Before I write the content of my blog posts, the title is the first thing I accomplish. It’s my north star in creating an article, guiding me to stay focused on the main topic or idea as I write.
While writing a blog post title isn’t overly complicated, crafting a compelling one isn’t always straightforward.
From my experience writing over 200 blog posts, turning an idea that could take a thousand words to explain into just 60 characters is pretty tough—especially when you’re trying to make the title catchy, interesting, and true to the content.
To do that, I focus on three key aspects of creating a blog post title that, when done right, can make it compelling without misleading readers.
I’ve summed them up into three questions for you.
- Correctness — Does the title of the blog post have words that best describe the content?
- Purpose — Does the blog post title emphasize the value or purpose (intent)?
- Engagement — Does the title of the blog post have engaging words to make it more enticing?
Let me explain them further and give you examples to make these questions easier to answer.
Step 1. Find Words that Best Describe the Content
The first and most important thing to remember when creating a blog title is that it should always match the content.
What the title says is exactly what the readers should find in the post.
Take this post as an example. The title promises 3 steps to write a great blog post title, and if you look through the post, you’ll find exactly 3 simple steps—no long-winded explanations.
Does the title match the content? Definitely.
Want more examples?
- If the title includes “How to” or “Guide,” the reader should find step-by-step instructions on how to reach a goal or solve a problem, usually with images or videos to help explain, in the content.
- If the title has “Review,” the reader should see a detailed look at a product or service, covering its features, pros and cons, and how it compares to similar options, usually with ratings and other details.
- If the title has the word “Checklist,” the content should include a list of steps or items needed to complete a task, usually organized for easy reference.
Step 2. Emphasize the Value or Purpose (Intent) in the Title
In Explore to Thrive, my goal is always to provide value to readers with every post I publish.
I think it’s what you aim for too. But how can readers, especially new ones, know that our content can help them grow if they haven’t read it yet?
The key is in the title.
We need to make it clear to readers what value they’ll get or what the post is about as soon as they see the title. Let’s give them a reason to read our post.
For example, let’s look at the title of this blog post again.
The intent is clear—it’s to guide readers, which is shown by the words “Steps to Craft Blog Post Title.”
The value comes from “3 Simple Steps,” which suggests that readers will save time—another form of value—when creating great blog post titles.
Step 3. Spice Up The Title, Add Irresistible Elements
If our blog post covers a competitive niche or we’re sharing it on social media, we need to spice up the title.
In these spaces, we’re all competing for readers’ attention, so just emphasizing the value and purpose of our post isn’t enough. We need to make people want to read it the moment they see the title.
To do that, we add elements that make it impossible to resist.
So, what elements am I talking about?
These are the engagement boosters, click-through triggers, or title-optimizing factors like the ones listed below. When using these elements in your title, make sure not to mislead your readers or overpromise, or it’ll conflict with step #1.
Examples of Engagement Boosters
- Action verbs – inspire readers to take action.
- Examples: “Discover the Best Strategies for…,” “Learn How to…,” “Transform Your…”
- Superlatives – Highlight something as the best, latest, or most impactful.
- Examples: “The Ultimate Guide to…,” “Top 10 Essential Tips for…,” “Best Practices for…”
- Numbers or Lists – Readers are drawn to structured, bite-sized information.
- Examples: “7 Proven Ways to…,” “5 Things You Didn’t Know About…,” “10 Reasons to…”
- Curiosity Gaps – Tease the reader with intriguing information.
- Examples: “The Secret to…,” “What Everyone Should Know About…,” “The Surprising Truth About…”
- Specificity – Clear, targeted topics attract more relevant readers.
- Examples: “How to Grow Your Email List in 30 Days,” “A Beginner’s Guide to Investing in 2024”
- Urgency or Time Sensitivity – Encourages readers to act promptly.
- Examples: “Get Started Today With…,” “Don’t Miss Out on…,” “Before It’s Too Late…”
- Emotional Appeal – Evoke feelings like excitement, fear, or joy.
- Examples: “Feel Confident in Your…,” “Overcome Your Fears of…,” “How to Achieve Financial Freedom…”
- Benefit-Focused Language – Emphasize what the reader gains.
- Examples: “Boost Your Productivity With…,” “Save Money by…,” “Master the Art of…”
- Authority or Expertise – Titles that signal expertise build trust.
- Examples: “Expert Tips for…,” “The Complete Beginner’s Guide to…,” “Industry Secrets Revealed…”
- Power Words – Words that captivate, like “proven,” “guaranteed,” “essential.”
- Examples: “Essential Strategies for…,” “Proven Techniques to…,” “Guaranteed Results With…”
SEO for Blog Post Titles
Back on my old sites, I used to optimize blog post titles for SEO keywords.
For example, if the keyword was “is Cebu worth visiting,” I’d title my post something like “Is Cebu Worth Visiting: 10 Reasons to Visit.”
But I don’t do that anymore, and here’s why.
First, those titles are super generic.
Second, search engines are starting to dislike them. It’s funny how just a few years ago, before Google dropped the notorious HCU, you could find 3 or 4 posts with nearly identical titles when searching for something like “Should I go to Milan.”
For example, titles like “Is Milan Worth Visiting: 10 Amazing Things to Do” or “Milan is Worth Visiting: 15 Amazing Reasons to Visit.”
The third reason I’ve moved on is that unique and thoughtful titles are just better for readers. If I were writing those posts now, I’d go for something like “10 Amazing Experiences That Made My Milan Trip Worth It.”
Lastly, I think search engine AI will improve over time. It will reach a point where optimizing won’t matter as much, so I’ll focus on creating better titles and content.
I’ve seen this shift happening with Google for years, though the results still have a lot of room for improvement.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, when writing a title, just remember these nine words: describe the content, emphasize the value, and engage the reader.
I just want to share: before I publish a blog post, I always check the title to make sure it meets a high standard. This guide helps me do just that. I hope this blog post helps you too!
But the title isn’t the only thing I check—I follow a 10-step pre-publish checklist. Feel free to use it to make sure your posts are optimized for readers and designed to build a loyal community!
This post is a resource for Explore to Thrive’s Interactive Pre-Publish Checklist for Blog Posts. Take a look!
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