Your  titles are the most important aspect of your blog posts. Eighty-five percent of viewers will decide on whether to delete your message or read it based on the title and headlines alone.  There’s nothing more frustrating than creating  a well-researched article only to find it goes unshared or deleted.

5 Keys to make your post title from ho hum to irresistible

1. Keep it short and simple (“KISS” technique)

Try to limit your blog post titles to a 5-8 words.  Another way of writing a headline is to ask, “How would I explain this blog post to a friend?”

2. Focus on only one central idea

Don’t muddle your post with several messages. The headline should answer the 5Ws and H – what, where, when, why, who, and how.

3. Be Unique and Share your Flare

If your viewers have read the information before, it’s unlikely that it will get read again. Be different or have a new unique slant on it and let your personality shine through. Add some color and elicit emotions or curiosity.  The most important aspect of the headline is that it answers the question “what’s in it for me?” 

4. Provide solutions to the problems your readers are struggling withGoogle has allowed us the venue to find fast answers to urgent questions. According to Moz, here’s how users interact with search engines like Google:

  1. A user experiences a need for a solution, answer, or piece of information;
  2. The user types in a string of words that describe what they’re looking for known as “the query”;
  3. The user enters the query into the Google search box;
  4. The user browses and scrolls through the results;
  5. The user clicks on a result;
  6. The user scans for an answer or a link to the solution;
  7. If unsatisfied, the user returns to the search results and clicks on another result;
  8. If still unsatisfied, the user performs a new search with a more refined query.

With these things in mind, you can then craft your headline as straightforward as possible if your blog post talks about a solution to a problem.  If a headline is informative, relevant and engaging, it is more likely to get  clicked. 

The thing to remember however, is to make sure that the article and headline is in sync with the services that you provide.

5. Pique curiosity without adding drama

Unless you are writing for a tabloid, keep the sensationalism out of your headline. (although you can be a bit contrarian to get attention). The thing is, tabloid headlines often have the tendency to overpromise with no support to the content provided. Readers will feel like they’ve been tricked into reading the whole article.

This is something you don’t want to do to your readers. Respect your readers’ time by writing headlines that promise content you can substantiate.

These are just five of the many ways you can craft an irresistibly appealing blog post title to give your content the time and attention it truly deserves.

Having trouble thinking of the headline you need.  Run it by us with a free consultation. Contact Barbara@TheMedicalStrategist.com