3 Tried-and-True Headline Styles That Still Work

When it comes right down to it, the headlines and titles you create form an inherent promise to your readers. You don’t want to sacrifice long-term trust and credibility by drawing readers into content that doesn’t deliver on what the title suggests. Therefore, it is important that you find the right balance between getting attention and being honest.

Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to come up with compelling headlines all the time. I write every single day on a variety of topics – and I often spend as long on that single line as I do on the rest of the article or post.  However, I do have a handful of  tried-and-true headline formulas I look to when I need inspiration or want to get my thoughts flowing in a different direction.

Here are 3 of my personal all-time favorite headline styles:

• How To. Yep, “how to” articles are everywhere and they can fall a little flat if you aren’t careful. What they have going for them, however, is that if someone wants to learn about a topic -  there is a good chance “how to” will be part of his search query. In fact, according to Wordtracker’s free research tool – there were over 102,000 searches today that included the words “how to” – that’s over 3 million searches in just one month. Of course, most of those searches won’t be related to your exact topic – but odds are some of them will be.


Bottom line: people want to know “how to” do things – and you can satisfy that demand by providing well-written and informative content that shows them the way.

• Numbered Lists. This approach is my absolute favorite and I use it all the time. Why? Because it works. I have seen it in my own article marketing efforts and with projects I’ve done for clients – whenever I write something that contains a number in the headline (i.e. 7 Ways to ______ ) – that article invariably does better in terms of page views, pick-ups by other online publishers and url clicks back to my site than non-numbered articles.


I don’t have proof for this – but I suspect the reason for this is that many Internet searchers are drawn to bite-size pieces of information. Numbered lists are great for skimmers looking to pick up useful information quickly.

• The Question. Posing a question in your title or headline is a good idea for a number of reasons. First, it opens the door to a conversation with your reader by asking if something pertains to her. Therefore, it is a great way to establish common ground with your audience. In addition, asking a question in your headline allows you to demonstrate your expertise in your subject area by solving the problem it presents in the body of your content.


Some of my favorite question headlines start with  “Are You _____,” “Do You Ever ____,” – and my all-time favorite…. “Have You Ever Made This Mistake – Or Is It Just Me?”  Just kidding!

Til Next Time,

PS Don’t forget how important it is to incorporate keywords into your title. Yes, your headlines need to grab attention. Yes, they need to relate directly and accurately to your content. But, they also need to be FOUND by both the search engines and your human readers. My keyword research tool of choice is Micro Niche Finder – but WorderTracker offers a great free resource that can also help you select which words you want to target.