It’s one thing to be able to write compelling content – it’s quite another to ensure it gets read and ranked. In a world where the average attention span gets shorter and shorter – some estimates equate our attention spans with that of a goldfish — nailing the title is absolutely critical.

Titles sell content. They sell it on social media, they sell it in search engines, and they sell it in email. However, crafting titles seems to be a sticking point with many people – especially business owners who write their own content and aren’t necessarily professional writers.

Here are some tips on writing catchy headlines and blog titles that will grab the attention of your readers from the first few words.

1.  Start Off With a Working Title

First, begin with a rough draft, a working title if you will. Make it specific so it guides the creation of the blog topic you have in mind. You can craft your blog around the title later.

2.  Ensure Accuracy

Accuracy is important when fine tuning a title, as it sets clear expectations for your readers. Respect the reader experience, above all. Don’t promise anything in your title that you can’t deliver later on in the content. You’ll lose their trust. If your content keeps the promises you made in the headline, while conveying your value proposition clearly, you not only nail your first impression, you also greatly increase the probability that the user will stay longer on your website, says Neil Patel.

3.  Find Language That Resonates with Your Audience

Think about your core buyer persona and use language that resonates with them and the things that hold value for them. Here are some tips:

• Use alliteration to make a subtle but strong impact.
• Incorporate strong phrases but use them in moderation.
• Make the value clear.
• Focus on the “whos” rather than the “whys.” Headlines including the word “who” generate a 22% higher CTR than headlines without it.

4.  Keep it Short

If you want your post to rank well in search, keep it under 70 characters; otherwise, the title will get cut off. If you want to optimize your title for social sharing, go for between eight and 12 words to get the most Twitter shares, or between 12 and 14 words for Facebook likes.

5.  Optimize for Search and Social

Focus on keywords you’re sure your audience is already searching for, then research the search volume for those keywords. Place that keyword as close to the headline’s beginning as you can. Additionally, make your headlines tweetable, ideally between 120 and 130 characters.

6.  Hire Someone

Coming up with the perfect title for a blog takes time, not to mention the time and research it takes to actually write the content. To professional writers, coming up with blogs and titles is second nature. They know what will pull your readers in and what will entice them to keep reading. Best part is, they can follow through on their headline promises by crafting the content around the title, ensuring trust with readers.

You’re too busy to sit and stare at a screen trying to come up with the right headline for your blog. A niche writer who knows your industry can do it in a fraction of the time. Get your blogs read and ranked with Content Runner’s vast resource of writers. Contact us to learn more and get started on creating compelling headlines today!