The website heading challenge
Web visitors don't read your web article by accident. 1st they have to find it.
Potential readers will usually come to your article either from a crowded
webpage or
from a page full of search engine results. In either case, all the reader generally sees is the
heading and (if you are lucky) the first sentence from the article.
If your
heading doesn't grab them, you lose them.
Your website headlines / headings must be...
- short (people don't read much online)
- rich in information scent (a clear summary of the target article)
- front-loaded (the most important keywords first because users often scan only the beginning of list items)
- understandable out of context (headlines often appear without articles, as in search engine results)
- predictable (people don't return to sites that promise more than they deliver)
Learn from the best
Editors of newspapers and magazines are among the best of all heading writers. The headline is
the first (and often the only) thing the potential buyer reads.
From useit.com: "On a recent visit, the BBC list of headlines for "other top stories" read as follows:
- Italy buries first quake victims
- Romania blamed over Moldova riots
- Ten arrested in UK anti-terrorism raids
- Villagers hurt in West Bank clash
- Mass Thai protest over leadership
- Iran accuses journalist of spying
Around the world in 38 words."
Things to note about the BBC's headlines:
- The headlines have an average of just 5 words and 34 characters.
- Every word used works hard.
- Each headline uses strong active words.
- Each headline conveys the gist of the story on its own, without
requiring you to click.
Say it simply and directly.
No jokes. No wordplay.
- State the big benefit.
- Announce exciting news.
- Appeal to our “how-to” instinct.
- Pose a provocative question.
- Shout a command.
- Offer useful information.
And if you need help writing headings for your content, hire a copy writer, it will be a great investment.
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