David Ogilvy wrote in Confessions of an Advertising Man that five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. Whether or not that ratio holds for your blog, the direction is right: most people who see your headline will never read a word more. So the headline isn't a label on the article. It is the first, and often only, pitch.
1. Find the promise before the words
Write one plain sentence: "After reading this, [reader] will be able to [outcome]." For example: "After reading this, a new parent will be able to get a baby to sleep without a 2-hour routine." Every good headline is a compressed version of that sentence. If you can't write it, the problem is the article, not the headline.
2. Choose a format that matches the content
Formats set expectations. A list promises skimmable points; a how-to promises a process; a question promises an answer; a case study promises proof. Don't call something "The Complete Guide" if it is 600 words. The 12 headline formulas page shows each with examples.
3. Add one specific detail
Vague headlines ("Tips for Better Sleep") blend into the feed. Specific ones ("How to Fall Asleep in 10 Minutes, Even After Coffee") stand out because they paint a concrete picture. Numbers, timeframes, named audiences and bracketed formats like [Checklist] all work.
4. Add a reason to care, then cut
Add one word that pulls on a motive (see the power words list), then cut everything that isn't pulling weight: "really", "things", "some", "very". Read it aloud. If you stumble, so will your reader.
Build a headline, watch it heat up
Start with the plain topic and add parts one at a time. The score is the same one the headline analyzer uses, and each change shows its effect. Try adding every part at once: the headline gets longer, and the length and Google-fit checks start to suffer.
Fall Asleep
- !Word count: 2 words
- !Power words: none
- !Emotional pull: neutral
- !Specificity: none
- !Headline type: Generic
Every part is optional, and stacking all of them isn't automatically best: watch what happens to length and Google fit when you add everything.
Learning by fiddling with a live model tends to stick better than reading a list of rules. On ahaboo you can drag a Moon to watch its phases appear, or work through how photosynthesis turns light into food.
5. Write ten, test two
Upworthy famously had writers draft 25 headlines per story. You don't need 25, but the first headline is rarely the best. Write ten quickly, pick the two strongest, and check them for:
- Length and fit: does it show in full in Google? Use the SEO title checker.
- Clarity: would someone who knows nothing about the article understand what they get?
- Honesty: does the article fully deliver the promise? Over-promising wins the click and loses the reader.
- Keyword: for search, are the words people actually type near the front?
If your platform supports it, A/B test the two finalists. Otherwise, publish the clearest one. Stuck on step one? The AI headline generator will give you ten starting points.
Common headline mistakes
- Clever over clear. Puns and wordplay rarely survive a scrolling reader.
- Burying the keyword. In search results, the words the searcher typed should appear early.
- Clickbait. "You won't believe…" trains readers to distrust you, and platforms demote it.
- Inconsistent capitalization. Pick a style and stick to it; the title case converter handles AP, APA, Chicago and MLA.