So, what is the low down on blog headlines?  In this post I will be discussing format, relevance and the all important hook!  I will preface by stating my personal preference.  Why?  Because I want you to proceed through this post with the utmost confidence that I value the integrity of your blog.

I’m just going to come out and say it.  I really begrudge those super awesome, catchy blog titles…that lure you in and DON’T deliver half of what you expected.

1. You have my attention.
2. Scrolling, scrolling still scrolling.
3. Ah wait I know this game.  CLICK BAIT!

You should aim to deliver on the promise(s) you state within your awesome headline.  It’s all well and good getting someone to your site, but you need them to leave with a positive impression.  

Phew now that’s out in the open let’s jump to it!

Formatting an Awesome Headline

Where do the capital letters go though?  *cry* There are a few different “headlines styles.”  It can get pretty messy, because all the styles differ slightly.  However I am going to keep things simple.  I care about our sanity after all!  Luckily for us there are a few general rules they all follow:

• Capitalize the first word in the title
• Capitalize the last word in the title
• Capitalize the important words in the title

What are Important Words?

In most cases, they include the following words:

• Adjectives (yummy, smooth, uneven)
• Adverbs (bravely, defiantly, quickly)
• Nouns (lamp, mug, scroll)
• Pronouns (they, she, he)
• Subordinating conjunctions (as, so, that)
• Verbs (dance, believe, talk)

The following types of words are generally not capitalized:

• Articles (a, an, the)
• Coordinating Conjunctions (and, but, for)
• Short (less than 5 letters) Prepositions (at, by, from)

What’s the Alternative?

Sentence Case is for those brave souls that wish to disregard the rules.  By following Sentence Case you can write titles as if they were a typical sentence.  This first word of your heading is capitalized and the rest are in lower case (except for proper nouns.)

All of this stuff can get pretty kerazy!

I think the most important take away is CONSISTENCY.   Choose your preferred “style” and stick to it throughout.  This includes your blog subheadings.

Punctuation Rules

Subtitles should be separated from the main title with a colon or a dash.  Unless the title and the subtitle are both very short, then it is best to use two separate lines.

Don’t use italics or quotation marks to format the FULL title.  Avoid full stops!  Any punctuation or italics which are required for independent reasons should be used normally; this includes a question mark at the end if the title is a question.

Make your Headline Catchy

OK so we have the formatting covered…Now for the fun stuff!  If you have a lackluster headline, you run the risk of being ignored.  No one needs or wants that for their content.

I want to bring your attention back to my lovely preface from earlier.  You want to make it catchy, but not click baity!

ALWAYS deliver on your promises.

As a general guideline titles that have 55 characters and approximately 6 words tend to perform better.  Although you can fluctuate between 6-8 words!  I recommend making  use of the CoSchedule Headline Analyzer.

This is a FREE resource that analyses your blog titles and provides clear feedback and actionable steps to take.

Power Headline Words

This is the part in which things could get pretty click baity.  But I think including an emotive/power word within your headline is acceptable.  IF you follow this up with some awesome content!

Some examples of power words are:

• Free
• Interesting
• Useful
• Competitive
• Successful
• Quick
• Easy
• Valuable
• Breakthrough
• Proven

I encourage you to look up more power words that resonate with you and your blog!

I feel that when you use these more “salesy” techniques they should really really resonate with you.  In this way the will ALWAYS come from a genuine place.

To conclude, whatever “style” you choose consistency is key.  Don’t forget to extend this to your subheadings too!

AlWAYS Remember to Optimize

This is my last 2 cents  on blog headlines! Remember to include your key words in the main headline and at least one subheading within the body of your text.

I do hereby swear to help protect both your integrity AND your SEO!

If you’re not sure about SEO, check out my previous post by clicking the image below.

P.s. If you appreciate the content I share here, why not buy me a coffee? 🙂

As always I hope this has been useful content.  Have I missed anything?  Please leave a comment below!