How to Create a Meaningful Blog Post Title That Gets Clicks

Forget short stories and elevator pitches. A modern writer’s true artistry is measured by his ability to craft clickable blog headlines. As a blogger, you surely know what we’re talking about. There’s nothing more challenging – or important – than coming up with titles that convert. 

Luckily, we know what it takes to write eye-catching blog post titles. 

How to Create a Fantastic Blog Post Title 

The best-performing blog post titles for both organic clicks and search engine optimization (SEO) are concise and impactful. They straightforwardly reveal the context and the benefits while also throwing a hook for the readers by offering quick and effective solutions or appealing to readers’ interests and emotions. 

Combine that with a killer meta description for your post and you’re reeling in traffic!

These techniques work for more than just Google. Catchy titles are important in all sharing sites like Pinterest, LinkedIn, Medium, and Reddit.

Keep it Short 

Let’s face it: most of us don’t have the attention span for long titles. As a blogger, you have a tricky task – to draw your readers’ attention and set the scene for your post in about 60 characters. That’s between 8 and 15 words, which should be more than enough to make an impact. 

Plus, Google will cut your title off if it’s too long. A part of the message (and some SEO keywords) might get lost. Like its users, Google likes its titles short, sweet, and compact.

Emphasize Benefits 

Bloggers publish around 7.5 million posts on the internet every day. Why should anyone click on yours? You must give your readers a good reason to read your post.

So, a clickable title must put this reason front and center. Consider the benefits of individual posts for your readers. What will they learn? Will it help them achieve something they need or want? 

In short, you want your post to match their search intent. This brings you highly engaged and relevant readers visiting your page.

Depending on the type of the blog post, there are various title techniques you can use: 

• How To 
• Guide/Checklist
• Question
• What/Why
• Solutions

If you’re offering urgent solutions, remember that your readers are probably nervous and in a hurry. To make them click, you need to be very straightforward and on-point. 

Add Power Words 

Which solution is better – a plain old good one or a solution that is simply perfect? Perfect beats good just as impressive trumps solid or fantastic beats okay. These are power words. 

Titles that include words like these are more persuasive as they invoke a psychological response from readers. Take meaningful, for example. It implies value and instills confidence. 

Power words help establish authority on the topic, but you can achieve the same effect using statistics and numbers. Both signal to the reader that this is a post from a field expert. 

Know Your Audience 

Take this title from a popular economics blog: Matriline versus Patriline: Social Mobility in England, 1754-2023. It’s a fine title, but would you ever click it? No, unless you’re into economics or history. How about this one: How I Grew My Blog By An Unbelievable 650% In Six Months? If you’re looking for solutions to increase your blog traffic, that post would be a no-brainer!

When writing a catchy title, you must remember that different styles appeal to different audiences and that this doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with a topic. 

You must find an appropriate voice and language for a specific audience. Analyze your main demographics – if you’re writing for the younger crowds or about casual topics, you can use slang and pop culture references. If you’re running a legal blog, use legalese, and so forth. 

Invoke Emotions 

Connecting to your audience on a deeper level will help you build a community of loyal followers. So, feel free to get personal. Here’s a good example: Working Harder than Ever, but Still Worried about Downsizing? It shows you know and care about their feelings.

If your niche allows it, you can get a bit poetic, too. Emotional words like heartwarming, joy, pride, awe, or acceptance tug at their heartstrings and make it easier for them to relate. 

Review and Improve 

When you’ve conveyed the benefits and values and achieved the right emotion, it’s time to step back and reevaluate. Is it clear enough? Could it be shorter and hit the same target? 

Let’s not forget – your blog title must satisfy whichever algorithm you’re catering to before it can get clicks from readers. SEO is integral to this, so ensure you’ve used the right keyword. It should fit in the title effortlessly so your readers can’t tell it’s strategic. 

Of course, avoid clickbait at all costs. 

Engaging Blog Post Title Examples

You’re not sure how to start? Here are some  great examples to inspire you:

• Your Guide to Mastering Productivity in 2024 [Step by Step]
• How to Make Authentic Bolognese Sauce: 5 Secret Ingredients
• Would You Like to Skyrocket Your Blog’s ROI? Here’s How I Did It
• 10 Key Reasons to Exercise When You Don’t Feel Like It
• Data Recovery Solutions: 8 Methods That Actually Work

Each of these exhibits one or more of the elements we discussed and clearly states what benefit the reader will get from clicking.

Conclusion 

A well-written title can make or break your blogging efforts, so here’s one last tip for you: create a couple of versions of each title and test them on your friends. The best title is often the simple one. The title perfectly sums up your blog post’s topic, intent, purpose, and style.