When writing a blog post, the first thing a writer does is think about a topic and how it will impact the audience. Once the topic is selected, the writer does research around the topic, making sure to gather important supporting information that will successfully aid in writing an effective post. Too often, though, the blog title is given little or no thought. It may even be the last thing we consider.
A great title can be the difference between a blog post that generates leads and one that’s never opened or found in search. After all, the goal is to get your audience to read your blog post and that starts by grabbing the reader’s attention in the title.
5 Simple Steps for Creating High-Traffic Blog Titles
1) Be Brief and Concise: When writing your blog title, make sure to remember to keep things simple. Be brief and concise. You don’t want to lose your audience by writing a title that’s long and difficult to “get.” Shorter titles often get shared more and have greater impact on readers. Be sure to convey action through the use of verbs while keeping the title to 70 characters or less.
2) Include Keywords: Your blog titles should always include one primary keyword phrase. The phrase should be relevant to the content included in the post, while clearly communicating the purpose of the content. Doing this will help optimize your blog titles for added SEO value. Remember to carefully select only those keywords that make sense as Google places more weight on the page title than any other variable.
3) Remove Jargon or Vague Language: The purpose of any blog title should be to tell your reader what the post is about. Many companies think that by including industry terms they’ll capture a select audience who will read their content, but the reverse is actually true. Including jargon and vague language in the title only confuses your reader and drives potential prospects away.
4) Convey Action: This seems simple enough, but is often overlooked. Conveying action to your readers signals that your content is worth reading and of value. Incorporate the use of action verbs where possible to successfully keep your readers interested in your content. They’ll likely look forward to your posts every time you publish new content.
5) Think About Audience Value: Your blog post should always add value to the reader. As a writer, you must always think: What will my reader gain from my content? The value must be communicated in the title or you’re likely to lose your audience. Think carefully before publishing the post.
Using these 5 simple steps will result in more traffic and views for your blog posts. Once you have a great blog post, make sure you promote it. To learn more, download our tip sheet “8 Effective Ways to Promote Your Blog” now!
