How a headline can make or break your blog post

Blogging is a fantastic online marketing tool. A blog can enhance your SEO efforts, direct more customers to your website, and help you build a strong social media following. But if you”re blogging for your business, you need to pay extra close attention to your headlines.

The headline is, arguably, the most important part of a blog post. People decide whether they will click on an article based on the headline. With so much clickable content on the internet, your headline had better stand out. A good headline can be the difference between 50 views and 5,000 views. Blogging and article writing for SEO is so vital that businesses are built around offering this service.

Here are four tips to follow when writing headlines:

1. Include your keyword in your headline

This is a basic SEO principle, but it”s important. Including your keyword in your headline is better for search engine optimization than just having the keyword in the body text.

2. Don”t reveal too much

If you”re sharing your blog post on social media (which you absolutely should be) it”s best to reveal a little, but not too much. “This company created a revolutionary way to reduce plastic” is a better headline than “Boxed water is the latest way to reduce plastic”, even though they”re both about the same subject. If you give away the important information in the headline, your social media followers will not feel the need to read the rest of the article.

Image Source: Pixabay

3. Don”t make your headline too long

The so-called “teaser” or “click-bait” headlines described in number two can be longer than traditional headlines, but you need to make sure you”re not writing headlines that are too long. Headlines that are longer than 65 characters may get cut off when you post your blog articles on social media. If your followers cannot see the whole headline, they will likely lose interest.

4. A/B test your headlines

If you”re able to A/B test your headlines, try doing so. An A/B test can give you a good idea of what headline strategies work best for your blog. Not all headline writing tips are applicable for all websites, so experiment and see what works for you.