Having a blog on your company website is vital. A successful blog will allow you to show off your expertise to potential clients, as well as create a steady stream of traffic to your site.
But how do you transform your blog from a personal outlet to a lead-generating asset? The key lies in crafting attention-grabbing headlines. Studies show that while most people read headlines, only a select few read their corresponding posts.
A great headline ensures that people will not only visit your site, but that they’ll stick around to see what you have to say. Here are a few tips on how to make your headlines pop.
Make it the right length. Your headline should be under 60 characters. Google indexes the headlines of each blog post and displays them in search results of 60 characters or less.
Make it relevant. Besides length, your headline should convey what the blog post is actually about. Save your headline for last or revisit it after your post is complete. Make sure that the content of the headline is still relevant.
Make it intriguing. This is the most important strategy. Consider asking a question geared toward homeowners, such as “Why Is My Electric Bill So High?,” “How Can I Sell My Home Faster?,” or “Will Remodeling My Home Boost Its Value?”
Lists are another way to pique interest. By teasing solutions to common problems, you’ll increase your chances that visitors will open the post and skim the list for answers and ideas. Think “7 Ways to Cut Energy Costs,” “4 Ways to Sell Your Home Fast,” or “Top 3 Renovations to Boost Home Value.”
Try making the headline vague or adding negative wording.
Visitors will feel like they’re missing out on something important by not reading the post. Some examples include, “Never Spend More Than This When Remodeling,” “Ever Seen a DIY FAIL as Bad as This?,” and “Top 5 Home Improvements ... #2 is Ridiculous.”
Finally, consider that website visitors scan headlines quickly. KISSmetrics, a Web analytics company, discovered that most people only read the first two or three words of a headline before jumping to the last two or three words. Put your juiciest words at the beginning and the end of your headline for better results.
