During last week’s Editorial call here at Copyblogger, we had a lively discussion about ham.
But that’s not the H-word I’m going to talk about today.
More commonly, we analyze headlines.
There’s nothing more disappointing than a unique, thoughtful, and helpful piece of content that has a headline that doesn’t do it justice.
Great content needs a title that effortlessly captivates the attention of the writer’s ideal reader.
I sometimes like using questions in headlines, but there’s one type of question in a headline that’s guaranteed to be ignored.
Avoid “yes” or “no”
If someone scanning headlines can easily answer “yes” or “no” to the question you pose in your headline, they won’t click on your article.
They won’t read any further because you aren’t helping them — or more accurately, you’re not giving the impression that your article will help them. The content might very well be groundbreaking and useful, but the headline does not communicate that.
For example, if you run a home gardening business, you wouldn’t want to write a blog post that asks:
“Does Your Lawn Need Fertilizer?”
You wouldn’t even want to ask:
“Are Your Weeds Out of Control?”
Those questions have the potential to attract ideal customers who need their lawns fertilized or have weed problems in their yards, respectively, but those questions don’t demonstrate you’re a likable expert who has something…
