.

Try to match the tone of your target audience. If your readers are typically younger, consider using slang and slang terms to reach them more effectively.

👉 Buzzfeed does it well, with headlines picking up on the latest slang, pop culture references and trends:

Also, if your blog is niche, consider using industry-standard terms in your titles. Enthusiasts and hobbyists will find your content relevant to their interests and experiences.

8. Use parenthetical clarifications

Finally, it pays to include parentheses for clarification in your blog posts. Essentially, this means showing the reader in advance what type of content they expect, such as videos, interviews, or galleries.

Corresponding HubSpot Research, Clarifications in parentheses in titles can help posts perform 38% better. This suggests that readers are more likely to click on headlines that provide additional information up front.

This makes sense considering that many readers are looking for specific content. If they’d rather watch a video than read a long article, they may be more drawn to a title that promotes their preferred medium.

👉 Check out this example from Yesware:

That doesn’t mean you have to include clarification for every headline you write. However, adding them to different content types can help your videos, interviews, and photo posts stand out in search results.

Start writing better blog post titles today! 🏁

⚠ As you work on your next blog post, keep these tips in mind for creating better titles:

Have questions about writing better blog post titles? Let us know in the comments section below!