A headline can be as short as two words or more than a paragraph, but every word in a good headline should have an important job. A lot of copywriters spend 80 percent of their time on the headline and 20 percent on the rest of the article. That’s because the headline is the one thing that will turn a browser of your content into a reader.
Writing a great headline involves the same skills as writing any other type of article. It needs to be clear, concise, and compelling. But it also has to include keywords that will show up in searches.
The best way to do this is to use power words, which are words known to trigger a psychological or emotional response. Use them sparingly, but in the right places, and you’ll see a boost in click-throughs.
For example, a job seeker might say in their headline that they’re “Seeking New Opportunities” to get noticed by hiring managers and recruiters. But a better approach would be to highlight a specific skill set, like their ability to manage a large team of contractors or that they have experience aligning measurable business goals with HR policies and procedures.
A good rule of thumb is to keep your headlines as short and concise as possible while maximizing their value. Aim for about 10-20% of the words in your headline to be power words, which are known to provoke a psychological or emotional response. Also, try to include bumbers (lists), quantifiable benefits, and questions to engage curiosity and prompt readers to learn more.