How to Craft Blog Post Titles that Get Clicks

As a blogger, writer, and marketer for your small business blog the title of your blog post means everything.

It plays a significant role in how you get ranked in the search engines for instance.  And when someone has entered a search query in Google, Yahoo or Bing the first thing a potential blog reader is going to see is your blog post title followed by the description that the search engines provide.  As a result, it’s imperative that your title sets you apart from other results on the first page or that it is creative enough for your social media friends to click on, read and share with their friends.

Your blog post title will determine several things Including whether or not your potential reader will:

1) Read your post to begin with

2) Subscribe to your blog feed or even opt-in and request further communication from you.

3) Continue to read your content 0n your blog (via RSS Feed or Email)

4) How far your content travels

Your title must be attention grabbing to get the reader to click the first time.

However, Once your new reader has subscribed to your blog feed, that doesn’t mean they are going to come read your blog every single day.  It’s likely that they are subscribed to many other blogs, so you have to continue to draw attention to your content with a creative title.  Your future blog post titles can easily get lost in the abundance of blog feed updates in their favorite RSS reader.    Are you starting to see how crafting effective blog post titles can have on the success of your blog!

So how do you title your blog post to ensure it is attention grabbing and effective?

Below are some tips to ensure your blog post titles are catchy, attention grabbing and continue to get the clicks, not just the first time but continuously!

1) “How To” Blog Titles

As the solutions provider you are in your small business, your commitment to your readers and potential clients is to provide the information they are looking for.   “How to” titles clearly present solutions to common problems (see this blog post title for example).  Also, when you conduct keyword research, you will find that “how to x, y,z” make good long tail keywords to rank for in the search engines.  If you are getting traffic from social media sources i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Social Bookmarking, great titles can make a big difference in your content traveling faster and spreading virally.  A super catchy blog post title can spread like wildfire as long as you deliver the content to go with the title (that we’ll have to save for another blog post)!

2) “7 Ways” Blog Titles

When your title contains a number it draws more attention.  And an odd number psychologically works better than even numbers.  Also, when you outline a number of steps in your blog posts your readers already know what to expect.  When you tell your readers what they can expect, they can determine if your blog post will be quick and valuable enough for them to stick around and read.

I like the 101 ways posts, but as a productivity driven business owner, I’d rather much read “3 Ways to Increase Your Vocal Range” or “9 Steps to Starting Your Productively” than “101″ way posts.  Although, it depends on the topic (for instance I would read “101 Ways to Search Engine Optimize your Web Content” because I’m an SEO Geek).  If you are as productivity driven as I am, you’d rather create information products or follow up with your clients, than read long blog winded posts.

In addition, your customers want some form of action plan that goes along with juicy “7 ways to x,y,z” blog posts.  Out line a number of steps to solve the problem they are looking to solve in your blog post.  Give them just enough to want to come back and read your blog on their reader or email.  It won’t be enough to bring your reader back if you have a catch title and crummy content.

3) Blog Titles that Peak Curiosity or Ask A Question

Let’s face it we are all curious by nature.  We’re voyeurs who sometimes watch too much reality TV and like to hear the latest celebrity gossip.   When you write titles the spark curiousity you’re guaranteed a click.

When you ask a question, rather than make a statement, verbally and in writing, you make the mind think, and when you are asked a question, your brain tries to come up with the answer.  If you’ve made something think, you’ve guaranteed a new visitor to your blog.

Today I read a title in my reader asking, “What instrument do you play in the symphony of life?”  Out of curiosity I clicked on the link.

Another blog post title that would spark curiosity would be “A Peek inside (interesting or new thing).”

4) Use Hilarious Blog Titles

Make someone laugh, and you’ve made their day.  Use a hilarious title for an easy click.  Once they are there deliver the goods.

5) Top Mistakes to Avoid – Blog Post

Recently, Carol wrote a blog post here at Secrets to Web Success that was titled Twitter Marketing Don’ts, which has been recieving significant attention.  For one, Twitter is in.  And secondly, people want to know the mistakes they should avoid so that they can succeed faster.  If you can provide a list of things your potential readers/clients should avoid, you are bound to gain a reader.

6) Use Powerful Words that will Sell Your Post

• Secret (another curiosity word)
• Discover (gives people an inside to something they were unaware of previously)
• Save (people always want to save time, money, failure etc.)
• Avoid (people like to be warned)
• Tricks (insider tips save time)
• Shortcut (we always want to cut corners if possible)

The more you scan your RSS Reader and start noticing all the posts you do decide to read, the more you will start seeing what type of blog post titles are most effective.

To happy blog post title crafting!

Below are other excellent resources from around the web on crafting blog post titles that work.

Related Articles from Around the Web

10 Blog Post Title Templates (blogbuildingu.com)

How to Craft Post Titles that Draw Readers Into Your Blog (www.problogger.com)

8 Ways of Creating Compelling Blog Post Titles (www.contentblog.net)

About The Author

Dali Burgado, also known as "The Dali Blogger" teaches creative entrepreneurs how to carve a web presence that connects with their Inner Guru and their target audience. Her first online marketing love is SEO. She's an avid connector on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. When she's not coaching or teaching, she's tweaking sites for Search Engine Visibility, working on her PHP and Javascript coding skills, Singing Opera, or learning about gardening. Circle Dali on Google+