5 Simple Steps To Write SEO Headlines That Increase Click-through Rate

If you are starting your online journey, you may be wondering How to write headlines that sell and bring customers to my website?

And if so, you are already way ahead of your competition! Because a good header is one of the most important parts of any content.

Why?

For one simple reason: The header is what will make your customer decide if he wants to click on your content or just scroll through it.

So, without further ado, let us show you how to write headers that bring visitors, step by step.

What Is A Headline?

They are called Headlines, HTML Titles, Title Tags, or simply Titles.

Your headline is what people will see first, and ideally it needs to be short, clear, and appealing.

It should be able to tell your audience, in a few words, what your content is about, and why they should take a look.

Platforms like WordPress have simple ways to change title tags, for instance, whenever you create a new blog post.

Why Are Headlines Important?

Because they help people and algorithms to understand your content. Your page title is the best way to let search engines match your content with people looking for that topic.

And that is important.

But that is also the reason your content has to make sense. It has to be relevant for the discussion.

5 Steps To Increase Click-through Rate

OK, we all know the why’s, but How To Write SEO Headlines that increase my click-through rate?

This is a Five-step guide that will tell you everything you need to know to become a pro headline writer.

1. Read Your Audience’s Minds

Use Your headline to mention the things that matter to your target. What are they looking for? What questions are they asking Google?

Stop thinking on the selling side, and place yourself in your customer’s shoes.

For instance, if your business is a Beauty Spa, your audience may be asking things like

“How do I make my skin smoother”
“Best hairstyles for back to school”
“How to look fit for summer”

You can use tools like Answer The Public to know what people are asking about around your main topic

The Right Adjectives Matter

Remember we are trying to show not only information but information with value. There is a lot of difference! Use adjectives to describe the way your content is unique.

Valuable
Proven
Amazing
Easy
Delicious
Essential

Use Moving Words

The perfect combination of words for your headline doesn’t exist, but you can get pretty close to it. If you are researching to write your article, use some of the words you discovered there.

A great way to measure the emotional marketing value of your headline is with this Headline nalyzer. It lets you know the emotional and even spiritual factors at play. And it provides some surprisingly accurate feedback.

2. Write Headlines With The Right Length

The Google result page will show 60 to 70 characters of the headline.
This doesn’t mean all your headlines should be that long.

For example, if your headline is 120 characters, Google will only show the first 60 -70.

That it’s something you want to remember when using long-tail keywords.

You can use the Portent SERP Preview Tool to preview your headline and make adjustments before it’s too late.

3. Add SEO To Your Headlines

What does SEO even do?

Let’s put it simply: The right combination of words can make your content relevant for search engines.

That is all SEO is about.

Let’s take a look at a few thighs to help you wrap your mind around SEO and how to use it to your favor

SEO Mistakes In Page Titles

In a study, SEMrush found out some of the most common mistakes people make in headlines.

As you can see, some of the most common problems they found were:

Duplicated tags
If two or more pages in your site or blog have the same name, search engines get confused and both your pages will start rank lower
Missing Title Tags
If there is no Title, Search engines won’t even botter take a look at your site.
Too short tags
Title tags with not enough information to let bots understand the content
Too long tags
Remember Step 2? If your Headline is too long, search engines will show only a fraction

Use Numbers In Your Headlines

As we can see on this infographic by Gaz Hall, adding numbers is a great way to make your headlines SEO friendly. Besides, it tells your audience a specific number of tips or steps to follow.

If you’re still not sure how to add numbers to your headline, try this formula:

Number + Adjective + Noun + Keyword + Promise

Here’s an example with the title of this very post:

5	Simple	Steps To	Write SEO HEadlines	That Increase click-through Rate
Number	+ Adjective	+ Noun	+ Keyword	+ Promise

4 Make Your Headline Descriptive And Appealing

Who Sees My Headline Anyway?

Short Answer: Everyone
Your headline appears in the browser tab, the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), and external websites.

Keep that in mind, and never leave a page without a proper Headline.

Use Words Like HOW, WHY, WHAT, And WHERE

They help people know you are answering one of those questions, related to a topic of their interest. “Review”, “Ultimate” or “Best” are also used as trigger words to catch the audience’s eye.

Use Your Company Name Or Brand Wisely
Spreading your brand is important, but remember SEO Marketing is not about you, but about them, your audience.

Do not overuse your brand name, slogan, or product benefits. Let your headers answer genuinely the questions your customers have!

5 Write Unique Titles, No Duplicates

Each blog post should have unique content, therefore, its headline should be unique too. Search engines look for those title tags. If you don’t have them or have some duplicated ones, your rank will dropdown.

Also, unique and good headlines tell your audience the contents of your website.

Helpful Online Tools For Checking Your Title Tags

SEMrush Site Audit

This tool lets you identify possible problems on your site and duplicate titles. It will also show you meta descriptions on the website and pages with missing title tags.

Yoast Plugin for WordPress

Answer The Public

It shows you relevant questions people are asking around any topic.

Portent SERP Preview Tool

Here you can know how your page will look on the Google Results Page.

Most Common Mistakes You Want To Avoid

Before you go, we prepared for you a couple of tips about the things you should avoid when writing good headlines.

Avoid Bounces

When people click on your headline, they have some expectations about your content, and if your page does not deliver, people will leave. Google will then find out a lot of people are getting there and leaving immediately. That is considered a bounce. If your site gets a lot of bounces its rank will go straight down.

Use Your Target Keyword (But Don’t Overdo It)

The content inside your webpage or blog, ideally it should answer your audience’s questions, or at least provide valuable information.

Your audience will find a lot more or value in your content if it shows up when they are looking for it. The thing is, if you abuse, it will backfire.

So, remember to use your keyword only once in your headline, and a couple more times inside your content. Just don let it feel forced.

FAQ

These are some of the most common questions people ask when writing great headlines.

How Important Are Headlines?

Headlines let your audience know what your content is about, in a few words. It also helps search engines to match your content with people searching for that topic.
How To Write SEO Friendly Headlines?

Use your keyword in the first words of your headline. Make it clear and easy to read and add some numbers to it. For instance “10 Powerful Reasons To Try Paleo Diet”
How Many Keywords Should I Use For SEO?

You have to use only one Keyword, but the Keyword can be as long as you need.
How Long Should My Headline Be?

You can use as many as you want, but you have to remember Google will show only up to 70. So if your headline is longer than that, make sure the first 70 words can make clear the topic of the post.
How To Know What People Are Looking For On Google?

Tools like Answer The Public can let you know what people are asking about, based on one keyword.