How to Write Great Headlines for Articles

September 20^th 2011 Sally Ormond Article Marketing, article writing, copywriting tips, link building

Your headline is the make or break of your article. If it doesn’t immediately grab attention, a reader is unlikely to read your article – regardless of how many hours you slaved over it.

Many online marketers write articles because they know they are a great way to build backlinks which are vital to any SEO strategy. So a steady stream of them (written either in-house or by using a professional copywriter) will boost your visibility on line and position you as an expert in your field.

But because it’s such a popular marketing tool, there are an awful lot of articles out there. That means, if you want yours read, you’ve got to get it noticed.

Below are 6 tips to help you create article headlines that will make a reader stop and take notice.

1. !!!

Don’t use exclamation marks in your headings, it looks like you’re shouting at people. The language you use should convey its importance without using this rather annoying punctuation mark.

2. Relate it to your article

Now that might sound odd, but how many times have you been drawn in by an amazing headline only to be confused because the body of the article bears no relation to it at all. Or the headline promises to reveal an amazing secret, but even after you’ve read it, you’re still non the wiser.

Your headline must reflect your article otherwise you’ll lose the trust of the reader – and that’s bad.

3. Don’t exaggerate

If your headline claims to “Unearth the secret that will make you a millionaire by lunchtime” people aren’t going to read it. Making claims that are obviously far-fetched will do you more harm than good.

4. Be imaginative

Headlines that intrigue and are eye-catching are more likely to draw people in. Have fun with language and use a pun to create something memorable.

5. Don’t say secret

Let’s get one thing straight, you are unlikely to be writing about anything that is really secret. If you did, you’d end up having men in cars with blacked-out windows parking up outside your house monitoring your every move.

6. Have a giggle

People read mainly because they want to be entertained. If you can inject a bit of humour to get your point across you will strengthen your article. Of course, you won’t be able to use this for every subject you write about.

For many people, the headline is the after thought. They concentrate far more on the article. I have been known to ponder for hours over a heading and that’s how it should be. It is your one chance to get someone to stop and read your article.