11 tips for writing great blog post titles (with examples)

Around 7.5 million blog posts are published daily. And a massive chunk of those will be from your competitors.

So, it’s never been more important for writing better blog post titles than companies in your industry. Catchy blog titles make you stand out on Google, and when that happens, your CTR (click-through rate) will improve too.

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The first mistake people make with blog post titles.

Before I delve deeper, I want to cover the first and biggest mistake people make when choosing a title: Sticking with the first idea that pops into your head.

I’ve done it.

You’ve done it.

We’ve all done it. P

romise me, the next time you write an article, don’t choose your initial title unless it’s an absolute belter. Give it some thought and you’ll find a much better alternative.  

 

Why your blog post title is crucial.

You can write the most amazing, attention-grabbing article in history. But if the headline is boring, why have you bothered writing something so insanely awesome?

You’ve just written something read-worthy, so it deserves a title to match. write better blog post titles  

Tips for writing better blog post titles (with examples).

If you want to start writing titles much better, follow the following tips:  

 

One. Use odd numbers and check the SERP data

Using numbers at the start of your headlines almost guarantees somebody will click.

And what makes them click even more?

Odd numbers.

Our brains love organisation. Numbers tell it there is a logical order to the post. And it likes odd numbers more because it believes there is more value in an odd number than an even.

Even numbers feel placed.

Odd make it feel like you’ve gone that one step further.

Also, you need to check the SERP (search engine results page) data to determine the correct number. When researching the keyphrase ‘writing better blog post titles‘, here’s what I found:

write better blog post titles

Competing article SERP data

Of the first four competing articles, two have 9 tips, one has 6 tips, and the other has 101.

Forget 101; most audiences don’t want that many.

So, let’s ignore that and look at the 6 and 9. To look more informative, I need to create a list of tips that’s more than these without overwhelming the reader. I chose 11, but 13 or 15 would be a good figure.  

 

Two. Include your keyword/keyphrase in the title

One way to instantly start writing better titles is to include your keyword or phrase in the title, like so:

wwacopywriter

Keyphrase used in the blog title

The key phrase for the above article was ‘working with a copywriter‘.

It’s in the link of the website and in the article description. The result: it’s been on the first page of Google for three years (although my original version, with 14 tips that’s on ProCopywriters, outranks it – haha!).

If you’re new to Keyword Research or want one that really works, although it’ll cost you, I’d personally recommend:

Yes, you can get free ones, but they’re just a bit shite and don’t give you enough long-term information.  

 

Three. Use brackets in your titles

Using brackets in a blog post title is increasing in popularity. Take this article, for example:

logodesigner

A blog post that uses brackets effectively. [Img: Looka]

Adding ‘(With Examples)‘ or ‘(Step-by-Step Guide)‘ are popular. But you can choose something relevant to your business, as Looka has above.

Yes, some people will say it’s a fad and not to do it, but a study by HubSpot found articles with brackets were 38% more likely to get clicks.

38pcctr

Bracketed blog titles receive 38% more clicks. [Img & Study: Hubspot]

Fad or not, it’s worth thinking about.  

 

Four. Embrace ‘How to’ guides

People love content that solves their problems, and some of the most clicked blog titles are ‘How to’ guides:  

howtoguides

How-to guides are some of my most-read articles

Give it a go, no matter if it’s:

People love getting a step-by-step blow on what to do, so give it to them.

 

Five. The best way to write catchy blog post titles

When you want an answer to a complex problem, most people type ‘the best way to…’ into Google, so why make it difficult for your audience? Whether it’s:

  • The best way to get people to read your emails
  • The best way to write catchy blog post titles
  • The best way to stop your feet from smelling

Think about the problems you solve that a customer would Google, ‘the best way to’ for.  

 

Six. Make things sound urgent (but easy)

If you can make your title sound urgent, people will click. Take this title, for example:

bakecake

Urgency used in a blog post title

People are rushing around a lot. And they also like cake. This article headline tells the reader how to back a cake in 30-minutes – that’s no time at all! That’s urgency in one way, another is:

25faster

Another way to add urgency [Img: StudyPug]

By using words like:

  • Fast
  • Faster
  • Quickly
  • More effectively
  • At speed

You create an energy that makes it hard to resist clicking.  

Seven. Keep your titles short.

One of the best ways to write better blog post titles is to make them snappy!

Snappy blog post titles have great click-through rates (CTR). They shouldn’t be any longer than 10 words (like this post). Much longer, and it’ll cut off on the Google search link, or it’ll ramble on so long people won’t read.

If you’re using 34 words to get to the point in the title, the reader will assume your article is going to read like War & Peace.  

 

Eight. Include your audience in the title

Whoever your clients are, using their title in the headline allows you to talk directly to them. Like this one by The Good Alliance:

write better blog post titles

A strong, customer-focused blog post title

The Good Alliance work primarily with coaches. Including the word ‘health coaching‘ speaks directly to that coaching niche. And as an added bonus, including ‘to inspire your own‘ tells the reader the benefit they’ll get by reading it.  

 

Nine. Use power words wisely

You know, stuff like:

  • Amazing
  • Great
  • Awesome
  • Impactful
  • Better
  • Cool
  • Surprising
  • Strong
  • Powerful
  • Guaranteed

But don’t use them in every article.

The use of power words is on the way down a little, with some readers finding them a bit cliché or spammy.

One way to stop this is to use the power word only when the blog post title loses its impact without it.  

 

Ten. Mix up the rationales for clicking

It’s okay to use words like ‘Tips’, but don’t do it every time. Otherwise, you’ll have 100 articles starting ‘X Tips to‘.

Changing the ‘rationale’ will make your articles more appealing and less repetitive.

So, instead of only using tips, use words some words your audience might relate to, like:

  • Ways
  • Reasons
  • Tricks
  • Hacks
  • Ideas
  • Strategies

Using words your audience uses also gives you the chance to sound like you – this is where your brand tone of voice can really come into force.  

 

Eleven. Make it worth clicking and reading

There’s nothing worse than a blog title with content that’s proper shit. brand's tone of voice You want your reader to take action after reading. Whether that’s buying your product or just sharing it on social media.

Don’t promise that it’s game-changing in the title and not deliver. People will just think you’re a bit of a knob, and they’ll never read your stuff again, no matter how many strong blog post titles you write.

Make it worth them clicking on and reading.  

 

Start making your post titles better

If you’re gonna outdo the competition, writing better blog post titles is key to getting more clicks.

And now you know how to write a catchy blog post title; all you need to do is make sure the content kicks arse too – a copywriter can help you do just that.

If you need a hand in creating killer blog post titles, or you need me to write the whole thing for you, get in touch to see how I can help.

Until next time,

Matt

PS. If you love writing articles but want to find out how to improve your SEO, check out my article, 24 awesome ways to optimise your blog posts for SEO.

PS. If you need help with tone of voice, have a look at my blog post, 15 ways to write in a chatty tone of voice (with examples).  

chatty tone of voice copywriter

Written by Matt Drzymala

Hey, I’m Matt, a chatty tone of voice copywriter in Liverpool. I specialise in writing laid-back, fun or conversational copy for businesses that want to sound like somebody with a pulse runs their business, not a robot – like my dream client, Beano, who I worked with in 2023.

If you want to see more of my stuff, check me out daily on LinkedIn.

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