Now that you know how to create irresistible blog post titles that will rank in SEO and get your readers clicking, how do you actually come up with a cool and catchy title? What if you aren't the creative type who can use a keyword and turn it into a title treasure (as suggested in step 5 here)? Here are a few tips to take the guesswork out of creating blog post titles:
1. Numbers rule!
Just make a list. Seriously, who doesn't love a list, unless it's a list of things you have to do around the house, or the bane of my existence, the grocery list.
Everybody responds to
- 5 Steps to ____
- 6 Killer Resources for ___
- 10 Surprising Secrets about ___
- 7 Ways to ____
- Top 10 lists
Your lists can be about anything, from fashion to ideas, to ways to wear something to brands you love, to reasons you should blog.
2. Lead the way
"How to" headlines have been some our most successful posts, such as "How to do a French Manicure Effortlessly", "How to shop for Vintage Clothes" and "Cake Pops - how to make the best ever". You see that a "how to" post or video can relate to almost any blog topic and can help a reader feel that you are on their side and we all face the same problems, which we do.
Examples include the basic How to, and progress to
- How to ___, even if (describe the obstacle)
- How to ____, like a (describe the goal) i.e., How to dress like Gwynneth Paltrow on a real girl's budget, or How to get in the college of your dreams with the SAT scores of your nightmares
These are posts where you are helping your reader solve a problem - we love these!
3. The Simple Life
Show your readers how your post is going to make their life more simple. Just think of the über-simplifier of them all: Real Simple magazine, which makes simple an art!
If you were writing about, let's say, blog writing, some topics might be:
- Simplify your blog writing process
- Take charge of your blog instead of it taking charge of you
- Shortcuts to blogging
- The Zen of Blogging
- The blog checklist: simplifying your blog writing process
- How to grow your blog audience in 5 minutes
- Blog hacks; The Blog Cheat Sheet
You could substitute motorcycle repair or getting your baby to sleep or making kale chips and these could all apply (with some tweaks, of course)!
Still stumped? These posts have some great blog post titles and ideas to overcome writers block:
SITS Girls logallot Michelle Shaeffer The Future Buzz
One last super-secret killer tip that works every time, for us: if you have more than one great idea for a title and can't decide which would be better for SEO, then use one as a title and use the other as a Meta Keyword! This way, you get the benefit of both!! And if you don't know what a Meta Keyword is and you are on WordPress, ask me about WordPress SEO by Yoast. And no, they didn't pay me to say that.
Happy Writing! XO, Kim and Chloe