How to Write Powerful Headlines for the Web

Headlines are important when writing for the web. With only a few words you need to grab the attention of readers and search engines while setting the tone for the article. The headline of an article can make or break its success on the web. So how do you write strong headlines for web based articles?

Powerful Headlines 101- 3 Easy Steps to Writing Great Headlines for the Web

Step 1: Know Thy Content
First you need to know your content. Understanding what you have written is the only way to give the article a good headline. If you are writing about what brand of diapers is best for a newborn baby, your headline needs to tell your readers the answer to the question.

Example of not-so-good headline: What Brand of Diapers is Best for a Newborn Baby
Example of a powerful headline: Pampers Best Diapers for a Newborn Baby

The difference in the headlines is that the first one asks the question the reader was already asking, it doesn't help the reader answer the question. The second headline answers the question and leaves the reader feeling satisfied because they will know that by reading the article their question is being answered.

Step 2: Know Thy Purpose and Thy Audience
What is the purpose of your article? You need to know this information to set the tone and style of the article. Is your piece about a news worthy event? If so, then the headline should be straight forward and reflect the seriousness of the piece. If your article is about the newest teen trends in fashion then you will want your headline to capture the interest of teen viewers. Your headline needs to reflect who you are targeting whether it is moms, dads, teens or specific career professionals.

Example of a Headline for a "mom" audience: New Lavender Bubble Bath for Moms Comes with Health Warning (targeted to mothers who may be considering using the product)
Example of a Headline for a "health professional" audience: Lavender Bubble Bath Poses Health Risk Including Narcolepsy and Dizziness (targeted to a professional audience with the medical findings associated)

Both headlines are strong yet they differ just enough for targeting different readers. Keep the purpose of the content in mind and the target audience when writing a headline for your article.

Step 3: Know Thy Keywords
Keywords are used to help search engines pick up your content and make it available to those searching for it. If you are writing about the latest Auntie Anne's pretzel flavor being unveiled you will need to know what the keywords associated with pretzel's and Auntie Anne's.

The construction of keywords in your headline is important too. You don't want to repeat the same verbiage that you already have in your article. Readers get turned off by this. And search engines are not fans of repetition. To understand what keywords you are using read over the first paragraph of your content. Write down the top 5 keywords that jump out at you then make a sentence regarding your content with the 5 keywords you chose. Trim the keyworded sentence into a powerful headline.

Example of keyword sentence: Auntie Anne's unveils newest pretzel flavor, cinnamon raisin and nut, on the fourth of July and proceeds will go toward helping the hungry.
Keywords: Auntie Anne's, pretzel, fourth of July, helping the hungry
Example of Headline for keywords: Auntie Anne's Helps The Hungry with New Pretzel Flavor

The Yahoo! Style Guide gives some great advice on how to construct headlines from keywords including using proper nouns (Person, Place or Thing), avoiding abbreviations, and the use of active verbs to make your headline powerful.

On a Personal Note:
I wish I had this style guide a few years ago when I started writing for the web. Many of my earlier headlines fell short of using these three steps. Had I used the steps those articles would have had powerful headlines with better search engine optimization (SEO).

*all example headlines in this article are fictitious and used to help you gain a better understanding of how to create a powerful headline.