How to write blog headlines that make people click

People are busy. You are competing to get their attention and a share of their valuable time.

To attract blog visitors you must write powerful and eye-catching headlines for your blog posts.

Your headline must be sharp, it must make them curious and prompt them to click.

How to write headlines

Let us take a look at some of the most visited articles on my blog and analyze the headlines:

• How To Install WordPress 3.2 – Step-By-Step Guide
• 8 Thesis theme design tips to make your blog better
• ‎20 most downloaded WordPress plugins ever
• 24 plugins that I currently use on my blog and why you should use them too
• 6 ways I customized my WordPress blog theme and how
• Top 5 Twitter plugins to incorporate into your blog
• How I got my blog from Google PageRank 0 to PR4 in two months
• How to Twitter-spread your blog to 20,000+ in less than 2 days
• How one blog comment can bring you 230+ unique visitors
• 8 things every blogger can learn by studying Perez Hilton

Having a “how to” or “top list” headline works great to attract visitors. These types of headlines make a specific promise of what’s in store.

The headline must be direct and tell visitors exactly what your post is about so they know right away whether or not they want it.

Make your headlines relevant to the visitor. Find a pressing problem, address that urgent need and promise easy to follow “how to” advice. Focus on the benefits and include the particular words or phrases that the post is targeting.

Try writing the headline using this formula: “How to ___________ – Step-by-Step Guide”

Deliver on your headline promise

Write a compelling headline but deliver the quality content. The headline is worthless if the post does not deliver on its promise.

Readers would feel tricked into reading. Nothing is more frustrating than clicking on a killer headline but getting a weak article.

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