10 Blog Headline Formulas to Make Your Posts More Clickable
If you’re a business owner, there’s a good chance that at some point, you’ve wondered how you can reach an even wider audience with your content. Well, one way to connect with more readers is by utilizing strategic blog headline formulas.
The most clickable blog headlines are ones that are limited in character length, easy to understand, and offer clear benefits for the reader. Your potential audience should never wonder what they will gain from investing time in your post.
Throughout my years offering copywriting services in Edmonton, I’ve reiterated to my clients that it’s worthwhile to invest time in writing better blog headlines. The more you help your readers understand the content in your post simply through a brief headline description, the more traffic you’ll gain.
Keep reading to discover how you can entice readers to visit your blog. These methods are applicable to a variety of industries. Be sure to modify them to fit your post’s theme and content.
10 Headline Formulas to Make Your Blog Posts Extra Clickable
1. Ways Your Business Can Benefit from [Your Industry Strategy]
Successful blog headline formulas provide an incentive for clicking your link and reading further. A straightforward approach that clearly states how your audience will benefit from reading your post is a failproof method to draw readers in.
Clarity is key for writing better blog headlines. When using this formula, don’t leave any doubt in the reader’s mind that your blog post will leave them more informed than before they read it.
2. Tips to [Power Word Verb] Your [Industry Skill]
Use strong copywriting "power words" to highlight the benefits your audience will gain after reading your post.
Examples of these words that consistently demonstrate clickability include the ever-essential “you” and terms like:
Learn
Discover
Understand
Profit
3. Keep Your Blog Headlines to 65 Characters or Less
Writing headlines that follow the 65-character rule is one of the best tried-and-true blog headline formulas. Following this character pattern will make your posts more likely to appear in search engine results (according to EConsultancy) while also benefitting click-through rates.
It stands to reason that your intended audience is more likely to click on a post when they know what it’s about. Don’t leave readers in the dark. The best blog headlines are brief, concise, and communicate value.
4. Why You Should [Strategy] Instead of [Opposing Strategy]
This is one of my favorite blog headline formulas. There’s nothing more intriguing than an unexpected comparison— it creates a question in the reader’s mind that can only be solved by reading the post. It’s a flawless way to create buzz because it entices the reader to find out why one “thing” (such as a product, service, tip, etc.) is better than another.
Ultimately, the reader has something to gain by clicking on the headline and reading your post in full.
5. How I Managed to [Something Unlikely]
I can’t say this enough: share your experiences with your audience. As a business owner, you’ve likely achieved something you didn’t think was possible when first starting out in the field. Tempt your readers to click your headline by surprising them with an unlikely scenario you were able to achieve.
Example headlines utilizing this formula include:
How I Managed to Earn My First $1,000 in [Your Industry]
How I Managed to Find 10 Clients in My 1st Month of [Your Industry]
How I Managed to Land a Top-Paying [Industry] Position
6. 5 [Your Industry] Strategies to Increase [Profits/Views/Clients] [Video/Infographic/Chart]
When you use brackets or parentheses in your blog headline, you provide extra information that helps a potential reader determine if the post will be worth clicking. In the example above, the brackets tell readers the form of content they can expect to be included in the post.
This strategy makes for especially clickable blog headlines because it provides a glimpse into the post structure.
7. [Number] Proven Methods to Help Your Clients [Feel/Hear/See + Your Benefit]
Blog title formulas that make use of sensory words are especially effective for grabbing your readers’ attention. Sensory words are ones that activate our ability to touch, taste, hear, see, or smell.
Utilize sensory words to help readers understand the benefit of your post.
Example headlines include:
10 Strategies to Help Your Clients Feel Empowered
7 Savory Recipes for Your Southern Kitchen
5 Tips for Spring-Fresh Laundry (Every Time!)
8. Are You Guilty of [Common Mistake]?
This is another foolproof formula for increasing clicks and connecting with your reader. Start by considering common mistakes that virtually all beginners in your target market typically make, as several readers are likely to be guilty of that exact error.
Sample headlines include:
Are You Guilty of Expecting Too Much from Your Partner?
Are You Guilty of Choosing the Wrong Bank?
Are You Guilty of These Web Design Slip-Ups?
9. How to [Get Rid Of/Eliminate] [Typical Problem]
The majority of readers visit a blog because they want answers. Blog title formulas that clearly state the post will help your audience solve a problem are more likely to succeed among the competition. Identify a common problem your ideal customer faces. What are the solutions to that issue? What would someone experiencing that problem need to know?
Examples:
How to Eliminate Garden Weeds Once and For All
How to Get Rid of Body Odour in 3 Simple Steps
How to Eliminate Low Quality Leads From Your Sales Funnel
10. 10 Ways to [Industry Benefit], [Power Word]!
When in doubt, creating a list is always a sure-fire way to drive up clicks. Lists are especially useful for generating clickable blog headlines because they provide ample amounts of information in an easy-to-read format that can be skimmed or read in its entirety without losing your visitor’s attention.
According to CXL, headlines with numbered lists are preferred by 36 per cent of readers. Incorporating the number of items in your list into your headline helps readers get an idea of the time it will take to read your post while also giving a clear expectation of the benefits they can expect to find.
Examples:
10 Ways to Sell Your Home, Fast!
10 Ways to Lose Stubborn Belly Fat, Easily!
10 Ways to Boost Your Self-Confidence, Effortlessly!
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