Blog Titles- Can’t Live with ‘Em, Can’t Live without ‘Em
Posted by Beth Hrusch on Fri, Jun 11, 2010
I'll admit that I still have trouble with titles. After all these years, I still agonize 
over getting it just right and usually fall short. Why is it so hard? I don't know. But, it doesn't help that all the title advice out there makes it sound as if your titles must be the ultimate in compelling, interesting and optimized. Not to mention thoroughly attention-grabbing, zippy, fun yet authoritative.
This is a challenge that I am not always up to. Do you have trouble with titles too? Statistics tell us that roughly 8 out of 10 people will read the title, but only 2 out of 10 will actually read further. Is that because our titles stink? Do these people have trouble with attention deficit? What's the problem?
I tend toward titles that are optimized but boring. Every time I come up with something cool and clever I chicken out figuring that someone will think I'm weird. Do you have trouble with titles? The following pointers may help:
1. Make your title unique. Regardless of the fact that 500,000 people have already covered the topic, your title can still say something different. Come up with a boring, factual title and twist it around. For example, "5 Tips for Better Blog Titles" can become "Why Nobody is Reading your Blogs".
2. Add a sense of urgency to your titles. It always grabs attention. Try "Fix your Titles NOW, Before it's Too Late!" I like that one. Who wouldn't want to know more about that?
3. Make sure your titles are useful. Just like your content, your titles need to address a topic that your target audience will find helpful. Asking a question in your title can help with this. "Do your Titles Need Help? Here's what to Do".
4. Include numbers. Did you know that posts with numbers in the titles get 3 to 8 times more traffic than those without? As Sonia Simone once said, "Numbers reach directly into our unconscious and say, "this message is important." I suggest that you check out her post
on this topic for ideas.
And why should you go to all this trouble? Well, we all know how important titles are to the success of your content. Taking a little time with them can go a long way toward becoming a better blogger or article writer. Here are some advantages to good titles:
The "first impression" factor - The blog title is the first chance you have to make an impression on your reader. If your title can't capture someone's interest within a few seconds, then you've lost a reader, and a potential customer.
Search engine and syndication - Blog titles are going to show up in the search engines and syndication sites. It's important to have relevant keywords in your title to get good rankings, which will, in turn, attract readers.
People read headlines - In fact, they often don't get past them. A compelling title will entice more people to continue reading the rest of your blog.
Yes, titles are a challenge for some of us. But, the more we struggle with them, the better we get. So keep playing around with your blog titles until you get a feel for how to do it. You will be rewarded by increased traffic to your blog page and who knows, you may even gain a reputation for cool titles and then everyone will think you're awesome and wish they were you!
Did I go too far? Sorry.