Blog posts are a highly powerful marketing tool for any business.
They allow you to:
- Showcase your expertise
- Attract links from other sites
- Create shareable content
- Improve search rankings
But it is important that your blogpost has an eye-catching, attention-grabbing title. Remember, whatever your blog is about, there will always be another blog competing for audiences’ attention in the same niche.
There are a few things you can do to increase your chances of being clicked, such as making your headline 6-8 words can increase your click through rate (CTR) by 21%.
Here are our top tips to increase your blog CTR that can help transform your CTR for the better.
Include your topic keyword
It is always key to include the focus topic of the blog in your title. This should be presented clearly to let the audience know exactly what to expect from the article so that they can decide whether or not they want to read it.
As well as the general topic of the article, you should also include the specific keyword you are looking to rank for with this blog. This will help to optimise your blog for search engines.
The blog title is a key place that search engines like Google look at to understand which results will provide relevant answers for the reader. By including the relevant keywords and a clear topic you are making it easier for Google to find your article and present it to the relevant searchers.
Let’s say you were to create a recipe for vegan pancakes.
| Your title shouldn’t be: | Your title should be: |
| “Plant-Powered Sweet Breakfast Recipe” | “Vegan Pancake Recipe: A Mouthwatering Cruelty-Free Breakfast!” |
Consider your title length
Your blogpost title includes:
- The main H1
- The meta title
- The URL slug
Your typical length for a H1 is 60 characters, where your meta title is around 55. Your URL slug should be content words only.
Your article title should be a concise summary of what your blog is about. Your audience should be able to understand the aim of your article from your title so they can decide if it is something they want to read or not.
If the title is too long your audience will simply skip past it without giving it proper consideration, and if it is too short it may not provide all the relevant information for your audience or for SEO purposes.
| Title length | Example title |
| Too long | “Embark on a Culinary Adventure with Our Handcrafted Vegan Pancake Recipe Infused with Nutrient-Rich Ingredients and Unparalleled Flavour Sensations” |
| Too short | “Vegan Pancakes” |
| Just right! | “Wholesome Vegan Pancakes: A Simple and Delicious Recipe” |
Add an engaging element
Your blog title needs to be engaging!
Your blog can be the most interesting and creative thing you have ever written, but if the title doesn’t engage your audience they aren’t going to read it.
Here are some of our top suggestions and examples for creating an engaging blog title:
1. Add numbers
Adding numbers to your title attracts your audience and lets them know that your blog will offer a good amount of simple information in an easy to read and informative structure.
Example: “7 Steps for Writing the Perfect Blog Title”
2. Add brackets or colons
Brackets and colons are a good way to add extra information and intrigue into your title without making it look bulky or providing too much hard to digest information. This blog title style can be used in a variety of different ways such as to add extra information or to pose a question.
Research shows, having a hyphen or colon in the headline increased click-through rates by 9%.
Example: “How to Write a Blog Title (5 Tips That Actually Work)”
Or
“How to Write a Blog Title: 5 Tips That Actually Work”
3. Ask a question
Your audience will often use search engines to find answers to questions. By posing your blog title as a question you are letting your audience know straight away that you are offering them the answer. This type of title is also very SEO friendly as it makes it easier for search engines to know who to show your article too.
Get the most out of this title style by researching the questions your audience are searching as part of your keyword research.
Example: “Don’t know how to write a blog title?”
4. Add context words
As mentioned at the start of this blog, your blog will often be fighting for attention from other similar articles. By adding content to your title you are setting it apart from other similar articles and providing your audience with more information about the content of your article.
Example: “How to write a blog title right from the start”
5. Add brand or celebrity names
Audiences are often attracted to brand or celebrity names as they provide a level of esteem to the blog- associating the connotations of the celebrity status to the blog.
Example: “How to Make Mariah Carey-Level Christmas Hot Chocolate”
For example, using the phrase ‘Mariah Carey-level’ in your blog title suggests the content is powerful, positive, energetic, and established.
6. Use emotive words
Much like using celebrity names, emotive language creates specific connotations around your blog. It allows the audience to better understand the type of blog they are about to read as well as facilitates a stronger connection between the blog title and the audience.
If you were scared about writing a blog title and you read the above title you would be more likely to click on it than other options as it would resonate with you on a more personal level.
Examples: “Scared of Blog Titles? Here’s How to Write One”
7. Use active language rather than passive
Active language adds excitement to your blog title. It creates an inviting tone, attracting your audience to click on your blog and engage with your content.
By using active language your audience will get a better understanding of what your article is about and the benefits they will get from reading it.
| Example of active language: | “How You Can Write a Great Blog Article” |
| Example of passive language: | “A Great Blog Article Writing Guide” |
8. Use engaging terms
Use some of these terms below to catch your audience’s attention and stand out from the crowd:
- How-to
- Ultimate Guide
- Top Tips
- Expert Advice
- Proven Strategies
- Insider Secrets
- Masterclass
- Quick and Easy
- Step-by-Step
- Essential Tips
- Hacks
- Must-Knows
- Unleash the Power of
- Little-Known Ways
- Secrets Revealed
- Transform Your
- The Art of
- Fool-proof Methods
- Unlocking the Secrets to
Now you have a winning title, what next?
Read our article on how to write an awesome blog post every time.
Contact an SEO agency for expert copywriting
The more you write and post on your blog, the more you will start to understand what makes a good title and what works for your company and audience. There is a lot that goes into starting a blog for your business but when done well it can have big returns across your whole marketing campaign.
Book a free call with our team to see how we can help you create great blog content- from title to conclusion- to benefit all your other marketing activities.
