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Sophie Slosarczyk • March 12, 2023

How To Write Amazing Headlines That Get Clicked

The headline is the first thing people see and read when they reach your content.

If there's no headline, then what reason do you give people to click?

Importance of a good headline

Headlines are crucial in this fast-paced, head-fogged digital world because we all act so much faster by default.

It's too easy to skip past your product offering!

We scroll, then stop (maybe for a second), scroll, stop, make a tea, return, scroll, stop, then scroll on.

I read that humans have a 3-second attention span nowadays, equating to a goldfish.

So I personally keep this in mind whenever I write out a headline.

I ask: "Is this WORTH clicking on?"

Click-worthy headlines are all about catching your reader's eye enough so they PAY ATTENTION to your stuff, and click through to read what you've written.

Catchy headlines are the first thing people see when they click. A headline will cause your reader to stop and read.

You need a headline for every piece of content you create for your business.

Whether it's a blog, a marketing email, a list post, a social media caption or you're working your ass off to get on the search engine results page (aka SEO) it all needs a headline.

So first tip - don't skip the headline!

What makes a great headline

Your headline should be reflective of the content that follows it, otherwise, you're misleading the reader.

It's best if your headline has target keywords that relate to the topic of your content too for SEO purposes.

Keywords are phrases that people search for on search engines. They're usually questions or queries which need answering - which is where your content comes in.

To write attention-grabbing headlines that will get clicked, keep the following in mind:

Your headline should reflect the content that follows it.
Keep it short and sweet (under 15 words) Long headlines tend to get cut off by search engines and social media platforms (and make your reader yawn.)
Use active voice and strong verbs to make your headline persuasive.
Include relevant keywords to improve your SEO.
Use emotional words to appeal to readers' feelings.
Numbers often perform well in headlines - Consider using them at the beginning of your headline (see examples below)

Let's break these points down so you really understand them, making it easier for you to create a successful headline for your business writing.

General rule - Simplicity

Keeping headlines short and sweet is the number one rule. I don't mean so short that you only use one or two words.

But I do mean REMOVE the fluff.

Take out any words which don't need to be there. A good rule of thumb is to keep headlines under 15 words.

This ensures your headlines are easy to read and understand and are more likely to be seen in full when someone comes across them in a search engine or social media feed.

Emotional response

Use emotional words. Emotional words appeal to our feelings and help urge us to act HOWEVER - do this the right way (morally speaking).

Always lead with empathy for your reader. Helping them feel seen and heard rather than ordering them about is key here.

For example, words like "love," "fear," "anger," "scared," or "delighted," etc, help grab attention and encourage people to click.

But so do, "community", "understand you", and "being seen".

Be careful not to overdo emotional words – too many emotions in a headline can come across as manipulative and just downright tacky.

Good news for an active voice

I get asked all the time to explain the active voice and how to use it.

It's honestly not hard when you get it! So let's break it down, step by step.

The active voice is talking about verbs, which are "doing" words (remember your English lessons?)

When the subject (or person) does the action, it's called an active verb.

When the subject (or person) receives the action, it's called a passive verb.

This has now exploded in the world of writing. Everyone says "talk in an active voice alllllll the time!"

Now that's somewhat true - but the passive voice still has its place. Namely in formal settings and academic papers.

Here are some examples of active vs passive talk:

"Gaunt and thin from days of starvation, he stumbles over the hill" (Active)

"Gaunt and thin from days of starvation, the hill causes him to stumble" (Passive)

"Close the freaking door!" (Active)

"The door needs to be closed" (Passive)

Search Engine Optimisation

I think that everything a business puts out online should be set up to SEO standards.

What I mean is, if you write content for your readers (such as a blog or social media posts) why would you ever pass up the opportunity to get that content recognised by Google's search results?

If you're not writing for SEO, you're wasting your time (in a nutshell)

Now. SEO is a BIG topic and not one I'll cover in this post.

But! Your headline ought to contain keywords relevant to the content of whatever it is you're posting.

This is so a Google search could, in theory, display your content and bring as much traffic as possible (free, cos' that's how SEO works!)

Use numbers

Numbers in a headline help draw attention into the sentence, enticing it to be read in full.

Simple examples of headlines with numbers are these:

"28 reasons to dump him and get on with your life"

"18 things you need to stop doing today"

"5 life-changing stats that will stop you smoking instantly"

"15 tips for writing better headlines"

Headline types

Different types of headlines serve different purposes.

List headlines, for example, provide readers with a quick overview of the content to follow.

Question headlines pique readers' curiosity and can effectively get them to click through to learn more.

This means YOU NEED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION in the following words you write.

Emotional headlines tap into readers' feelings and can be effective in getting them to take action.

When crafting headlines, it's important to consider what type of headline best suits your content and goals.

List headlines are great for blog posts that provide tips or offer helpful information.

Question headlines work well when you want to generate curiosity (they're really good for effective blog headlines) or inspiring people to read more to find out the answer.

Emotional headlines can be effective when you want to evoke a strong reaction or get people to take action.

No matter what type of headline you choose, ensure it accurately reflects the content that follows and is attention-grabbing enough to make people want to click through.

A Powerful Headline

Your headline is your first impression. Make it count. And make it good.

Many professional writers spend far longer on a headline than they do on the content part.

Think about what would make you want to click on an article? Chances are, the same elements will work on others.

Headlines should reflect the content that follows, be short and sweet, use active voice and strong verbs, include relevant keywords, and tap into emotions.

You can also use numbers or lists in your headlines as a way to give readers a quick overview of what they can expect.

Remember what people might be searching for when crafting headlines and use keyword research to determine this.

If you don't have access to SEO tools, there are a number of free ones out there which work well, such as:

Google itself (free)

Keysearch (free trial)

Keywords everywhere