Search engine algorithms are constantly changing to better analyze what users are searching for. That means keeping your SEO strategies up-to-date with the latest tactics is crucial, so your website continues to rank well in search results. To attract more organic visitors and boost your Google updates scores, you need to make sure your headlines improve their relevancy, readability, and clickability. And if you cannot do that, Sobe Viral is ready to help you scale your marketing agency. In this blog post, we’ll cover the different elements of an SEO-friendly headline so you can release them on your own sites without worrying about negatively affecting site performance or penalties in search engine results pages (SERPs).
1. Write headlines for humans, not search engines
A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that they need to write headlines specifically for search engines. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Gone are the days when all you had to do was stuff a bunch of keywords into your headlines and you would rank well in search results. These days, search engines are much more sophisticated and can actually penalize you for keyword stuffing. So instead of writing headlines for search engines, write them for humans. Make sure they’re clear, concise, and easy to read. Not only will this improve your chances of ranking well in search results, but it will also help you attract more organic traffic to your website.
2. Use keyword-rich phrases
While you don’t want to stuff your headlines with keywords, you want to ensure they contain relevant, keyword-rich phrases. This will help improve your chances of ranking well in search results for those particular keywords. Just make sure you’re using them in a way that sounds natural and doesn’t interfere with the readability of your headlines. A good rule of thumb is to keep your headlines under 60 characters, so they don’t get cut off in search results.
3. Use emotive language
Your headlines need to do more than just rank well in search results. They also need to be click-worthy. That means they need to be interesting and relevant enough to encourage people to click on them. A good way to do this is to use powerful words that evoke emotion. For example, words like “amazing,” “incredible,” and “unbelievable” can pique people’s interest and make them want to learn more about what you have to say.
4. Use numbers and symbols
Headlines that contain numbers and symbols tend to perform better in search results and also tend to get more clicks. This is because they stand out from the rest and convey a sense of urgency. For example, a headline like “5 Ways to Improve Your SEO” is more likely to get clicked on than a headline like “How to Improve Your SEO.”
5. Test, test, test
Try out different headlines and see which ones perform the best. A/B testing is a great way to do this. Just create two versions of your headline and see which one gets more clicks. Then, you can use the headline that performs the best on your website.
6. Keep them updated
Search engine algorithms are constantly changing, which means your headlines also need to change. If you want your website to continue ranking well in search results, you need to keep your headlines up-to-date with the latest trends and keywords. This can be a lot of work, but it’s necessary if you want to maintain a good search engine ranking. One way of achieving this is by using a tool like Google Analytics to track which keywords people are searching for the most. Then, you can use those keywords in your headlines. Another way is to use dates in your headlines. For example, “5 Ways to Improve Your SEO in 2020.” This will show search engines that your content is relevant and up-to-date.
7. Ask questions
If you want people to read your headlines, you need to make them curious. Asking questions is a great way to do this. For example, “Have You Been Making These SEO Mistakes?” This headline not only asks a question but also implies that there are mistakes that need to be fixed. As a result, people will want to click on the headline to find out what those mistakes are.
With these tips in mind, you should be able to write SEO-friendly and click-worthy headlines. Just remember to keep them relevant, interesting, and up-to-date with the latest trends.
