How To Write Good Titles
72How to write good titles that get people to click
Writing good titles is very tough
A lot of people who write articles online like myself often struggle with writing titles. Should I write along title? Should I write a short title? How many keywords should I include in my title? Should I write my title as a question or should I make a statement?
Internet marketers will tell you to focus on benefits over features
The traditional answer that most "guru" online marketers will tell you is to write about the benefits in your title and not the features. For example, if I'm trying to get people to open an article about a fast red Porsche I'm better off writing "Impress all the chicks and get them to run after you in your new Porsche" than "Porsche - 0 to 60 in less than five seconds". Get it?
I present a different way of writing effective titles
But, I have another much better way of writing titles that will get way more of your readers to open your hubs and blog posts. Let me explain.
Cliche titles are ineffective in getting people to click
I am on several online marketers' email lists. In addition to being sincerely interested in their content I also like to see what kinds of titles they write and how they present their content. If they write titles like "Get XYZ Product or Service Free" or even "Get XYZ Product or Service at up to 75% off" I simply won't open it. I know that they're just trying to sell me something. I get approached every day in the street by people trying to sell me stuff. By writing such cliche titles they end up looking like salesmen and FAIL to get me to open their emails.
Good titles trigger peoples' emotions
However, a few weeks ago I got an email from an online marketer that read "Bad News". When I saw that in my in-box I got an "oh ship" feeling because I thought something was wrong. This online marketer actually had given many customers including myself a free copy of his software. With this incredibly effective title he struck me with the "oh no" emotion and succeeded in getting my click.
For SEO you still must include your keywords in the right places
So, here is how I would put this title writing concept to use in the context of HubPages. If you'd like to put something in your title that's doesn't really relate to your content as I have done that is fine. In order for the search engines and HubPages itself to pick up on the content of your hub you still have to put your keywords in certain places including your a) Hub URL name, b) Text box title, c) H2 or H3 title, d) Bold text and e) Tags. By adding your keyword just a few times in these areas the search engines will know what your hub is all about and you should get traffic.
Be creative with your titles - use variations
While Bad News may seem a bit extreme in touching off people's "oh no" emotions there lots of other creative titles you can write on this theme. For example, you could write: "I think you are wasting your time", "Quit Wasting Your Time", "Stop Being a Jerk", "I'm Rich and You Aren't" or even "You suck!". You see, what you're doing is getting people to say, "What - who me?" Then - CLICK.
Do you have any other creative ways of writing titles?
Just recently fellow hubber Gypsy Willow wrote a hub with the brilliant title, "Spotted Dick, What the Heck?". You see, by writing a hub title that was totally kosher but had a slightly sexual innuendo I imagine that that she got scores if not hundreds of people to check out her hub. I'm sure there are a ton of other wonderfully creative ways of writing titles. Writing "Bad News" and setting off peoples' "oh no" emotion is just one way. If you know of any other creative ways of writing effective titles that get people to click let us know in the comments section.
Cheers,
-Dawei888 :-)
How to write effective titles and headlines
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Comments
Hi rb11 - Hmm...Interesting comment from you as always. For some reason people react more to negativeness than positiveness - I've heard. I have heard of the Rich Jerk. It's interesting to know that he used the negativity model. Anyways, I wonder how other hubbers are reacting to my title on this hub then finding out the content is about title writng. thanks again, dawei888
Cool hub Dawei! I like the wealth of information you have here, its helpful and interesting.
Hello Dana, Thank you very much for your kind comment. I'm glad that my writing is able to help in any sort of way! dawei888
Hi Dawei , I spent some time crawling your hubs lol and am inspired. Thanks for presenting your info in easy speak language too. Now this one Im more condident achieveing ( I think) lol
Hi Eaglekiwi - wow - i cannot believe i inspired you! Thanks so much. Keep on hubbing! dawei888
Hi Dawie, Just happened across your posts and am enjoying the info that you're sharing. I'm a newbie, in fact, as about as much a newbie as one can get.
First I would like to ask if this.... "a) Hub URL name, b) Text box title, c) H2 or H3 title, d) Bold text and e) Tags", has to do with placing keywords in the web page landing sites you want readers to go to or about the posts here at hubpages? And exactly what are each of those?
Second, considering that there are so many scammers out there just out for a buck, if you were in my position of just starting out, who would you trust as a mentor(s). Most of the, so called, gurus seem to leave out a lot of info (secrets) even when one purchases the product they are promoting. I have been looking at article marketing because of all the money I have spent, and lost, doing PPC. Any advise from you and/or your friends would be much appreciated. Kind Regards to All, Dave Mitchell
hey dave, first of all - dawei means dave in chinese! so i'm dave too! ok, that bit about putting your keywords in your hubpage URL, text box etc applies to your hubpages. u have to stick your keywords where they count - meaning where the search engine can pick them up! regarding mentors: The best mentor for yourself is indeed that very person: yourself. as an internet marketer you have to learn stuff on your own. i actually think 95% of the guys selling stuff on-line are full of crap. u're the man for yourself. just start banging out your own content here on hubpages or on your own website and you'll reap the rewards. i have learned a ton of stuff from typing stuff into youtube and watching tutorial videos. u can also learn a lot from other hubbers here. cheers, dawei888
Thanks Dave. I'll keep on reading your posts and maybe you will be seeing some of mine soon.
Dave Mitchell
Hi David, You really my hub lecturer, i learn from you really..
hey tommy - glad i can help! i can see you're working really hard on your hubs and that will surely pay off one day. keep up the good work! dawei888
lots of useful information, thanks.
Hi LondonGirl! Thanks for your kind comment! dawei888
Thanks for the advice, I'm going to change my sub-titles now.
hi hugh - change sub-title and all H2-H3 headings on each paragraph as i've done in this hub and u should see increased search engine traffic. tks
londongirl - my pleasure! i hope this helps you! dawei888
hi hugh - change sub-title and all H2-H3 headings on each paragraph as i've done in this hub and u should see increased search engine traffic. tks
londongirl - my pleasure! i hope this helps you! dawei888
Hi david, I tried change bit subtitle, your are right, it will increase traffic. Very useful. hopefully can increase traffic on google too.
To Hugh - this tricks works.
tommywong
Hey Tommy! How are you? Thanks, man! I'm glad this has helped you. Actually, i have to go through all my old hubs and change the subtitles. I changed them on my "Tips for Dating Asian Girls" hub and I noticed an immediate pick-up in traffic. Just it takes so long to go thru all the old hubs. I wish i new the importance of H2-H4 headings and tags when I started! dawei888
hi David:
I am fine, is not too late for you to find out, we always learning....by the way, i am still slow in hub writing, you know....pool english... :P ...but i will pick up soon...Thanks David
tommywong
Ha! Your english is good enough, tommy. just have some minor improvements u can make in english grammar! nothing serious! don't worry. just push ur hubs out and hoop up the adsense! it's not big money in the beginning but it'll pick up. dawei888
Good advice and very needed by me. I always struggle over the titles. I will keep this in mind, especially what you said about putting your key words in other places. Thanks!
HI K@ri - thanks! i think the most imporant point is to put the keyword in the beginning of the title and not to make the title too long. this has got me great results! dawei888
Another awesome hub dawei. You don't disappoint, do you?
hi ajm5050! haha! pressure's on dude! i usually just put out new hubs when something useful comes to mind and don't force it. i'm never win the 100 hubs in a month 30-day challenge!!! thanks again! dawei888
I thought article titles had to be specific to get the seo boost. Email titles might be different, though, to encourage people to click.
Hi Don - I agree - sticking your keywords in your article is very important for SEO. But, if you already have a subscriber base to your blog using the emotional title can work very well, then put your kewords in your H1 tag. You bring up a very good point thought. Thanks!
Good information. Thanks
Hi Puppascott - sure thing - hope it helps!
Its true it seems like when you tell someone NOT to do something then they are more likely to do it, I like the ads that say "don't buy this or that until you read this" or "xyz is a scam". or "if you are not ready to be successful don't read any further." I hear that marketers get the most clicks out of these types of ads.
Hello Research Analyst - Yes, I have heard the line "If you think everything in your life is going perfectly please stop reading this and close the page." These are excellent lines that get people to click and take action. Thanks very much, dawei888
I found your hub to be very informative, great tips on how to write attention-catching titles! Keep up the great hubs
I'll pick anyone's brain. I'll emulate a good idea in a heartbeat! I hadn't thought sub-titles were important, but I liked your thoughts on them. Thanks. But maybe I should include a Boo too because your insight has caused me the extra work of re-doing all my hubs. (lol)
rb11 says:
5 months ago
Dawei, this is a on going study that seems to be ever changing. I submit a lot to ezinearticles and some days the "how to" or the "three ways to.." titles attract a lot of attention. Other times the "don't do this" or the "ways not to do.." have more impact. I'll have to try your approach a few times, I know in the past the "Rich Jerk" had success with that model.
Regards