How To Come Up With A Catchy Blog Title

Catchy blog titles are very commonly misunderstood, especially by those who are unfamiliar with crafting content online.

What's in a name? Well, think about the first time you meet someone. The same goes for when someone lands on your blog.

If you read that first sentence, congratulations. You've just read past the title. Think of your blog post title as your first opportunity (and often one of your only opportunities) to grab the reader's attention. When your blog post appears in Google search results, on a guest blog, or in a post shared on social media, it is the first thing a reader may see. There's something so clickable and shareable about a catchy blog title.

Many of the high-ranking titles that you see online are often crafted by experts in the field or professional blog writing services that specialize in content.

Often, you might only have one opportunity to even get that person to click (let alone read) the article. Aside from the featured image, a catchy blog title (like a catchy name) quite literally might be the first part of your blog post that a person sees and plays a huge part in getting people to click through and read the remainder of the article.

Any time a reader enjoys your content enough to share it with their social network, the title is what others can see. Internet marketing through blogs is largely a process of promise and payoff so a blog title that rolls off the tongue, piques curiosity, makes someone laugh, or makes someone think can really help provide that promise which you can then follow up with an adequate payoff.

It may be easy to come up with blog post titles, but it is a whole different story to write catchy blog titles that can function like mega-traffic pulling machines. First, consider what kinds of titles draw the most traffic and have the highest click-through rates. This can help make writing catchy blog titles a sort of second nature. Here are 7 ways you can create catchy blog titles that attract real traffic to your blog.

1. Use Titillating Adjectives

This is a very quick way for any headline to be spiced up. Don't just write about five Thanksgiving dinner recipes or write about five incredible Thanksgiving dinner recipes. Forget about winter cute outfit suggestions, and write about cute ideas for winter outfits.

Instead of "How to save money by eating home", using a new and surprising adjective can drive home the message more effectively. This technique can enhance the creativity of your headlines and produce more catchy blog titles. "Five Delicious Ways To Save Money By Eating Home" is a catchy example. Aside from just sounding good, catchy blog titles can also entice the reader to learn more about any given topic.

Click here to download our free mega list of adjectives and clickable words to refer to when writing blog titles

Using adjectives can also mean just being more specifc. Example: Instead of an analysis of 5 hatchbacks on the market, maybe you can try a technical analysis of 5 hatchbacks on the market.

2. Use numbers to give concrete takeaways

There is an explanation why, in their headlines, so many writers use numbers (like in this article). It's functional and rewarding.

Experiment: Go to the grocery store and search the checkout lane for the magazines. Look at the headlines of a front-page post. If it's a health magazine or a newspaper, it doesn't matter; many of them will use numerals in their headlines.

There are no rules about what numbers work best, but only three to five points are generally remembered by people. That said, a very mysterious number like 19 or 37 is catchy at drawing people's attention.

3. Make A Promise – And Deliver

As mentioned earlier, Internet marketing through blogs is largely a process of promise and payoff. A more risky (but possibly successful) tactic for titles can be to start your article by making an almost absurd point. Just make sure the results you promise can be delivered inside the body of the blog post. If an interested person sees an article called "The Collatz Conjecture in under 5 minutes", he or she might be quick to take you up on your offer. Just try to think about whether you really can teach your readers how to get better at math in just five minutes.

You know what keeps them up at night if you know your target audience. Write catchy blog titles that address issues that they have long been grappling with. You can build a grateful reader and, possibly, a loyal customer if you can deliver on a commitment that matters to them.

4. Use Keyword Research

You're probably already doing keyword research if you have a blog to help you figure out what your audience thinks about, searches for, and the terminology they use when they do so. Catchy blog titles are designed to put that information to work. Combining solid keyword research with a deep understanding about what keeps your target audience members up at night, can be a recipe for success.

Consider using the language used by your target market. Both enhancing the SEO of your blog posts (which helps people find them) and getting them to click on the post once they see it are two major objectives to focus on. You might want to be careful to not try to force a target keyword uncomfortably into a blog title. However, you should be able to use the keyword naturally if your blog post is on the topic you are targeting.

5. Catchy Blog Titles Don't Need To Oversell

Try and remember to check that the title used in the blog post fits the post's content. Don't say that your content is going to "blow your mind" when really it isn't (how would anyone measure that anyway?). Don't say the "definitive guide to" what you're writing about in your blog post if it's a short post that just covers the basics of the subject. If, in your title, you plan to make a huge statement, then do the job to make a blog post that delivers, or use another title.

6. Be Specific

Remember what I mentioned about being specific? Relevant titles have been known to outperform ambiguous titles. Catchy blog titles often involve specificity. Consider adding some information to draw the interest of the reader while making your title. For specificity, 'numbered' titles can work well as they give the reader an idea of how much time might be required to read the article and also hint at a structure for skimmability.

"For example, you could get more specific and create a title such as "Top 5 Dog Grooming Tips" rather than a title like "tips about dog grooming.

7. Be Creative

Aside from following the basic rules of creating catchy blog titles, don't forget to add a pinch of creativity to the mix. There are so many blog posts out there, with loads of other titles likely sharing the same array of topics that you are covering.

If you want to stand out, then consider applying a little bit of uniqueness. You don't have to be too unique though. Use power words that play with the perception of your readers, add words that unlock emotions and play with humor, fear or shock.

Competitive, blissful, best-selling, breakthrough – these are some examples of power words.

If you're creating a guide, don't just use the word "Guide" in your headline. Try making it more interesting by using "An in-depth guide" or "an all-in-one guide".

The point is that your blog title is the tip of the spear for the rest of your article. The more effective it is, the more effective your content might be overall. Creativity is a whetstone that sharpens the edge.

8. Add Controversy To Enhance Clickability

Due to its controversial nature, Banksy's graffiti art has earned worldwide attention.

The controversy is fascinating and appears to get clicks as a result. When you can take a clear stance, go for it. However, sometimes it's not worth taking a secure, neutral middle ground.

Instead, you might go for a provocative and engaging approach, explaining why your views make more sense. Of course, you are not allowed to devolve into libel or personal attacks. With all that being said, you might not want to seem too controversial, particularly if you can offer an eloquent, convincing post that arrives at the same point.

Check out this blog post on using blog writers for thought leadership and great marketing

The problem with title generators

Reaching out for a title generator when you're stuck for ideas can seem like an easy option. However, these machines can come with their own set of problems.

These days, your blog's titles are so important that leaving them to machines might not be a great idea. Catchy blog titles are crucial for building traction and pulling attention from external environments online so that you can grow your blog.

That's not all, blog titles must match search intent and must be designed to encapsulate the context of whichever topic you're trying to rank for with regards to SEO.

Title generators are becoming more advanced over time, so things may change for the better in the future. For now, there are inconsistencies and inaccuracies that tend to leak out of generators. If you're not careful, this can gradually affect the quality of your site's content.

Here are a few catchy title examples from famous blogs

Noah Kagan's blog:

catchy blog titles, 8 tips to create catchy blog titles for steady site growth — Source: OkDork.com

Noah Kagan runs a blog called OkDork that focuses on helping people on their entrepreneurial paths through informative content, interesting discussions, and great tips.

He also founded AppSumo which is one of the most prominent daily deals websites for digitally distributed goods and online services. This blog title (Why I walked out on Tony Robbins) isn't just catchy, it's slightly controversial, which can be a very effective way to pique interest and increase engagement. Just take note to do this tastefully.

Neil Patel's blog:

If you're in the SEO industry, Neil Patel probably requires no introduction. This SEO guru has paved the way for many digital marketing techniques, strategies, and theories that have been used by brands and marketers. It's no surprise that we can all take away lessons from the way he crafts his content. The blog title above (How to craft lead magnets your customers can't ignore) is compelling, intriguing, and related to the needs of readers.

Financial Samurai blog:

Financial Samurai is a renowned blog that slices through money's mysteries. It effectively does this by churning great, informative content that leads to real value and real results. They also come up with great catchy blog titles. The title above (The rise of stealth wealth) sets up the article with an interesting angle about low-key wealthy individuals and how you can become one too.

catchy blog titles, 8 tips to create catchy blog titles for steady site growth