Craft Headlines for SEO to Get Ahead in Search Rankings

This blog post’s title is so promising, right? And isn’t that exactly why you’re here?

But fret not, since it isn’t as clickbait-y as it sounds. We’ll provide you with just the value that we promised to help you craft offbeat headlines for SEO. That’s so you can double up your clicks and ultimately drive more sales. The intent behind mentioning this is to clarify that crafting such headlines is not a science. It’s actually quite simple once you have the right knowledge, which is what we’re here to provide. 

Source: Freepik

So, let’s get started with our all-encompassing guide on understanding headlines for SEO, covering the what, the why, and the how. We’ll also share real SEO blog titles as examples to analyze what makes them effective.

What Is an SEO Headline?

A headline for SEO is a well-crafted, informative, and clickable H1 title people see in search engine result pages (SERPs). It is often known as the first handshake with the readers. Why? Because that’s the first thing they see when they encounter your content. 

An SEO headline plays a super important role in accurately reflecting the idea behind an article. To make it click-worthy, incorporate keywords or phrases that people are likely to use when searching for related information on search engines like Google. We’ll discuss this later in detail.

Check out our interesting headline vs title guide to know the difference between the two. Well, some people even think of an SEO title and a page title as the same thing. Let’s bust this myth below.

Difference between SEO title and page title (H1)

The SEO title appears in search results snippets. It mainly deals with your article’s visibility in search engines and user click-through rates. Conversely, the page title (H1) is the main heading visible within the content of a webpage. It helps readers quickly understand the main idea that the article is talking about. It has nothing (directly) to do with search engine results. 

Why Are Headlines Important for SEO?

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Several reasons justify the importance of headlines for SEO. We’ll explore the key ones below to understand them better. In short, headlines

• are an important SEO ranking factor. Just so you know, a well-optimized title helps your content show up for the right searches (or for relevant queries).
• accurately reflect what users will find, saving them time. They also reduce bounce rates and signal to search engines that your content is relevant to your heading.
• boost your content’s chances of being selected as the featured snippet. It ultimately leads to higher visibility and increased organic traffic.

Now, let’s discuss some popular heading types and their impact on the content’s SEO ranking.

• Clear headlines help users quickly understand what your content is about, enhancing their overall experience on your website.
• Intriguing headlines spark user interest and increase the likelihood of interaction.
• Informative headlines win more clicks from users. This results in higher CTRs, which is a positive SEO signal.

How to Write Headlines for SEO

Writing SEO-friendly headlines is very tough – but only when you haven’t the right strategy. Here are some steal-worthy tips to follow and write compelling H1 titles.

Use keywords appropriately.

Your SEO strategy is nothing but a failure without targeting the right keywords. Be mindful of adding the focus keyword in the title strategically while maintaining readability and coherence. 

It increases your content’s visibility by attracting the target audience. But, don’t overstuff keywords as it can equally harm your search rankings.

Keep the length optimal.

The optimal length for an H1 tag is between 50-70 characters – the ideal being 60. Your title will trail off if it’s more than that. And what’s the purpose of creating it if the targeted audience can’t see it, right? 

So, find the sweet spot and make sure it’s clearly visible and understandable for both search engines and visitors. Let’s take an example of a good headline that utilizes space effectively and a bad one that gets truncated.

Avoid using stop words.

In SEO headlines, avoid stop words like and, is, the, or that. They are like the fat of your content, weakening your message. Trim them out for stronger, clearer headlines that rank better. It’s a really simple tweak but has a considerable impact.

Optimize for featured snippets.

Curate H1 titles that address common user questions. Are you worried about where to find such queries? Google’s ‘people also ask’  or ‘related searches’ are both great avenues to find a plethora of ideas about what people are actually looking for. 

Leveraging them increases the chances of your content appearing in Google’s featured snippets. As a result, you’ll get more clicks and more visitors.

Match with the page title.

If you’re thinking that we just discussed the difference between an SEO headline and a page title just above, you’re right. However, they are not entirely indifferent; instead, they complement each other’s roles in optimizing online content. For example,

We recommend the H1 and page title match contextually. Keeping your H1 consistent with your title tag helps ensure your page’s relevance to search engines. Hence, sticking to the same idea in both improves user experience.

Optimize for voice search.

Recently the rising trends of voice search compel businesses to optimize their content for voice queries. Consider crafting H1s that align with the way users naturally speak their queries. 

You can incorporate conversational language to ensure your headlines resonate with and/ or contain the words users are likely to use in their verbal queries. 

By aligning your SEO headlines with these natural language patterns, you’re giving your content a chance to appear in voice search results too.

Make it responsive.

Sometimes folks create content with compelling headlines and publish it directly. They skip an important step of testing the H1 (or content) on mobiles to see if it fits the space properly and doesn’t disturb the design. 

Ensure to optimize your SEO headline for mobile devices. Put simply, it should be readable and avoid truncation on smaller screens.

Perform A/B testing.

Test out different variations of your headlines and evaluate what works for you. Split-test different headline versions to see which ones generate higher click-through rates and drive more engagement. 

This allows you to refine your strategy and optimize your headlines based on actual reader preferences.

Stay up-to-date.

Keep abreast of SEO trends and algorithm updates to guarantee your optimization efforts remain effective. The best SEO practices keep evolving regularly. So, it’s important to stay informed and modify your strategies accordingly. 

There’s another aspect to this – refresh your headlines regularly. It signals to the reader that your content is recently uploaded or updated. This practice boosts your content’s visibility in search results, contributing to its ongoing relevance and usefulness.

For instance, simply replacing the original year with the current one, say, 2024 instead of 2023, can make a big difference. You may even adjust the content if necessary.

[Bonus] Quick Formatting Tips for SEO Headlines

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We’re dropping two basic yet quick formatting tips to ensure the visual prominence of your SEO headlines.

1. Use title case in your headlines, where the first letter of each major word is capitalized. Let’s take an example:

Good SEO Headline: 10 Proven Strategies to Boost Your Website’s SEO Ranking

Bad SEO Headline: 10 proven strategies to boost your website’s SEO ranking

2. Make your H1 tag stand out visually by using appropriate font size, color, and styling. Ensure that your H1 is coded as the main heading of the page using HTML markup, e.g. the <H1> tag. Search engines often give more weight to text within these tags.

How to Write Headlines for Humans

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Let’s now answer an interesting question — how to write headings for humans? We’ll explore strategies that focus on captivating your readers.

Know audience search intent.

To craft effective and human-friendly headlines for SEO, you need to understand the user intent. In simple words, it is the motivation behind a user’s search query. Once you understand this concept, you can tailor your headlines to better meet the needs and expectations of your target audience.

For example:

SEO headline (without user intent): “Bae Systems Wins Industry Award”

SEO headline (with included user intent): “10 Reasons Businesses Trust Award-Winning Bae Systems Security”

Generate multiple headlines.

At times, crafting headlines for SEO feels like you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere. Therefore, it’s better to craft multiple drafts in advance.  

To generate unlimited ideas effortlessly for your SEO headlines, try giving our Free Blog Post Idea Generator a try. Leverage the best AI suggestions and then refine them for maximum impact. 

Remember, compelling headlines are crucial for targeting search intent and attracting clicks from your audience.

Keep it clear and concise.

Remove any unnecessary words or phrases that don’t contribute to the meaning or impact of your headline. Keep it concise, to the point, and impactful, capturing the essence of your content in a few powerful words.

Crafting SEO headlines with this approach helps the readers quickly understand what to expect from the content.

Forge emotional connectivity.

Writing a winning SEO headline involves balancing logic and emotions within a few words. It all comes down to how you make your readers feel. 

Try to establish an emotional connection that urges readers to draw in and explore the content further. For this, identify the emotional benefits associated with your content and leverage them into your headline. 

Emotionally charged headlines usually create a stronger connection with readers and encourage them to click through.

Make it compelling.

Incorporating numbers in your headlines can make them more specific and compelling. Numbers suggest a clear structure and attract attention by promising a certain amount of information. 

For example:

Average Headline: Revolutionary New Skincare Product Takes the Market by Storm

Good Headline: 5 Skincare Secrets Dermatologists Swear By for Radiant Skin

Pique curiosity.

Make your SEO headlines unique, intriguing, and descriptive. Before crafting yours, explore what the top-ranked articles in SERPs are titled. Try to understand how they are approaching common topics from fresh angles.

Then craft your H1 by highlighting a distinctive aspect or the “X-factor” of your content. For example, it can be a surprising fact, a little-known technique, or an interesting perspective. This piques curiosity and entices readers to click and check it out further.

Offer personalization and value proposition.

Tailor your H1s to resonate with your target audience on a more personal level. Consider what interests them and what their pain points are. Then address them directly in your H1 to demonstrate understanding and relevance.

Moreover, communicate the unique value proposition of your content in the H1 clearly. Highlight what makes your page worth exploring and why readers should invest their time and attention in engaging with it.

Putting It Together: Writing Headlines Both Humans and Search Engines Love

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Writing outstanding SEO headlines that are reader-friendly and have the potential to rank higher in SERPs requires a thoughtful and balanced approach. Let’s see below how to do it right.

1. Use keywords naturally within headlines to appeal to search engines while maintaining readability. Doing it too much or too little can both harm the ranking. So, strike the perfect balance to achieve the expected results. Incorporating a value proposition can make it even better.

Let’s take an example: Boost Website Traffic With SEO

Now, we’ll add a few words to highlight the benefit + incorporate a keyword strategically.

Better version: 5 SEO Hacks to Skyrocket Your Website Traffic

2. Humans have short attention spans. Address the specific desires of your target audience by keeping your headlines concise and emotionally engaging. It also helps in avoiding truncation.

For example: Optimize Headlines Strategically for Enhanced SEO Performance

This headline lacks emotional connectivity. Let’s redo it by making it concise yet captivating. 

Better version: 5 Tips to Supercharge Your Headlines for SEO Success

3. Frame the headline to offer/ highlight a solution to a common problem or a challenge. This way you can address the readers’ pain point in the headline and earn more traffic.

Let’s say: Dealing With Stress

This headline does not offer any solution to the problem and therefore lacks that oomph factor. Let’s revamp it by incorporating ‘[X] easy ways’. It will add personalized value, promising instant solutions.

Better version: Stress-Busting Solutions: 7 Easy Ways for Instant Relief

By following these tips, you can write headlines that are both reader-friendly and have the potential to rank higher in SERPs. 

Don’t miss out on this explore-worthy guide about SEO article examples. It reveals the secrets behind some of the Google’s top-ranked articles. 

Good and Bad Examples of SEO Headlines

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The following best SEO headlines will give you ideas to craft yours better!

1. Debunking the X-Factor of the Top 9 SEO Article Examples in 2024

This attention-grabbing headline promises the explanation of the mysterious “X-factor” in SEO articles. Positioning this word at the start directly taps into the reader’s interest. Moreover, it offers valuable insights to upgrade your content strategies for 2024, reflecting its “freshness” and value.

2. 150+ Health Blog Name Ideas to Diagnose a Winning Name

This headline stands out as it offers a sizable collection of health blog name ideas. Secondly, it cleverly uses medical terminology i.e. “diagnose” to add a playful twist. It promises readers a comprehensive resource to help them find the perfect name for their health-related blog, appealing to both creativity & practicality.

3. Top 8 Professional Women Blogs to Elevate Your Career

By highlighting a curated blog list specifically aimed at professional women, this headline speaks directly to its target audience. It promises career-boosting insights and inspiration, appealing to the desire for personal and professional growth among women in the workforce.

Below are a few examples of less-than-good SEO headlines with the practices NOT to follow for an H1 title.

1. Is HTML Used for Web Pages?

Question headings perform really well, no doubt. But asking a question in the title with an obvious answer gives too much away. People won’t be interested in what they already know!

2. 10 Tips for Weight Loss – Lose 10 Pounds in a Week!

This headline promises unrealistic results within a short timeframe. Higher are the chances readers will understand that it’s simply clickbait, eventually creating distrust and losing credibility.

3. Buy Cheap Shoes, Cheap Shoes Sale, Affordable Shoes Online

Keyword stuffing is a clear red flag for your content. It not only makes the content unreadable and frustrating for the readers but also violates search engine guidelines, risking penalties and lower rankings.

Wrap Up

An SEO headline is the initial touchpoint of your article. Hence, crafting it exceptionally is very important to make it click-worthy and unforgettable. To achieve this, communicate the relevance and value of your content upfront in the H1. 

Throughout this article, we’ve explored different tips and tricks to craft clear, concise, and descriptive headlines for SEO. These headlines make it easier for visitors to understand the content of the page at a glance.

Do you have any suggestions for how to write a headline? Feel free to put points on the board in case you have any share-worthy tips. We’d ❤️ to hear from you!