Headline Writing For Beginners: How To Write Traffic Driving Headlines

How to Write Attention-Grabbing Headlines That Get Clicks in 2024

Headlines are often the first (and sometimes only) thing people read before deciding whether to click through to your content. No matter how amazing your blog post, video, or sales page is – if the headline doesn‘t capture attention, no one will see it.

In fact, on average 8 out of 10 people read a headline, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest of the content, according to advertising pioneer David Ogilvy. That means your headline has to work extra hard to convince people your content is worth their time.

But writing a compelling headline is easier said than done, especially with millions of articles, videos, and ads all competing for attention. How can you make your headline stand out and get the clicks you deserve?

As a blogger who has written thousands of headlines over the past decade, I‘ve learned what works (and what doesn‘t) through a lot of trial and error. In this guide, I‘ll share my top tips, formulas, and tools for writing headlines that grab attention and drive traffic in 2024 and beyond.

Headline Writing Mistakes to Avoid
Before we dive into what to do, let‘s cover a few things you should NOT do when writing headlines:

1. Resorting to clickbait. Curiosity-driven headlines are great, but there‘s a fine line between intrigue and deception. If your headline is misleading or your content doesn‘t deliver on its promise, you‘ll lose credibility with readers.

2. Overpromising and underdelivering. Headlines that exaggerate or claim life-changing results will set expectations high. Make sure your content is as amazing as the headline suggests or you risk disappointing readers.

3. Being too vague or clever. Puns and jokes can work if done well, but often end up confusing people. If readers can‘t immediately grasp what your content is about, they likely won‘t click to find out more. Aim for clarity over cleverness.

4. Neglecting keywords. For your content to be found via search, your headline should include the keyword or phrase you want to rank for. Balance creativity with SEO optimization.

5. Writing for robots, not humans. Yes, keywords matter, but focus first on engaging your target audience. Headlines that are stuffed with keywords tend to sound unnatural and spammy.

The Anatomy of a Great Headline
Now that you know what not to do, here are the key components that make up an effective, click-worthy headline:

Numbers – Adding a number to your headline, especially odd and specific ones, can increase clicks by 36%, according to research by Conductor. Use digits rather than spelling out numbers (e.g. 7 not seven) so they stand out.

Questions – Asking a question in your headline creates an open loop that can spark curiosity and make people want to click to find out the answer. E.g. "Are You Making These 5 Headline Writing Mistakes?"

Power and emotion words – Certain words have been shown to increase click-through rates due to their ability to grab attention and tap into emotions. Examples: suddenly, now, announcing, revolutionary, shocking.

Specificity – The more specific your headline is about the topic and benefit of your content, the more effective it will be. Generic headlines like "How to Lose Weight" have been done to death. "9 Science-Backed Ways to Lose 10 Pounds in 30 Days Without Giving Up Carbs" is much more compelling.

Solutions – Similarly, headlines that offer a specific solution or desired outcome tend to perform well, as in the weight loss example above. Focus on the benefits someone will get from reading your content.

Relevance – With endless content to choose from, people gravitate toward headlines that seem most relevant to their interests, challenges, and current situation. The more you can signal "this is for you," the more likely the right people will click.

Freshness – Including the current month or year in the headline (e.g. Best of 2023) indicates your content is up-to-date and not yesteryear‘s recycled ideas. According to HubSpot, headlines with a time-frame got 27% more clicks than those without.

Headline Writing Formulas to Try
Staring at a blank page trying to craft the perfect headline can be daunting. That‘s where headline formulas come in handy. Here are some of the most effective templates you can use as a starting point:

1. How to [Do Something] in [Time Period]: How to Double Your Traffic in 30 Days

2. The Ultimate Guide to [Topic] for [Audience]: The Ultimate Guide to Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 50

3. [Number] Ways to [Benefit] Without [Obstacle]: 21 Ways to Get More Clients Without Cold Calling

4. [Authority] Shares/Reveals Their Top [Number] [Topic] Secrets: Tony Robbins Reveals His Top 3 Success Secrets

5. [Number] Surprising Reasons You‘re [Problem]: 7 Surprising Reasons You‘re Not Losing Weight

6. This [Commonplace Thing] Is the Secret to [Benefit]: This 10-Minute Morning Routine Is the Secret to All-Day Energy

7. What [Successful Person/People] Do to [Desired Outcome]: What Millionaires Do to Stay Productive All Week

8. [Number] [Mistakes/Myths/Lies] About [Topic] You Still Believe: 5 SEO Myths You Still Believe That Are Costing You Traffic

9. [Number] [Audience] Tested Ways to [Benefit]: 9 Dermatologist Tested Ways to Erase Wrinkles Naturally

10. Get Rid of [Problem] Once and For All: Get Rid of Acne Once and For All

Of course, these are just templates – feel free to get creative and put your own unique spin on them. The key is to focus on the benefit or transformation someone will get by consuming your content.

Headline Analysis and Testing Tools
Sometimes our own judgment isn‘t the best indicator of a headline‘s potential. Fortunately, there are software tools that can provide feedback and suggestions for improving your headlines based on data and algorithms.

Some of the best headline analyzer tools are:

• CoSchedule Headline Analyzer
• AMInstitute Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer
• Sharethrough Headline Analyzer
• SubjectLine Email Subject Line Tester

Simply plug in your headline and these free tools will rate it based on factors like word balance, sentiment, length, keywords, and skimmability. Some also show a preview of how it would appear in search results.

While headline scoring tools can be helpful for optimizing, they can‘t replace human feedback and testing. That‘s where A/B or split testing comes in.

Most email marketing platforms like ConvertKit, Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign make it easy to split test different subject lines to a sample of your list and send the winning one to the remainder. This takes the guesswork out of which headlines actually drive the most opens and clicks with your specific audience.

You can also use a plugin like Title Experiments Free to test different headlines on your WordPress blog posts and let the data decide which one is most effective.

Headline Writing Best Practices
In addition to using templates and tools, here are a few best practices to keep in mind when writing headlines:

Match the content. The headline sets expectations about what the reader will get, so make sure your content delivers or you risk annoying people. Don‘t exaggerate or overpromise.

Optimize for search and social. Do your keyword research to see what phrases people are using to find content like yours. Include them naturally in your headline, URL and meta description. Also, consider what would make someone want to click when scrolling through social media feeds.

Write multiple options. Professional copywriters know that the first headline you come up with is rarely the best. Get those creative juices flowing and brainstorm 10-20 possibilities before choosing one.

Cut out fluff. The best headlines are clear and concise, not stuffed with unnecessary adjectives or jargon. Aim for around 6 words or 50 characters and put the most important words up front.

Add brackets or parentheses. According to research by HubSpot, headlines that include bracketed clarification or an actual number in parentheses performed 38% better than those without these elements. E.g. How to Start a Side Hustle [Step-by-Step Guide] or 7 Keto Recipes (That Actually Taste Good)

Test, tweak, repeat. Think of headline writing as an ongoing experiment. Keep a swipe file of headlines that grab your attention and use them as inspiration. Monitor which of your headlines get the most engagement and adapt accordingly.

Examples of Compelling Headlines
Need some real-world inspiration? Here are headlines from a variety of niches that make excellent use of the principles and formulas outlined above:

• How I Built a 7-Figure Business in 12 Months – Without Quitting My Day Job
• 11 Surprising Signs You‘re Smarter Than You Think
• The Simple Trick to Making the Perfect Smoothie Every Time, According to Nutritionists
• This 30-Second Quiz Will Tell You If You‘re on Track for Retirement
• The 5 Questions You Should Never Ask at the End of a Job Interview
• The Single Best Way to Recover After a Workout, According to Science

The Future of Headline Writing in 2024 and Beyond
As content creation becomes increasingly automated, we‘re seeing AI tools like Jasper and Copy.ai starting to generate headlines based on a topic or description. While this can be a helpful way to brainstorm ideas quickly, the results still tend to be hit or miss compared to a trained human writer.

A case study by MarketMuse found that human-written headlines obtained a 28% higher click-through rate than AI-written ones. So while AI can help scale certain parts of the content creation process, when it comes to writing headlines that resonate with readers, the human touch still matters.

Another trend that will continue to shape headline writing is the rise of voice search, which now makes up nearly 50% of all searches according to TechCrunch. When optimizing for voice, headlines need to better match how people speak and ask questions out loud, not just what they type into search engines.

The use of long-tail keywords and natural phrases will become increasingly important, as will highlighting quick answers and definitions that voice assistants can easily read out.

Finally, as social media algorithms continue to evolve, so will the types of headlines that stand out in news feeds. With platforms like Instagram and Twitter leaning into a TikTok-style, short-form video experience, headlines will need to be even catchier and more compelling to stop the scroll and earn that click.

Conclusion
Writing headlines that grab attention and make people want to click isn‘t always easy, but it‘s a skill that can pay off immensely in terms of traffic, leads, and sales.

The key is to focus on the benefit to the reader, use proven formulas and techniques, and most importantly, keep testing and tweaking to see what works best for your unique content and audience.

By avoiding common headline mistakes, incorporating elements like numbers, questions, and power words, and staying up-to-date on SEO and social media best practices, you‘ll be well on your way to writing headlines that get results in 2024 and beyond.