In today's fast-moving digital age of content marketing, first impressions are crucial. Blog headlines are the first exposure a potential customer might have with your brand. They must capture the attention of readers and entice them to click through and engage with the content.

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If you're looking to boost your online presence and drive more traffic to your website or publication, mastering the art of writing catchy and engaging headlines is a critical skill. Let's dive into the world of SEO friendly headlines, and go over some tips for crafting headlines that captivate readers.

The role of headlines in SEO content strategy

"Headline" is a print media term that has been adapted for the online world. In the SEO field, headlines are referred to as titles and they take two forms— meta titles and on-page titles. When you look a search results page and see hyperlinked text that describes a blog post or landing page, that's a meta title. The on-page title, sometimes referred to as the H1, is the large text at the top of an article or landing page.

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They frequently are the same, but writers and editors can make subtle changes between the two to maximize their value. The meta title must appeal to search engines and readers alike, but H1s are focued on readers. In this article, we'll use the term "headline" to apply to both meta titles and H1s unless we state otherwise.

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Headlines act as the initial gateway and subheadings are the roadmap for both search engines and users. They convey the main topic of the content, which helps search engines understand and index the page appropriately. Search engines like Google use algorithms that consider the relevance and clarity of headlines when ranking pages, making headline optimization a key aspect of any SEO strategy.

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By incorporating the focus keyword and relevant keywords naturally within the headline, website owners can improve the page’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). This increased visibility drives organic traffic, as users are more likely to click on results that appear at the top of the SERPs.

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Beyond their technical importance, headlines significantly impact user engagement. On SERPs, a great headline will make searchers click and become visitors to your site. Once inside, compelling and informative headlines, and subheadings,  can provide valuable information to readers who are scanning, but at the same time encourage them to slow down and read more.

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Don't forget, your web pages are probably peppered with headlines for other blog articles and pages, with links to each one. So a great headline, or a bad one, will be making impressions all over your site, not just on one article.  

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Great headlines improve the "stickiness" or your page and entire site. It makes it more likely that readers will click through to the other content, increase page views, and reduce bounce rates.

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Well-crafted headlines can also boost social media shares, as users are more likely to share content with attractive headlines that are clear, intriguing, and relevant.

Key elements of SEO friendly headlines

To write SEO friendly headlines that drive traffic and clicks, you should keep a few things in mind.

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Start by researching and understand the target audience for the content topic. Who needs this information? Is the reader's intent to learn or to buy? The answers to these questions will help shape your process. The headline should be relevant to both the topic and the audience, capturing their attention and piquing their interest.

Keyword integration

The headline should include the main keyword or key phrase that accurately represents the content. Most of the content on your website (besides pillar pages) should be focused on long-tail keywords. These are more specific, longer phrases that are highly relevant to your content, tend to have lower competition, and can attract more targeted traffic. Using other topic-related keywords in subheadings and throughout the content further optimizes the article for search engines.

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If you're wondering which keywords to use in headlines, the content creation experts at Rellify can help. With a custom Relliverse, you can make data-driven strategic decisions based on a custom-AI subject-matter expert trained on data related to your business. With these insights, you can discern which keywords to incorporate into headlines and build your content around — so you can get better results.

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Finally, use the focus keyword at the beginning of the headline to boost search results.

Optimized structure and length

When it comes to headline length, it is important to find a balance between being descriptive and concise. Search engines typically display only a certain number of characters in the search results, so the most important information should be within that limit. A concise headline that accurately reflects the content can attract more clicks and improve the overall SEO of the article. If you're not sure whether your headline is following SEO best practices, you can always check with headline analyzer tools like this one offered by CoSchedule. Rellify automatically analyzes headlines, tells you if they are too long and gives other SEO-friendly tips for improving them.

Headline strategies

Question headlines can act as helpful tools. If users type that specific question into Google and your website is considered an authority on the topic, it'll encourage search engines to suggest your content as the answer to those queries.

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Readers also find numbers to be compelling. Instead of writing: "How to Write Great Headlines" try "12 Ways to Make Headlines Shine."

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Finally, active voice beats passive voice and powerful verbs motivate readers.

The URL connection

The headline of a blog post and its URL have a natural connection related to search engine optimization (SEO). Ideally, the URL should include the focus keyword, which reflects the content of the blog post. This makes it easier for users to understand what the page is about just by looking at the URL. This can help search engines understand the relevance of the content and improve the chances of a higher Google ranking. Since headlines also benefit from using the focus keyword, they will resemble the URL. In terms of SEO, keep URLs concise and descriptive, with a maximum of 50 to 60 characters, so they're easily readable and shareable.

Avoid clickbait — focus on relevancy and clarity

It might be tempting to use clickbait, but it's a cheap trick that lacks sustainability. Clickbait headlines use sensational, false or ambiguous words and phrases that may initially attract clicks. In the end, they can damage the credibility and reputation of the website or publication. If a reader feels misled or disappointed by your content, they are likely to avoid your website altogether. They also are much less likely to become customers.

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Let your content do the talking. Write valuable, relevant content and headlines that accurately represent it. This creates a positive user experience, builds trust with readers, and encourages them to engage further with the content.

Can AI help me write SEO friendly headlines?

Well, yes and no. Generative AI is a helpful and effective tool for brainstorming headlines, especially when you have writer's block. These kinds of tools can be helpful for suggesting power words, too. However, most AI is not yet capable of optimizing headlines for SEO. You'll find headlines developed by generic AI are often too long and seemingly use headline formulas.

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"Number or Trigger Word + Adjective + Keyword + Promise/Benefit"  is one of the most common formulas you'll see when using generic AI tools.

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We're not saying AI isn't useful in this area — it certainly is. That's why Rellify offers generative AI in our platform. When you highlight a text and hit "suggest headline," you'll be provided with a catchy, compelling headline that you can customize as needed.

The art of writing catchy headlines

One could say it's both an art and a science, just like all content optimization.

Inspiration and creativity in headline writing

Have you researched the latest SEO trends in headlines? Another way to find inspiration is by researching successful headlines within your industry or niches. Analyzing what makes those headlines effective can provide insights and ideas for creating unique and compelling headlines. Additionally, brainstorming sessions and collaborating with other creative individuals can help generate innovative ideas for headline writing.

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Clever and engaging headlines require a combination of creativity and strategy. Clever ones often use wordplay, humor, or unexpected twists to capture the reader's attention. Engaging headlines, on the other hand, appeal to the reader's emotional triggers or offer valuable information. You might even be able to incorporate both if you're a pro!

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Here, the difference between meta titles and H1s come into play. Cleverness and wordplay work best in H1s, where they can delight readers. For meta titles, which are being assessed by bots, straighter is better.

Capitalization and grammar rules for headlines

When it comes to capitalization and grammar rules for headlines, consistency is key. Be sure to follow the established style guide of the publication or website. There are two common styles.

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Sentence case capitalizes the first word and proper nouns.

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Title case capitalizes all major words and puts minor words, like "the" "and" and "but" in lower case.

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Within those types, there are differences in style, so know the style for your site and be consistent.

Analyzing the success of SEO headlines in driving traffic

By monitoring the click-through rates and traffic generated by different headlines, content creators can gain insights into what works and what doesn't. Google Analytics is a great place to start for comparative research and A/B testing headlines. This data can then be used to optimize future headlines and improve the overall performance of the website or publication. When you're updating evergreen content, analyze and adapt SEO headlines to make sure they are effectively driving traffic and meeting the needs of the target audience.

Let Rellify help you create SEO friendly headlines

Your SEO strategy needs content with strong, compelling, optimized headlines. Fortunately, Rellify makes the process of writing them simple and effective. It all starts with topic research — enhanced by deep machine learning and customized AI that finds topics within your niche that are already poised to do well on search engines. Once you have the right focus keywords, you'll be ready to create stellar content framed by SEO-optimized headlines. Ready to improve your digital marketing? Book a quick demo with one of our Rellify experts to find out exactly how Rellify can revolutionize your content processes.