Five Tips for Writing Effective Web Headlines

Include your paid keyword in the heading

...And as close to the beginning of the heading as possible. When users land on your site after clicking an ad or organic listing, they are often apprehensive.

They have a good idea of what they're looking for, and hope that your site will deliver it, but they are also a bit skeptical. And they have good reason to be – the Internet is loaded with junk websites that just don't deliver.

Having the keyword in the heading provides crucial split-second reassurance to visitors that they are in the right place. It will make them relax and be more receptive to your message. Don't sound like an ad.

Most of us are presented with thousands of advertising messages per day. Our brains have developed sophisticated filters to keep most of those messages out.

Often, the best way to get past that filter is to not sound like an ad. Instead of sounding like an overbearing salesperson, try to sound like a friend delivering valuable information.

 For example, instead of:
"Fabulous Skin Cream that Makes a Difference!"
try
"5 Ways to Reduce Wrinkles in 30 Days."

Highlight benefits rather than features.
Instead of rattling off cold facts about your product or service, think about what problem your it will solve for your user.

 Instead of:
"E-mail with up to 2GB of Storage"
try
"Never Delete Another E-mail"

Make headings easy to read.

When our eyes are moving fast looking for something specific, we tend to ignore copy that looks like it will be too much effort to read.

So, make your heading as simple and direct as possible. Try using shorter words.

 For example, instead of:
"Deploy Robust Data Recovery Solutions and Enhance Network Availability"
try
"5 Things You Need to Protect Your Data"

Don't forget subheadings. These are another easy way to quickly offer more information about your product. Similar to headings, they're usually a small amount of text users will be likely to scan quickly.

Let's say you're an e-retailer and your landing page is a specific product page, with the product name serving as the page's heading. A subheading that offers visitors a quick preview of product benefits saves them the trouble of digging benefits out of user reviews and product descriptions that are often visually buried on the page.

 Instead of:
"Computer Satchel"
try
"Computer Satchel
Patented protection system cushions your laptop with shock-absorbing, air-filled pouches."

One more thing.

Try using Google Website Optimizer to test different versions of your headings. Website Optimizer automates the testing process and shows you which landing pages, headings, and layout combinations have most success.

To find out more, please don't hesitate to contact us using the form at the bottom of the page.