10 Proven Tips for Generating Attention-Grabbing Headlines

Your audience is lazy, selfish, and ruthless. Therefore, it’s essential to create headlines that promptly capture their attention. The ability to craft compelling headlines can significantly influence the success of your digital marketing efforts. Optimising your headlines to be captivating to readers and tailoring them for search engines and social media platforms is a critical aspect of an effective content marketing strategy.

This detailed guide will explore these ten proven tips to create attention-grabbing headlines that drive traffic and engagement.

1. Use Power Words

Power words are emotionally charged and descriptive, strongly impacting the reader. These words evoke curiosity, interest, and a desire to learn more about the topic. Using power words in your headlines lets you immediately capture the reader’s attention and compel them to click on your content.

Below are some examples of power words. See 350+ SEO Power Words With Positive Sentiment to See More Results for more.

• Proven
• Shocking
• Revolutionary
• Exclusive
• Skyrocket
• Unleash
• Transform
• Ultimate

Incorporating these words can significantly improve your headlines. For instance, consider the difference between these two headlines:

• “Tips to Grow Your Business”
• “Proven Business Strategies to Skyrocket Your Success”

The second title uses power words like “proven” and “skyrocket,” making it more intriguing and likely to attract readers. It promises not just tips but proven strategies, which implies reliability and effectiveness. The word “skyrocket” conveys the idea of rapid, dramatic growth, evoking excitement and anticipation.

Using power words can also help establish your authority and expertise. When you present your content as “revolutionary” or “exclusive,” you create the impression that what you are offering is unique and valuable and cannot be found elsewhere.

Follow these tips to use power words in headlines:

• Choose words that are relevant to your content and audience. Ensure your words accurately represent the information you provide and resonate with your target readers.
• Use power words in moderation. While these words can make headlines more compelling, overusing them can make your content sound exaggerated or sensationalised. Strike a balance between using power words and maintaining credibility.
• Test different combinations of power words. Experiment with different power words and phrases to find the most effective headline combination.

2. Keep It Short and Simple

A short and simple headline is easier for readers to grasp, remember, and share. It gets straight to the point, effectively communicating the main message without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary information. Keeping your headlines short and simple increases the likelihood of capturing your audience’s attention and improves your content’s overall readability and shareability.

According to the folks at Outbrain, headlines with eight words had a 21% higher click-through rate than the average. To create short and simple headlines, follow the following guidelines:

• Aim for 6-12 words. Keep your headlines within this range to ensure they remain easy to read and understand. Shorter headlines are also more likely to be displayed in full on search engine results pages and social media platforms, making them more effective at grabbing attention.
• Be concise. Use clear, straightforward language to convey your message. Avoid jargon, buzzwords, and unnecessary adjectives. Focus on your content’s most important aspects and communicate them as succinctly as possible.
• Maintain clarity. While it’s important to keep your headlines short, ensure they still effectively communicate the main idea of your content. Don’t sacrifice clarity for brevity. Your audience should be able to understand what your content is about just by reading the headline.

Compare the following headlines:

• “Learn How to Save Money on Your Grocery Bills with These Easy-to-Follow Tips and Tricks”
• “Discover 7 Secrets to Effortlessly Saving Money on Groceries”

The second headline is shorter, simpler, and more effective at conveying the same message. It uses fewer words to communicate the same idea and is more likely to grab the reader’s attention.

3. Use Numbers

Using numbers in your headlines can attract more readers and improve engagement. Numbers help quantify information, making it easier for readers to digest. Listicles, such as “7 Tips for...” or “5 Ways to…”, are popular because they promise well-structured, easily accessible, and comprehensible content.

In fact, it has been found that headlines with numbers are 36% more likely to generate clicks compared to headlines without numbers.

Follow these guidelines to use numbers in your post titles effectively:

• Use odd numbers: Research conducted by the Content Marketing Institute has shown that odd numbers are more appealing and memorable than even numbers, with a 20% higher click-through rate. Odd numbers can create a sense of asymmetry, which the human brain perceives as more interesting and engaging. For example, “9 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Productivity” is more likely to catch the reader’s attention than “8 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Productivity.”
• Be specific: Use numbers to provide concrete and specific information your audience can easily understand. For instance, instead of saying “Several Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills,” use “5 Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills.” Specific numbers make your content more tangible and credible.
• Use large numbers for impact: When you want to emphasise the magnitude of a problem or the extent of your research, use large numbers to create a stronger impression. For example, “101 Incredible Marketing Strategies to Skyrocket Your Sales” implies a comprehensive, in-depth guide that will deliver substantial value to the reader.
• Combine numbers with power words: Combining numbers with power words can create highly compelling headlines. For example, “5 Proven Strategies to Double Your Email Open Rates” uses both a number and power words (“proven” and “double”) to create an attention-grabbing headline.

Below are some examples of headlines that effectively use numbers:

• “13 Simple Steps to Launch a Successful Startup”
• “The Top 10 Fitness Apps for Transforming Your Health”
• “3 Essential Skills Every Digital Marketer Must Master in 2023”

4. Ask a Question

Using a question in your title effectively engages the reader’s curiosity and encourages them to click through to find the answer. A well-crafted question can resonate with your target audience, address their pain points or interests, and create a strong connection with them.

To effectively use questions in your headlines, follow these guidelines:

• Make it relevant. Ensure your question is relevant to your target audience and your content. The question should reflect your article’s main topic and be something your audience is genuinely interested in or concerned about.
• Address pain points. A headline question addressing your audience’s pain points or challenges can be highly engaging. By identifying a problem they are facing, you demonstrate that your content is relevant and offers a solution or valuable insights.
• Keep it open-ended. Open-ended questions can create a sense of intrigue and curiosity, encouraging the reader to click through to find the answer. Avoid asking yes-or-no questions, as they can be easily answered without requiring the reader to engage with your content.
• Use question words. Use question words like “how,” “why,” “what,” or “which” to create a sense of exploration and discovery. These words encourage the reader to seek answers and learn something new from your content.

For example, “Are You Making These Common Marketing Mistakes?” effectively uses a question to engage the reader’s curiosity. It is relevant to marketers, addresses a common pain point (making marketing mistakes), and creates a sense of urgency (implying that the reader might be making these mistakes unknowingly). By asking this question, you create a connection with your audience and entice them to click through to learn more about the potential mistakes they might be making.

5. Focus on the Benefits

Highlighting the benefits of your content in the headline is a powerful way to attract readers and persuade them to click through. By focusing on the benefits, you can create a strong connection with your audience and demonstrate the value of your content upfront.

Show people what they want, and they will move heaven and earth to get it.

Dale Carnegie

Follow these guidelines to effectively focus on the benefits in your headlines:

• Be specific. Clearly state the benefits of your content and be as specific as possible. This helps your audience understand the exact value they can expect from engaging with your content.
• Use action words. Action words convey a sense of purpose and accomplishment, making your titles more dynamic and persuasive. Use verbs like “master,” “transform,” “boost,” or “improve” to emphasise the positive outcomes your content can deliver.
• Address your audience’s needs. Understand your target audience’s needs, desires, and challenges, and craft headlines that promise to address those issues. Show your audience how your content can help them overcome obstacles, achieve their goals, or satisfy their desires.

For example, compare:

• “5 Techniques to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills”
• “Master These 5 Techniques to Dramatically Improve Your Public Speaking”

The second is more benefit-focused, as it promises an improvement and a dramatic improvement in public speaking skills. The use of the word “master” implies that the reader will gain expertise in these techniques, further emphasising the value of the content.

6. Leverage Curiosity Gaps

Curiosity gaps are the space between what your audience knows and what they want to know. By leveraging curiosity gaps in your headlines, you can create a sense of intrigue and encourage your audience to click through to satisfy their curiosity. This technique can effectively drive engagement and capture your reader’s attention.

Follow these guidelines to leverage curiosity gaps in your headlines effectively;

• Tease your audience: Craft headlines that hint at your content’s valuable information or insights without giving everything away up front. This entices your audience to click through and discover the full story as they seek to close the curiosity gap.
• Use phrases that evoke curiosity: Incorporate phrases like “little-known,” “surprising,” “secret,” or “unexpected” to create a sense of mystery and spark your audience’s curiosity. These phrases imply that your content contains information that is not widely known or challenges conventional wisdom, making it more appealing to your audience.
• Don’t overpromise or mislead: While leveraging curiosity gaps can be effective, it’s important not to overpromise or mislead your audience. Ensure your content delivers on the promises made in your headline, and avoid using clickbait tactics that can damage your credibility.

For example, “The Surprising Secret Ingredient to Unleash Your Creativity” effectively leverages a curiosity gap by teasing the reader with the promise of a surprising secret ingredient that can boost their creativity. The reader is left wondering what this secret ingredient might be, and they are more likely to want to find out.

7. A/B Test Your Headlines

A/B testing, also known as split testing, compares two versions of a headline to determine which one performs better. By conducting A/B tests, you can identify the most effective headlines for your content, optimise your click-through rates, and better understand your audience’s preferences.

Follow these guidelines to A/B test your headlines effectively;

• Create two variations: Develop two different headlines for the same piece of content, ensuring that they vary significantly in terms of style, tone, or structure. This will help you determine which factors have the most significant impact on your audience’s engagement.
• Use a testing tool: Utilse a headline testing tool or a platform with built-in A/B testing capabilities, such as Google Analytics Experiments, Optimisely, or VWO, to run your tests. These tools allow you to show different headline variations to different segments of your audience and track their performance.
• Measure performance: Define the key performance indicators (KPIs) you want to track during your A/B tests, such as click-through rates, time spent on a page, or social media shares. Analysing these metrics will help you determine which headline variation is more effective at driving engagement.
• Test one element at a time: To accurately identify the factors influencing your headline’s performance, testing only one element at a time is crucial. For example, if you’re testing the effectiveness of power words, keep everything else constant while varying the power words used in each headline variation.
• Learn from your results: Once your A/B test is complete, analyse the results to identify the factors that had the most significant impact on your audience’s engagement. Use these insights to inform your future headline writing and continually optimise your content’s performance.

For example, you might A/B test the following;

• A: “7 Unbelievable Ways to Skyrocket Your Productivity”
• B: “7 Proven Techniques to Boost Your Productivity”

By testing these two variations, you can determine which headline style (power words like “unbelievable” and “skyrocket” vs more conservative words like “proven” and “boost”) resonates more with your audience and drives higher engagement.

8. Use Power Words and Emotional Triggers

Using power words and emotional triggers in your headlines can make them more compelling, engaging, and persuasive. These words evoke strong emotions or reactions, encouraging your audience to click through and engage with your content. Using language that resonates with your target audience can create a stronger connection and capture their attention.

Follow these guidelines to use power words and emotional triggers in your headlines effectively;

• Choose words with impact: Use words that evoke strong emotions, such as “amazing,” “shocking,” “powerful,” or “unbelievable.” These words can help create a sense of urgency, excitement, or curiosity, making your headlines more captivating.
• Target specific emotions: Understand the emotions that drive your target audience and craft headlines that tap into those feelings. For example, if you know a desire for success drives your audience, use words like “dominate,” “excel,” or “master” to tap into that motivation.
• Use emotional triggers: Emotional triggers are words or phrases that elicit a strong emotional response from your audience. Examples of emotional triggers include “fear of missing out” (FOMO), “limited time offer,” or “exclusive.” By incorporating these triggers into your headlines, you can create a sense of urgency and encourage your audience to take action.
• Be authentic: While using power words and emotional triggers can be effective, it’s essential to remain authentic and not overuse them. Overloading headlines with exaggerated language can make your content seem less credible and may deter your audience from engaging.

“Discover the Shocking Truth Behind the World’s Most Successful Entrepreneurs,” for example, effectively uses power words (“shocking” and “successful”) and an emotional trigger (“truth”) to create a compelling and attention-grabbing headline. It evokes curiosity and a sense of urgency, encouraging the reader to click through and learn more about the secrets behind these entrepreneurs’ success.

9. Keep Your Audience in Mind

Understanding and catering to your target audience is one of the most critical factors in creating attention-grabbing headlines. By keeping your audience’s preferences, needs, and challenges in mind, you can craft headlines that resonate with them and effectively capture their attention. To achieve this;

• Identify your target audience: Before writing your headlines, clearly define your target audience. Consider factors such as demographics, interests, and pain points to create a comprehensive audience profile. This will help you better understand their needs and preferences, allowing you to create headlines that appeal to them.
• Use audience-specific language: Use language and terminology your target audience is familiar with and can easily understand. Avoid using jargon or industry-specific terms that may alienate or confuse your audience. Instead, choose words and phrases that resonate with your target audience and convey your message clearly.
• Address their needs and desires: Craft headlines that directly address your target audience’s needs, desires, or challenges. By demonstrating that your content offers solutions or valuable insights, you can create a strong connection with your audience and encourage them to engage with your content.
• Analyse your competitors: Study the headlines used by your competitors and identify the common themes or trends that resonate with your target audience. Use these insights to inform your own headline writing and create headlines that stand out in your niche.

If your target audience consists of busy working parents, you might create headlines like:

• “10 Time-Saving Hacks for Busy Parents to Keep Your Home Organised”
• “The Ultimate Guide to Balancing Work and Family Life: Strategies for Success”

These headlines are tailored specifically to the needs and desires of busy working parents, using language they can relate to and addressing their unique challenges. Read Skyrockets Your Search Engine Rankings by Putting Users First.

10. Optimise for Search Engines and Social Media

Optimising your headlines for your target audience, search engines, and social media platforms is essential in today’s digital landscape. Creating SEO-friendly and shareable headlines can increase your content’s visibility, reach a wider audience, and drive more traffic to your site.

To effectively optimise your headlines for search engines and social media, follow these guidelines:

• Use relevant keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords in your headlines to improve your content’s search engine ranking and increase its visibility. Conduct keyword research to identify the most effective keywords for your niche and incorporate them naturally into your headlines. Be mindful not to overuse keywords or engage in keyword stuffing, which can negatively impact your content’s ranking.
• Keep it concise: Both search engines and social media platforms favour concise headlines that clearly convey the content’s main topic. Aim to keep your headlines under 60 characters for optimal SEO performance and ensure they fit within character limits on social media platforms. A concise headline is also more easily shareable and quickly grabs readers’ attention.
• Use numbers and lists: Headlines that feature numbers or lists perform well on search engines and social media platforms. They provide a clear structure and promise a specific amount of value, making them more appealing to users. For example, “Top 10 Tips for Creating Attention-Grabbing Headlines” is a clear and concise headline that promises a list of valuable tips.
• Use attention-grabbing phrases: Incorporate phrases likely to capture users’ attention browsing search engines or social media platforms. Phrases like “how-to,” “ultimate guide,” or “quick tips” can be effective in making your content stand out and enticing users to click through.

For example, an SEO and social media-optimised headline might look like “Top 6 Digital Marketing Trends to Watch Out for in 2023“

This headline includes relevant keywords (“Digital marketing” and “trends” ), a number (6), and a timeframe (2023), making it both SEO-friendly and shareable on social media.