Many times creators spend hours researching, drafting, outlining, and creating their content but then spend minutes creating a title so they can publish and move on to the next piece of content. Today we will discuss how to make a good blog post title and title blog posts for SEO performance.
Headlines are prominently displayed in the SERP for searchers, and it is key to describe in a very short set of characters what your content is about. The headline must explain what you wrote and how it applies to the search intent and be intriguing enough to gain the click.
Any business owner, affiliate marketer, niche website owner, or similar content creator must understand how to craft the perfect headline or set of headlines to get the searcher to click or read the meta description underneath the title in the SERP.
Let’s dig into titles in general and then dig into how you must build headlines, as you need to fulfill the needs of the search intent and search and implement SEO-focused keys to assist bots in understanding the content and help get the initial ranking.
Why Blog Titles Matter to Visitors
Your blog title is your first chance to showcase your content topic to a searcher. It’s essentially a mini advertisement for your content, and it should be descriptive but not overly so.
The best titles are concise summaries of what you have to say and immediately hook the reader. Then, your content will speak for itself.
To be effective, your title should include the keywords or key phrases that you are trying to rank for in search engines. In long-tail searches the key here is focus on the key wording and intent not the entire search phrase.
Keyword stuffing was a key back in the day, but it’s a waste of time and effort these days. It looks like you’re trying to trick search engines into thinking that you’re blogging for bots, which can harm your ranking.
Why Blog Titles Matter to Search Engines
If you want your blog post to be seen on Google, you must consider how search engines interpret your title as initial ranking may be helped by helping a search engine understand the purpose of your content.
A great blog post title will convey details to the reader and a search engine to help them understand the subject of the piece of content.
A good example is a “How to” article or “Expert Tips for…” post. The titles of these posts can tell the reader and a search engine that the post intends to be educational or entertaining.
Your blog’s title is the first thing that search engines see when they find your content. When choosing a title for your content, make sure it is unique and catchy, which makes your audience want to read on to find out more.
You can use Google Search Console and Google Analytics data to see which of your titles are performing well and which are not and adjust your content.
So Then, What Actually Makes For a Good Blog Post Title?
A blog post title should capture the reader’s interest and convey the story without giving it away. For example, a blog title with the words guide to avoiding incompetent marketing agencies will likely attract readers.
Likewise, a blog title with the words guide to finding a marketing agency will likely not get the same attention.
If it were simply a straightforward article title, readers would not be likely to click on the title.
A blog post title should convey the article’s content, who it’s supposed to help, and why.
Today’s internet is saturated with information. It is easy to find a blog post on any subject, but people do not have the time to read a post’s entire content without a real reason.
As a result, it is important to provide the information readers want before they click on the title. This is where a well-written blog title comes in.
Writing a blog post title is like playing any game of thought. You have to fit in your keyword, convey the post’s topic, keep track of your editorial calendar and tie it into a pretty bow.
In addition to using the keyword-rich approach, you should also keep in mind the power words, numbers, and similar eye-catching marketing tactics.
In marketing, power words are powerful words that evoke an emotional or psychological response in the reader. These words are often used in sales ads and are very persuasive in any content.
You can find lists of power words online, and try using one of them in your title.
What Makes For a Crappy Blog Post Title?
If you haven’t considered your title before, it’s important to consider what it conveys to the reader. Does it convey a value proposition? Does it provide any information or data that the reader can use?
If it does not, your post could end up with a high bounce rate and a loss of readers. Some titles have cliches or sensational language that doesn’t convey anything.
Like Clickbait, these are often used by spammers or marketers promoting gimmicks.
A strong blog post title can make all the difference in attracting traffic to your site. Using a strong and concise title will help your site rank better.
The most effective blog post titles are short and to the point. If you don’t know what to write, try using a blog title generator to help you brainstorm.
These tools will help you generate an appealing and unique blog post title. If you want to try a free headline maker, check this tool out from Impact Plus.
Actionable Method To Create Amazing SEO Optimized Blog Titles
These steps can lead you to make better, more organized, and optimized blog titles for your content.
Find a Search Query or Post Concept
Any post needs to start with the concept; whether this is something you find on forums, Facebook, or using keywords through tools or Google Autocomplete, all content starts here.
Without this starting idea, you don’t know what you plan to cover nor how you could even think to title a post.
Construct Your Initial Working Title
Your initial working title is your targeted concept for the post, and it is to help you build the blog post structure and a guideline to ensure you don’t wander too far off the main topic.
Their purpose should just be specific enough to guide your blog post writing but also broad enough to allow you some creativity in your final title.
For example, if you want to write a post on “How To Make A Blog,” your working title could be “The Ultimate Guide to Making A Blog.”
Sometimes this is too specific and pigeonholes you into writing a certain type of post. It can also leave you too little room for creativity in the final title.
A better working title would be “How To Create A Blog That Converts.”
Now, you still have your main topic of creating a blog, but this gives you a bit more room to be creative in your final title while still staying on topic.
Build Out Headings and Sub Headings Before Writing
I need this as I tend to wander and meander through what I am talking about when I don’t have some sort of wall to keep me in line.
That is what your headings and subheadings are meant to do, and they give you an outline for your post so you can stay on track while writing.
This also helps with SEO as it gives Google an idea of your post by using keywords in the headings.
For our example blog post above, we could have the following headings:
- Why You Should Create A Blog
- How To Create A Blog That Converts
- What To Include In Your Blog Posts
- How To Drive Traffic To Your Blog
This now gives you guardrails on your writing to keep you focused on the main topic but also allows for some creativity.
Start Writing & Fill In Content Between Headings
Now comes the fun part; since you know what you are writing on and about, you get just to fill in the blocks between headings, which makes the introduction, transition, and conclusion sections write themselves.
If you find yourself going off-topic, then simply adjust your heading or subheading to be more specific so you can get back on track.
For our example post, we could start with an introduction that discusses why someone should create a blog in the first place.
Then we would move into the meat of the post, which is how to create a blog that converts.
We would discuss what needs to be included in each blog post and conclude with how to drive traffic to your blog.
Feel The Headings and Where The Content Goes Over the Entire Length
As you write, you can use this time to get into the reader’s mind, get a feel for the content and make a note of things you feel about the content, and these can be used to help you craft a better title that suits the feel of your post.
By understanding how your content feels, you can better understand what title will fit it best.
Document Power Words the Content Evokes in You or You Want to Evoke
Power words are important and underused by many bloggers and affiliate marketers, they evoke emotion and can be used to make even the most boring content sound exciting.
Some examples of power words are:
- Free
- New
- Improved
- Better
- Sale
- Get
As you write, make a note of any power words that come to mind or that you feel would be good to use in the title.
Document Any Urgency Felt in The Content
Urgency is a great motivator, and by understanding if your content has any urgency, you can better craft a title that will make people want to read it.
Some examples of urgency are:
- Now
- Today
- Last Chance
- Hurry
- Deadline
- Ends Soon
As you can see, these words create a sense of urgency that can be used to help people understand that they need to read your content now.
Build Multiple Headlines (At Least 3-5 Options)
You need to make a few headlines. For most to get the best title, they will need to write at least 3-5 headlines before finding a winner.
This is because it allows you to play around with the words and see what works best. You can mix and match words, change things, and get a feel for what will work best.
Stay Accurate To The Content and Context
Don’t go into clickbait mode; make sure any titles you work on accurately reflect the content inside the post.
You want people to stay on your site, not leave as soon as they click through, so make sure you are accurate in your titles.
You can be creative; just make sure you are also being accurate.
Make It Pop
You want to try to sexy it up, and you want it to be something people will want to click on because it looks intriguing and worthy of their time.
This is why you need to make sure your headlines look good, use numbers, use power words, and make them sound exciting.
You want to make sure it’s something people will want to click on. Knowing your ideal or core buyer persona can help with this a lot.
For example: Say you’re writing a post titled “15 of Our Favorite Creators on YouTube.” How would you choose to punch up our very accurate-but-somewhat-boring working title?
Here are some options:
- 15 Brilliant Creators Who Are Killing It on YouTube
- YouTube Success: 15 Inspiring Creators Who Just Get It
- 15 Must-Follow Creators That Are Seeing YouTube Success
Keep It Short (Less Wordy)
Try to cut out useless words and transitionary words and focus on packing a punch with fewer words.
This is why numbers work so well in headlines. They are to the point and get straight to the point.
You want your headline to be something people will want to click on, but you also want it to accurately reflect the content that awaits them once they click through.
Are you trying to optimize your title for social sharing? According to analysis at HubSpot, headlines between 8–12 words in length got the most Twitter shares on average. As for Facebook, headlines with either 12 or 14 words received the most Likes. – Hubspot
Focusing on making the title punchy will help you greatly and increase the range a post can travel and be shared across, leading to more views and increased growth.
Optimize Title For Search and Social For Increased Reach
Many focus only on search engines and search-based titles. Don’t forget, though, that you want to make sure the title works well for social media.
This is because you want your title to be something people will share, and if it’s not shareable, you’re missing out on valuable social media traffic.
Vary Headlines Don’t Use a Formulaic Title Across All Posts
Many bloggers get tied up in writing one style of a title, and this is just as damaging over time as a bad title. You are bringing in the same style visitors when you could write something new and exciting that stands out.
It’s essential to remember that people get bored, and if they see the same thing repeatedly, they will eventually tune it out.
Be creative; don’t just use a formulaic title because it’s easy. You want your titles to stand out from the rest.
Some Good Starters Titles To Build Headlines With
If you need some help getting the mental fires going you can look below for some ideas to play around with to see if you can find a version that works for you or helps you start moving forward:
- xx stats
- xx tips and info on xx
- xx ways to
- x things you should
- xx helpful tips, xx amazing tips, xx clever tips
- how it works, how they work, how to, how to fix
- xx things to know, a complete guide, helpful guides, things to consider
- cost breakdown, how much it costs, price, cost
- benefits, installation, options, styles, advice
- helpful videos, troubleshooting, history, safety, ideas
- requirements, layout, types, plan
- opinion, checklist, your options, things you should know
- all you need to know, what’s best for you, everything you need to know
- why you should have one, pros & cons
- whats the difference
- Know when to X
- Know how to X
- Know why you should X
Final Thoughts on Titling Blog Posts For SEO
The title is the most important part when you create a blog post. It should be interesting, descriptive, and contain keywords. However, the title needs to be as short as possible without being too long.
If it is too long, it will not fit in the character limit in the SERPs, and if it is too short, the reader won’t be able to read the entire headline.
A good headline length, in general, is right about 60 characters but depending on the characters, this can vary greatly.
The title should include targeted keywords, as this will determine the direction of your content and help you reach your target audience.
With today’s technological advances, crawlers have better tools to evaluate the material quality and rank it accordingly. It is best to keep your keyword use to only what’s needed to discuss the topic with value.
As always, the big thing to always focus on is writing. Try to publish as often as possible, but don’t forget to put some real thought into how you choose to title your posts; you will feel the results over time!
