Best Tips to Write SEO Friendly Headlines
Headlines are the first, and sometimes only, thing people read when looking for content. To avoid losing reader interest, you need to have eye-catching headlines that grab attention. The intent is to first make people want to click on your link, and then read it all the way through. Having highly optimized headlines will not only allow your content to rank higher on search engine result pages, but when written correctly, they will inform and interest readers to want to click on your link instead of a competitor’s.
Here are some SEO friendly tips to keep in mind when crafting your next headline.
Utilize Keywords
Use a keyword tool to find the words or phrases that are being commonly searched. The tool you use may also provide you with information on how often each word or phrase is searched and if the competition on these words is high, medium, or low. Incorporating these keywords into your headlines will immediately make them more SEO friendly.
Lead with Numbers
When crafting a headline, think about what you would be most prone to clicking on when reading through a results page. Numbers stick out as easily-processed terms when readers skim headlines while scrolling. Also try including words along the lines of tips, tricks, ideas, and reasons to further inform the reader of the nature of the article. Readers can expect that articles will be a well-organized and a quick read.
Keep it Different
It’s great if you find a headline style that suits your business and interests readers, but don’t use the same formatting every time. If each headline is looking too familiar, readers may scroll past your link thinking they’ve already seen it, or just lose interest in what you have to say. You should also keep in mind the different target audience you have for each piece of content. While a quick-list article will be perfect for some readers, others will have different requirements for eye-catching material.
Don’t Get Too Wordy
Get to the point early in your headline, and don’t let it get too long. SERPs will only show about the first 60 characters of a headline. If your headline gets cut off before people can see what your article is even about, odds are they may not click on it.
Stay on Topic
Make sure your headline clearly states what readers can expect from your content. Even though you may start off your writing with a title and headline in mind, as you write you may end up veering away from that initial idea in the body copy. Be sure you reread your content and update your headline accordingly. This will prevent your site from having a high bounce rate.
Make them Shareable
Google actually rewards social-friendly, or commonly shared, posts in the algorithm that determines their SERP. The point of good content is to interest readers and then get them to share it with others. Your headline needs to be informative enough that this new reader will understand the point of your article.
With all this in mind, you cannot forget the most important part. You are writing for readers, not search engines. While you want to have SEO friendly headlines, you need to keep the reader in mind. Kraus Marketing can help you find the balance between SEO and reader interest. Contact us today to find out how our professionals can implement SEO into your content and strategy.