Blog post titles decide the destiny of the post.
The title is the hook that baits people and make them click it. Over 90% of results in SERPs get a click if they have attractive or provoking headlines.
People are busy and they won’t care to click your link and check out what you have got to say, unless you please and compel them to do so. You have to make them click, otherwise they have got hundreds of thousands of other places to look into. Catchy headlines do the trick.
Writing headlines is a daunting task for some. Actually there are some easy tricks to get your blog post titles great. Here are some great templates that work.
Blog post title template #1- Numbers
Headlines that carry numbers work like magic. It is because you are being precise when you specify a count. For instance, the title ‘5 tips for effective time management’ tells your readers that you are going to tell them exactly 5 tips. If don’t specify a count and you don’t meet the reader’s expectation, they become annoyed or disappointed.
This has happened to me when I search for something important. When I click through, I find that there is almost just one or sometimes no useful information at all in the article. I feel disappointed. I ask to myself ‘why doesn’t the writer tell me beforehand?’ Why should I waste my precious time in doing one click through the link and then a click on the back button? I can always find the information anywhere else.
On the search results page, I myself am more inclined to click on links with numbers in the titles. Others seem vague to me. But it is not a strict rule that you should use numbers in titles. But trust me, numbers work like magic.
Another important reason is that, among the sea of words, your number stands out odd and easily noticeable. When the reader’s eye scans the search results page, those titles with numbers make the eyes stop and take a look, because they look bit different.
SERP showing numbered title results
Examples of numbered blog post titles
12 Blog promotion tips for newbies
32 things that make you unproductive
8 ways to increase reader engagement of a blog
6 things not to discuss on your first date
Template #2- Catchy words
A title with catchy words make the title catchy- makes simple sense isn’t? That’s true. Catchy words are those which are promising, compelling, attention-grabbing and the like. For instance the following words in titles make the title catchy:
Tips - Who doesn’t want that? You tell people that your post contains a list of hot stuff (tips are hot!) that can help them solve an issue or make an improvement.
Effective - This works just effective; nothing more to say.
Right Now (or) Quick - You give a tip or technique or a solution that gives results immediately.
Proven - Your voice sounds authoritative and this word intimates that your post contains information that is already proved and hence reliable. This increases your authority in your niche in the long run.
Questions - Titles with question words like ‘How’, ‘When’, ‘Where’, ‘What’ etc. increase curiosity. Some of these words intimate that you give some answers or solutions and some others of these words makes the readers to add their answers.
Others: Amazing, Stunning, Killer, Free, Super, Exclusive and so on.
Examples
6 ways to capture ideas effectively
A quick goal setting strategy that actually works
5 steps to effective guest posting
3 tips for frustrated single women
Template #3- How to
One of the most popular catchy title templates is this. ‘How to’ posts usually answer more than 70% of search queries. It is because about 80% of the searches are ‘how to do something’.
Examples
How to stop Yahoo! Answers from hacking your productivity?
How to prepare for exams from scratch: A quick guide
How to re-establish trust in a relationship after infidelity?
Template #4 - Controversial
Controversial titles makes the reader to click and just check out what the hell you have got to say on that! Not only controversial titles work with clicks, they also draw a lot of comments. You have a significant number of people who would either agree or disagree with you. A controversial topic will easily become popular!
Examples
Old is gold but in blogging new is diamond
Why entrepreneurs shouldn’t write business plans?
I like #1 and #3 the most. Which blog post title template(s) is(are) your favorite(s)?
still new to blogging, thanks for the useful tips.
Great to find all of these tips in one place. I’m in the process of writing HEAPS of articles for my online business blog, so this is quite helpful:)
Hi Jane,
Agreed on your templates. They really provoke anybody to take some action and all the can for a title is to click it.
Regarding using numbers in title, does it mean better for SEO or for visitors? Even google prefer the numbers in titles?
If it is so, it will conclude to have a domain name with numbers more SEO friendly.
Nice discussing
oh my goodness! I was so shocked to see that link to “Why Time Management is Dumb”. I wrote that post!! haha. what a compliment
Thanks for sharing it
Great tips, I think these are very handy for any newbie blogger. You could also try and add Year at the end and us symbols such as ‘:’.
P.S: My favorite are 1, 2 and 3.
Titles should be able to capture the attention of any person who may be interested in the area that you are writing on. The examples that you have given on the post are good for creating catchy titles.