6 Reasons Why Your Blog Headlines Aren’t Working

Our inboxes and social media feeds are overflowing with blog posts. We may actually read a handful each day.

There are some people – the Richard Bransons, Guy Kawasakis and Arianna Huffingtons of the world – whose posts will be read religiously regardless of topic.

The rest of us need kickass headlines.

As readers, we’re drawn to blog posts that have those magnetic headlines. As content publishers, it can be difficult to choose the right combination of words that will inspire someone to keep reading.

If your blog posts aren’t getting enough traffic, it’s time to take a hard look at your headlines.

I’ll skip the obvious grammar, punctuation, capitalization and spelling mistakes that torpedo a shockingly high number of blog posts. Carelessness is difficult to cure.

Instead, let’s focus on the deeper headline issues that could be preventing you from making as much money from your blog as you could be.

People read your blog based on your headline. Sure, an image can help, but it’s the headline that gets them to click.

The headline sets the expectation about why the blog post is worth the reader’s time.

If your blog post fails to meet that expectation, why would the reader ever read anything else you publish?

The headline and the content need to be in sync. You could have a great content, but if it doesn’t deliver on the headline’s promise, you risk permanently alienating readers.

I always start with a working headline and then tweak it if necessary to eliminate any disconnect between the headline and the content.

Here’s where the definition of “work” comes into play. Many people believe headlines that work are those that get people to click.

I’m not one of those people. I want people to find value in my blog posts so they would consider hiring or referring me should the need arise.

When someone makes an outlandish or sensationalistic statement in their headline that isn’t backed up with sound reasoning or data, the headline didn’t “work.”

It lied.

Or at the very least, it misled. Either way, it shows you care more about the click than providing something of value to the reader.

One approach that always makes me roll my eyes is the proclamation of death. SEO is dead. Marketing is dead. Print is dead.

None of the things that are proclaimed dead in these blog headlines are actually dead. Ever.

Clickbait is the worst example of the broken promise. Don’t compromise your credibility and trustworthiness for a bunch of meaningless clicks.

Blog headlines that try to get people to think a certain way are much less effective than blog posts that try to get people to feel a certain way.

Just like our purchasing decisions are driven more by emotion than logic, so are our decisions to read and share blog posts.

The human brain is wired to anticipate happiness more than sadness. We anticipate positive events and experiences.

Headlines need to be emotional, whether you’re empathizing with the reader or tapping into their frustration. An emotional headline motivates someone to act in anticipation of a positive, emotional result.

That’s why blog posts with emotional headlines that target the heart are read and shared more often than those that target the brain.

I’m not a fan of political correctness. Some people seem determined to find something that offends them.

When it comes to blog headlines, you lose impact when you soften the language in an attempt to please everyone.

If you’re going to publish a blog, accept the fact – and embrace the fact – that not everyone will agree with your position. Not everyone will agree with how you state your position. Not everyone will agree with your language choices.

Sometimes people need to be rattled, disturbed or shocked. Sometimes that requires a blunt or hard-hitting headline.

Don’t be deliberately disrespectful or insensitive, but don’t sugarcoat things. As long as what you’re saying is honest and accurate, and how you’re saying it is consistent with your brand voice, let ‘er rip.

I saw an article on LinkedIn with the headline, “4 Insurance Tips Everyone Should Know.”

This headline doesn’t specify a particular type of insurance. It doesn’t specify why everyone should know about the tips. And I’m quite confident that there are zero insurance tips that truly apply to everyone.

I clicked anyway for the purpose of writing this post and found four videos that offer tips about four different types of insurance. Interestingly enough, the four videos have great headlines. It’s just unfortunate that the main headline was so vague.

In this case, the insurance provider wanted everyone to care about these tips. They tried to be relevant to everyone with an all-inclusive headline, but you know what they say about trying to be everything to everyone.

Unlike a specific, targeted headline, one that casts too wide a net makes it more difficult for the reader to see the payoff. That’s why numbers are so effective in headlines, whether you’re publishing a list post or sharing a statistic.

Not only does the use of numbers subconsciously trigger the brain to interpret the content as important, but numbers give your headline specificity and establish a clearer expectation.

Which headline is more powerful?

Study: Companies that Blog Produce More Leads

Study: Companies that Blog 1-2 Times per Month Generate 70% More Leads

True, by the way, according to HubSpot.

It doesn’t take much to overload a blog headline with keywords. In fact, one awkwardly placed keyword can kill a headline.

People aren’t stupid. Neither are Google’s algorithms. They all can spot a weak attempt at keyword stuffing from a mile away.

This free Headline Analyzer tool from CoSchedule lets you type in your headline and provides analysis and recommendations based on a number of factors. Give it a shot and see how your blog headlines rate.