As a blogger, your goal is to monetize your platform and generate income. Affiliates and ads are a great way to monetize a blog. It is a must for people to visit and read your blog to appreciate its value and content. Search engines display the title and description in their search results. That is helpful for users to find the information they need.
Here a catchy blog title comes into play. It is essential to crafting a title that people click on.
I will share 19 proven tips for writing a catchy blog.
Table of Contents
21 Successful Strategies for Crafting Engaging Blog Titles
#01 Blog Title That Converts into Click
Write a blog title that converts the user to a reader. Let’s search Digital Marketing on Google search. I am checking metrics with the Keyword Surfer extension.
Neil Patel is gaining 238 million and TechTarget is getting 99 million traffic. Neil Patel and TechTarget dominate the keyword with significant visits. While the other two trail behind.
#02 Boost Traffic with Blog Title
Writing catchy blog titles helps to boost traffic. Invest some time and come up with a title. You are the first reader of your blog. Unleash your creativity by reading this engaging article!
See these examples. Coinbase.Com sees tremendous success with the Cryptocurrency keyword. The title they used is helping to boost the traffic.
#03 Share the Value with Blog Title
Think of yourself as a user who is searching on Google with a problem. What draws you to certain titles? Because it shares the value.
See these examples. HubSpot is sharing huge value with its title on the “Best blog title” keyword. This is helping HubSpot to gain a massive 27 million traffic. Others miss the opportunity to provide valuable titles.
#04 Use Numbers to Get More Traffic
Numbers or statistics improve click-through rates. Using one or two-digit numbers makes sense to the audience. 95% of bloggers follow this to gain more traffic.
Allow me to show an example. I am searching for the “how to increase blog traffic” keyword in Google. Numerical titles dominate search results, with only one exception in the top 20.
#05 Tell the Story
How do you like to read a story or sheet of data? I know you will say the story same as me. The same strategy will bring huge engagement to your article. The blog title will the title of the story. And through the article, we will deliver it to the audience.
Check this example. This is the top 20 search results on “how to increase blog traffic”.Almost all titles (95%) convey a story, with only a small minority (5%) not doing so.
#06 Tell what to expect
As a blogger, our main priority is to write engaging content for the audience. To do so we have to be honest with our audience. Telling what to expect in the title is a great way to build trust.
If I write a tile like “My Tips to Earn $100 in a Minute” for my article “Make Money Online”. What will happen? Here the title is clickbait. The audience will click the title. They will not find any practical way to earn $100 in a minute. Now click-through rate will go up and the average session duration will go down.
This violates the relevance and ranking signal for google. And your ranking in search results will go down.
#07 Keyword in Title
Using a keyword in the title is a great way to rank higher in Google searches. Ahref makes a study on millions of articles. Use of keywords in title and ranking in Google.
27% of articles rank at no.1 and 19% of articles rank at no.10. This is a standard practice to rank on page 1.
Include a relevant, keyword-rich title that conveys the content’s purpose and meaning. Using the keyword in the title out of standard practice will not benefit.
#08 Make an Appeal in Title
Why do people click on, read, and share articles? Because they feel emotionally connected to the topic. As a blogger, we can use words that ignite emotion. A study by Coschedule shows that posts with higher emotional value get more social shares.
Share comes from reading that comes from clicking on the title.
#09 Remarkableness
Make your blog title remarkable to get more clicks. This is standard practice. Let me show an example. Some articles are ranking on google for the keyword “which language is best for blogging”. Now, look at the titles.
- Highlighted “16 Questions Answered” for the first article,
- “Should You write” for the second, and
- “English” for the third is remarkable here.
Now the audience has the choice to click on any of these articles to read.
#10 Practical Way to Solve Problem
Audiences are clever. In the blog, the title writes the practical way to solve problems. It will help you to gain traffic over time. Check the example here. I have selected some search results for the keyword “how to write the correct grammar in blogging”.
Problogger’s article is gaining more traffic thanks to the compelling title. Among the other two articles, the title of Problogger is a more practical way to solve the problem.
#11 Useful Information that Solves a Problem
We search in Google when we have some problem. As a blogger, you can provide useful information that solves it. This strategy help to get high traffic.
Here is a live example. Three articles are ranking for the keyword “how to write the correct grammar in blogging”. Look at the titles they are using.
- “Blogging in English – When It Is Not Your Primary Language” – This is not useful and not getting enough traffic.
- “6 Best Grammer Checker Tools for Researchers” – Here information is useful and solves the problem. It is getting the highest traffic.
- “Are Grammer Mistakes Costing Your Money” – Here the information is less useful to solve the problem. It is getting very less traffic compared to the second.
#12 Optimize Length for Readability
60 is the standard character length for a title that Google displays in search results. If your title length goes beyond this then it will be truncated with three dots. Extra words is meaning less here.
So keep your title within 60 characters. Use the RankMath plugin in your WordPress blog. It will check the title length. In the preview, you can check how it will look in desktop and mobile search results.
#13 Use Words for the Audience
Different technical terms are used for different fields. In the blog title use words that your audience is familiar with. For example, if I use words related to medical science will be irrelevant for digital marketing and vice versa.
Choose words in the title keeping your audience in mind. It will make your blog title more clickable.
#14 Clarity Over SEO
What if you have to choose between clarity and SEO for a blog title? Choose the clarity first. You are writing a title for your audience, not for the search engine. Think about what your audience will love a clear title or an SEO-friendly title.
Give more priority to clarity. It will help to get more CTR.
#15 Don’t Use Complicated Words
Think of a situation, you are searching for “which language is best for blogging” on Google. A title appears in search results with a word that is unknown to you. What will happen? Would check the meaning of the word in the dictionary or move to the next. Of course, you move to the next title.
This is human psychology. When we are in hurry we find the easy solution. So always use simple words in your blog title.
#16 Make Promises
Add a promise in your blog title. It helps to get clicks if a user is interested in the promise. The promise may be in the form of tips, guides, solutions, answers, etc.
“Which blog is best for AdSense? (29 Questions Answered)” is the title of my article. Here “29 Questions Answered” makes a promise to the audience.
There are some more examples of Google search results with promise.
#17 Know Your Audience
Know your audience to write a better title for a blog. Here is my blog I am discussing “How to write catchy blog title” in the English language. It is obvious that my audience can read English. If I craft my title like “How to write catchy blog title in English”. How will it sound?
Here “in English” has no use as per my audience.
#18 Use the Headline Formula
There are many formulas available to craft headlines for blogs. Use them carefully. Keep your audience in mind. Craft your title that tells all about the topic with a promise.
These are examples of 11 headline formulas. Get an idea from here.
#19 Create Urgency
FOMO – Fear of missing out is a psychological effect. It is often used in marketing. To get more clicks or leads marketers create scarcity. You can use this in your blog title also.
Here are some good examples that create urgency through its title.
#20 Introduce Fear
Fear is a major factor that forces us to take decisions. We have many types of fear.
Fear of losing value.
Fear of missing out.
Fear of being left behind and more.
Marketers use this trick to write blog titles.
Here are some good examples of headlines that trigger the fear factor to click.
#21 Make it Concise
Google and other search engines provide limited space for titles. It is 60 characters. A concise title fits there. Search engines trim lengthy titles while showing search results.
It is always better to make your blog title concise.
Here are some good examples of concise blog titles.
How do you write a catchy blog headline that also showcases the value of the post?
Writing catchy blog headlines requires some creativity and practice. Get the idea from here and create a unique title for your blog.
I will give you 14 catchy blog title ideas that also showcase the value of your post.
| Type of blog title | Example |
| Listicle | “51 Amazing Blog Title Ideas” |
| How to | “How to write effective SEO content?” |
| Where, What, Why | “Which language is best for blogging?” |
| Mistakes, Fixes, Errors | “51 Dangerous Blogging Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)” |
| Ultimate Guide | “Ultimate Guide To Write Catchy Blog Title” |
| Keyword Trigger | “Canva: An Ultimate Infographic Design Tool” |
| Increase, Boost, Grow | “Increase Traffic by 200% With Catchy Blog Title” |
| Versus | “Rank Math Vs Yoast Which Is Better” |
| No One Will Tell You | “5 Things No One Will Tell You About Canva” |
| Infographic | “15 Ranking Signals That Google Consider [Infographic]” |
| Everything You Need To Know About | “Everything You Need To Know About Hosting Website With Hostinger” |
| Here’s Why | “GeneratePress Is Best Theme For Blogging: Here Why” |
| Stop Doing This | “Stop Writing Content You Will Find Freelancer at Fiverr for $5” |
| The Simple | “5 Simple Content Writing Mistakes Beginners Make” |
How to create catchy headlines for a niche blog?
Are you a niche blogger? Working hard to create content but not getting enough clicks.
You might not be focusing on your title.
I will give 13 proven tips to make catchy headlines.
#01 Famous Comparison
People love to read comparisons between what they know. Marketers use this as a key to getting more attention. If you have an interest in blogging then you will love to read articles like Rank Math Versus Yoast or WordPress Versus Blogger.
Here are eight common examples of titles using famous comparisons.
#02 Scarcity Headline
Fear of missing out plays a significant role in our decision-making. During online shopping, you might have seen “Discounted Price Till Next 3 Days”, “Limited Time Deal”, “Only 5 Left” etc. These create the FOMO effect and compel users to click.
Here are eight scarcity headline examples.
#03 Big Promises Headline
Titles that make big promises get more clicks. Use the same technique in your title. It will help you to get more clicks.
Here are seven examples of big promises headlines.
#04 Write Multiple Blog Titles for Every Post
Write multiple blog titles and then select from them. It works for many of us. You can also ask your friends to choose the best title. This will help to pick the right title for your article.
The title is the entrance to your article. CTR depends on it.
#05 Use Your Keyword Research
When you decide to write on a topic define the main keyword. Search it on Google. Look at the title of all the top 20 articles. Use tools like Keywordsurfer to know the estimated traffic. Note down which types of titles are getting more traffic.
Follow the same and write a unique title.
#06 Don’t Oversell
Earlier I discussed the positive impact of big promises headlines. Do not make the promise too large that you cannot deliver in your article. Your audience will click on your title and never come back.
Returning visitors is important to improve the authority of your article.
#07 Be Specific
Be specific about your blog title. Specific titles catch the attention of the audience searching for specific problems. It will help to keep the bounce rate lower. The lower the bounce rate your running goes up. The bounce rate is a ranking signal for Google.
#08 Write Blog Titles for Your Audience
Write blog titles for your audience not for SEO. Your ultimate goal is to make the title more attractive to the audience. The more audience clicks your title, SEO rank will be higher.
What happens if I write a title that scores higher in any SEO tool like Rank Math but is not attractive to my audience?
I will get no clicks and Google will downgrade my rank.
#09 Use Proper Word Balance
Buzzsumo conducted a detailed study on word count and social sharing. Do you know what they found? A title that contains 15 words gets the most shares on social media.
Follow this and craft your title with proper word balance.
#10 Let The Headlines Help, Not Tell
Create a persona of your audience before writing a blog. The audience is smart. Craft your title that sounds like help not tells. It will help you to get more clicks.
#11 Go for Strongly Positive or Negative Headlines
Strongly positive or negative headlines get more attention. These types of headlines generate more CTR. Use this formula in your title. It will help you to generate more clicks.
Test the sentiment of your title in Google NLP. It is free.
#12 Front-load the headlines
Successful marketers use the front-load headline technique to craft titles. Here the keyword is placed at the beginning of the title. This is a very simple and tested formula for writing titles.
#13 Create Unique Titles
Add numbers, stats, and questions to make your title unique. Unique titles stand out in search results. It helps to create your own identity.
To check whether your title is unique or not use the “allintitle:” tag. See this example. One result is available with the title “How to write creative and catchy headlines for brands?”.
How to write creative and catchy headlines for brands?
When writing creative and catchy headlines for brands few things to be considered. Writing for brands revolves around their identity.
I will give you 13 pro tips to write headlines for brands.
Total time: 4 minutes
#01 Use Power Words
“Best”, “Life-Changing”, and “Eye-Opening” are some powerful words. When using these types of words people find an emotional attachment to them.
Marketers use this technique to create catchy headlines.
If you use Rank Math it will remind you through notifications to add power words.
#02 Use Brackets Where Possible
See this title “When will my blog appear in Google search? (15 Questions Answered)”. Here I have used brackets. While the audience read the title they stuck it in brackets. It makes them alert to read the title carefully.
Marketers use brackets intentionally to draw more attention.
#03 Use (odd) Numbers
In my article, I have mentioned the use of numbers in headlines. Do you know what number to use? Using odd number generate more CTR.
People pay more attention to odd numbers.
#04 Be Clear About The Main Benefit
While writing the title makes it clear. Tell your audience exactly what benefit they will get from your article. A title like “13 Benefits To Use Rank Math SEO Plugin” makes it clear.
The audience is getting a clear idea of what is inside. Use this technique in your headline.
#05 Make it Actionable
Use active sentences to make your headline actionable. See this example “11 Headline Writing Tips That Every Business Owner Should Know About”. Here active voice is used and it asks the reader to click and read the tips.
#06 Indulge Your Readers Curiosity
When you craft a title that makes your readers curious, they often click.
See this example “11 Headline Writing Tips That Every Business Owner Should Know About”.
Here the reader is the owner of his business. After reading this title he will be curious to know about the tips.
#07 Give Your Blog Audience a Quiz
See the example “What is your dream career? (13 tips for 6-figure income)”.
In the title, there is a quiz for readers about dream careers. After reading this title readers will have this about it in mind. This is what we are expecting here.
We are successful to draw the reader’s attention.
#08 Offer Expert Advice
“11 Expert Advice To Improve CTR”.
These types of headlines get more attention in search results. Audience love to get solutions for their problems from an expert. Use this technique to write your own headlines.
#09 Share Your Tips
Check out this example “11 Headline Writing Tips That Every Business Owner Should Know About”. Sharing tips is useful to create catchy titles.
Readers try to find out solutions to their problems in a short time. If you can grab this opportunity, you will get more clicks.
#10 Communicate a Benefit
“11 Headline Writing Tips That Every Business Owner Should Know About”.
In this headline, we are communicating to the reader that he will get benefits. Benefits will improve headlines.
Titles that communicate a benefit get more clicks.
#11 Ask a Question and Then Answer It
Check this title “Which blog is best for AdSense? (29 Questions Answered)”. This is an example of a headline that contains a question and a promise to answer it.
People like to read this type of article. They are trying to find an answer to their problem.
#12 Call To Action
“11 Tips to write a catchy title, Download the free e-book now”.
Here “download” and “now” their terms are called to action. Use these types of titles to get more clicks. Call to action are proven techniques to get more CTR.
#13 Credibility
Credibility is connected with the author’s bio and the article. If I am not a doctor then I should not write articles on health issues.
I can write about digital marketing if I am a digital marketer by profession.
This builds trust in the audience.
What are some tips for writing effective sub-headlines in blog posts?
Writing effective sub-headlines is equally important in blog posts. Sub-headlines are pillars of the main article.
I will give you 15 proven tips to write effective sub-headlines.
#01 Write Relevant
Make relevant sub-headings in your blog posts. It will help the readers to stay on your page. Relevant sub-heading will encourage them to read the section.
This will help to improve the average session time.
#02 Include Keywords and Phrases
I have already discussed how to write effective content. There I have mentioned many techniques to find keyword variants. Your main keyword will be used in the main heading. And all other relevant keyword variants shall be used in sub-headings.
Google often ranks valuable paragraphs for a different keyword. Here you will get an additional chance to rank for a keyword that is different from the main keyword.
#03 Use Parallel Structures
A proven technique of content writing is parallel structures. Subheadings are used to make this structure. Different but relevant subheading helps to make parallel structures.
Readers may find it boring when we use overlapped structures.
#04 Focus on Progression
Rearrange your subheadings that maintain the progression of your story. A progressive story helps the reader to read more. This is our main focus.
#05 Provide Urgency
Same as heading craft subheadings that create urgency. Readers will find more interest to read. Encourage your reader.
#06 Focus on Benefit
The subheading should focus on the benefits to the reader. Why do I read an article if I don’t find any benefit in it? Keep that in mind.
Write for your audience.
#07 Tell a Story
All content is written for the purpose of marketing our story. Your subheadings should be the main pillar of the story.
Tell a story through this subheading.
#08 Use Clear Language
Writing clear language in subheadings is equally important as a heading. If I use any word that is hard to understand for my audience then they will leave my article. That I do not want.
So use very simple language in subheadings, we are not here for a vocabulary competition.
#09 Make it Eye-Catching
Make your subheadings eye-catching. Use numbers, stats, and appealing words. Eye-catching subheading draws reader attention and encourages them to read the topic.
#10 Be Concise
Use only the important words or phrases in the subheading. Do not make your article lengthy unnecessarily.
No one would like to read an article that has no value.
#11 Explain More
Write a headline that explains the main topic more. It should complement the main topic. Irrelevant subheadings may break your reader’s attention.
#12 Encourage Action
Write subheadings that encourage readers to take action. In the subheading, action may be clicking an affiliate link or reading a linked article.
#13 Keep the Length Similar
Try to make subtitles that are similar in length. It will create consistency in your content. Too many variations in subheadings may look unprofessional to the readers.
#14 Subheadings and SEO
Google often ranks paragraphs from your content. Then the subheading is displayed in the search results. Keep the length of the subheading maximum of 60 characters. This will help you to display the whole subheading.
#15 Do A/B Testing
Any formula or technique is not suitable for all blogs. A technique that works for me may not work for you. To find out the most effective technique A/B testing is required.
Follow different techniques in different articles and measure performance in google analytics. Apply the most effective in your blog to make it more appreciative to the readers.
What are the best online tools to create catchy headlines for blog posts?
Here are some online tools that can help you to create catchy headlines for blog posts.
- https://www.impactbnd.com/blog-title-generator/blogabout
- https://www.hubspot.com/blog-topic-generator
- http://seopressor.com/blog-title-generator/
- https://www.portent.com/tools/title-maker
Try these and decide which is best for your keeping your audience in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
I know even with all this information still, there are many questions in your mind. It is not possible for me to answer all the questions but I have picked some frequently asked questions.
Q: What should be the length of a title for an article on a blog?
Search engines display 60 characters in their search result. Keep your title within 60 to display the full title.
Q: Should I capitalize the title of a blog post?
Yes, you can. Capitalizing blog title gets more attention from the readers. It helps to improve the click-through rate.
Q: Why should I prepare eye-catching titles for my blog?
To improve click-through rate. Google promotes high-CTR articles in search results. To get high CTR eye-catching titles are important.
Q: Can we use infographic images as a title in a blog post?
No, there is no use of images in the title. Search engines only allow text in search results.
Q: I change all my blog post titles from the capital to small letters but it is not shown in Google accordingly why?
Wait for some time. Google serves indexed titles in search results. Google takes some time to update the indexed information.
Q: How to change my blog title name in Google Search Engine?
Change it in your article and use the index now plugin to ping Google. It will take some time to update.
Kingsuk Nandi
Kingsuk Nandi Founder of Right SEO Tips
Hi there, welcome to Right SEO Tips – where we discuss the most effective SEO tips. I am really glad, you are here!
I am Kingsuk Nandi, a professional blogger, and developer. My goal is to share my experiences with SEO and Blogging.