Post titles are a key weapon in the successful blogger’s Arsenal. I’ve written about them before, but thought it was time for a refresh and I believe this particular title perfectly illustrates the point.
You clicked it right? Well, here’s why you did!
1. It has a number in it
Our brains simply love numbers. They grab our attention, jump out at us and spark our inquiring mind.
More specifically, our brains like small, single digit numbers as they imply a focused, ‘no BS’ discussion of the topic at hand and all the better if that number is odd.
Why odd? Well, 10 reasons sounds like you have made yourself write 10 as it is a nice round number, while 7 suggests that’s it, you’ve exhausted all the good stuff and you’re not messing around!
So, the number 7 is perfect.
2. It is a list
We also love lists and that number in the title tells us that the post is going to contain one.
Lists are easy to read, simple to digest and imply organisation another thing our brains adore.
3. It is Commanding
There’s no softly, softly here. The title isn’t ‘you might’ or ‘you should’, it is ‘you will’.
Who are we to argue with authority?
4. It Contains A Clear Instruction
The title of the post contains an instruction ‘click on this post title’.
Combined with point 3, that’s pretty compelling for our brains!
5. It Says You In It
Using the word ‘you’ in the title strongly suggests that there will be personal benefit for anyone reading the post.
I’m not saying we’re all purely out for number 1, but let’s be honest, you are much more likely to spend 5 minutes of your valuable time reading something if you believe that it will teach you something/entertain you etc.
6. It Is Intriguing
The title itself has an element of mystery about it. It is self referential, which makes it a bit odd and helps it to stand out.
I flirted with the idea of calling it ’7 Surprising Reasons ’ which is even more intriguing, but would be a bit misleading as they are not really all that surprising!
7. It Is Short And Sweet!
There is a time and a place for long titles (i.e. this one), but in general, (like most things) less is more.
Communicate to potential readers what they will be getting when they click through to your post in as few words as possible.
In Summary
So, that’s 7 reasons why you clicked on this post title and hopefully you will agree that the post itself delivered on the promise of the headline!
A well written post title can dramatically increase click throughs, particularly from social media and the tips above should help when crafting yours. Just make sure you back up that great headline with solid, well written and informative content.
Author: David McSweeney
Courtesy: www.top5seo.co.uk
