The title is the first impression that readers get of your blog post. In the fast-paced world of blogging, an engaging title is crucial if you want anyone to read your blog. Similarly, clients buying blog posts from you will also expect you to provide engaging titles.
There are no rules about writing titles, except how they’re capitalized, but here are some guidelines for creating titles for blogs that readers can’t resist.
You know about KISS for posts, the same goes for titles. Your readers will only be engaged if they understand your title.
Once you’ve got some titles that you like, see if there are any words that you can cut out.
Example: Learn to Make a Mouthwatering Cheesecake in Six Simple Steps
Not only do lists improve scannability, they also create powerful titles. Humans are fascinated by numbers, so these titles are inherently intriguing:
Titles with a number are a writer’s best friend because they’re easy to write and they’re engaging.
Don’t ruin their effectiveness by using this style exclusively, but don’t underestimate their power either.
Alliteration, using the same letter or sound at the beginning of each word, can be cheesy, but it can also make your titles sound pleasant.
Don’t force alliteration, but if it fits naturally, give it a shot!
There are thousands of things that your readers could be doing right now, but they’ve chosen to read your blog.
Why?
Chances are, they feel that your post is meeting one of their needs. When writing titles, focus on what your article gives to your reader.
Shock, controversy, and strong language are surefire ways to attract attention. Just be sure that your writing merits that attention.
If your title is “Use SEO to Rule the World”, but your blog post is about improving SEO rankings, not ruling the world, your reader will be unimpressed, and might quit reading your blog.
Your readers are unlikely to invest their time in your article if they don’t know what it’s about. Since the point of a title is to describe what you’re writing about, don’t be elusive.
Having some keywords in your title is valuable for SEO. If you can, it’s best to position your keywords at the beginning of your title.
Don’t write a clunky title just because you want to use your keywords, though.
Example: Our keywords are “pet store” and “Washington, DC”.
Even though the second title uses fewer keywords, it is a more specific, readable, and attractive title.
You wouldn’t write a blog post in ten seconds, so don’t write your title that quickly either. Think of it this way: your title is the part of your blog that readers are most likely to read.
You want your writing skills to shine in the title so that readers will read the rest of your post. Take the time to write a catchy title; it’s bound to pay off.
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