How to Write Catchy Headlines for Your Blog

Whether you are using a blog as a marketing tool or you’re blogging for bucks, you will need to come up with catchy headlines to capture the reader’s attention. Because after all the greatest content is nothing without someone to read it, and catchy headlines are how you reel them in.
Always remember that there are two main people that you are writing for; your readers and the search engines. You will need to appeal to both, but to drive the traffic to your site you will need to use front-loaded keywords in combination with descriptive titles to speak to the search engines. I suggest using Google Keyword Analyzer to help you come up with new keyword ideas.
Now how do you write appealing blog titles that make the reader stop in their tracks? Here are four different techniques that will get your readers attention.
1. Lists. People love lists! Lists are easy to read, they look neat, they organize information in a logical format and best of all lists tend to go viral. If you look on Digg or Delicious you’ll see that the top headlines are often written in this format. Example: 10 Best Blogs on Social Networking.
2. Call to Action. People like to be guided, it gives them reassurance. Try writing a “How to” or a “Complete Guide” post; these types of posts tend to make for popular reading. Example: How to Write a Catchy Blog Title or Your Guide to Writing Catchy Blog Titles.
3. Curiosity or Secret. Make your readers want to know more by targeting their curiosity or letting them in on a secret. People like to feel like they are getting exclusive information. Example: Learn the Secret Marketing Power of Twitter instead of The Marketing Power of Twitter.
4. Gossip. Just take a look at all the gossip magazines in the grocery store aisle check-out or one of the many the celebrity gossip blogs; people love juicy, sensational, gossipy type news. Try incorporating this style of headline into your blog title to peak your reader’s interest. Example: Summer’s Hottest Blogging Topics.
For more tips on writing catchy headlines, check out: The Sexy Art of Writing Headlines that Kill