Top Headlines
In the old days, headlines served a primary function: to catch a reader’s eye and persuade them to read more. But today, a story’s headline also appears in search engine results and in readers’ bookmarks. The more powerful your headline, the more likely people will click to read.
There are no magic headline formulas, but many writers have discovered certain types of headlines that tend to perform well. One of the most common is the classic how-to. People love to learn, and the word “how” is a big attention-grabber. Other popular formats include news-driven headlines, which make an announcement or introduce a breaking development. Emotionally charged headlines — including those aimed at arousing curiosity, anger or disgust — are also good ways to get attention.
Another way to find new headline ideas is by paying close attention to the kinds of headlines that your audience shares on social media. By learning the language of your audience, you can craft a headline that strikes a chord and drives traffic to your site. To figure out what that language might be, look at the headlines that have gone viral on your own website and those of your competitors. Then try to create a unique headline by layering in some infectious agents of your own. Also, pay attention to what headlines perform best on each of your different social platforms; this can give you a clue as to the kind of emotion that your audience responds to most strongly.