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(Experimental) Better SEO headlines for TPM's blog articles
Hello guys
I am currently reading a book called "Calling Bullsh*t". In it, one of the opening chapters covers news article headlines. A study analyzed over 100 million published articles in 2017 to see what was in the headlines that were widely shared. The study that has been quoted in the book found that the most successful headlines don‘t convey facts, they promise you an emotional experience.
The most common phrase among successful headlines, by nearly twofold, is „will make you“, as in „will brake your heart“, „will make you fall in love“, etc.
The top 5 Headline Phrases are:
1. will make you
2. this is why
3. can we guess
4. only X in
5. the reason is
In my opinion, Lucio and Transitioned already made some really good points here which deepend my understanding of how headlines should work. I will quote some things that helped my in particular.
„So maybe a hack for the algorithm is why + some action verbs“
- Not only for headlines, also for people I think
„The second headlines makes more sense indeed and sounds better, in fewer words.
Consider though that "re-empower" is more of a niche keyword.
The person who was left waiting for the first time didn't know what to do, or even the person who was waiting and felt something off, but couldn't put his finger on what it was, has no idea it was about power dynamics.
So if he were to read a headline saying "re-empower yourself" and one saying "what to do when they make you wait", he may end up clicking on the second because the first one doesn't really talk to him.
That was the original reasoning behind the first headline -and not even saying it's correct, just sharing what what the rationale-.“
- Lucio's thought processes are simply on a different level
Cheers
Thank you so much for sharing, Roberto!
Thank you for bringing up this topic, Roberto, it's something I've been meaning to comment on actually.
It's been difficult growing my marketing skills because I'm searching for marketers who combine their strategies and techniques with an eagle-like attitude. And most marketers prefer to prioritize a higher ROI over more high-quality communication with their audience.
So, one way in which I'm trying to develop my own "high-quality eagle-like marketing" style (as I search for a good marketing teacher) is by avoiding clickbait headlines.
And while you're right that the most successful headlines in terms of CTR oftentimes contain those phrases (or similar ones) that you mentioned above, I think it can also come at the cost of one's relationship with their audience and reputation over time.
For example, take one of Lucio's most recent article headlines:
- [Current Headline] (53) How Storytelling Reveals Who’s NOT A Friend: 5 Red Flags
- [Calling Bullsh*t Headline] (83) These 5 Red Flags Will Make You Block Your Friends!
- [My Headline] (79) How To Use Storytelling To Assess Your Friends (5 Red Flags)
The approach from Calling Bullsh*t is certainly catchy/attention-grabbing but it also feels "too much" to me. And, for most people, it can be easy to feel like the writer exaggerated by the end of the article.
My approach, however, is more balanced in terms of honesty and yet, the headline score is still almost as high as the clickbait one.
So, you might lose a few points (and a lower CTR) in the beginning, but you gain a more loyal audience who trusts you more in the end. (And I think that quality over quantity is also a good approach to think of when it comes to audience since the most loyal ones who like you the most will also be the ones most likely to buy and support you in your mission anyway.)
Plus, we should also keep in mind that, as Lucio said before, too much stock shouldn't be put in the exact numbers/scores from these headline analyzers and I'm not sure/convinced it's an exact science. So, as much as there's a chance that my headline would indeed perform lower than the clickbait one, there's also a chance that my headline could actually perform equally as well.
What you're describing is similar to a "tragedy of common" dynamics.
But with an important exception:
If everyone does clickbait, a niche for non-clickbait may emerge that caters to a different audience (including one that has fallen enough time for the clickbait and swore to themselves they'd never click more).
A great and worthy challenge for you may be to find out exactly that:
Is there a niche served by more descriptive titles (and in general by less deceptive marketing)?
And if not, can I create it?
If you do that, you may as well lead a counter-revolution bucking the "race to the bottom".
