One of the problems that headlines have is that they need to serve multiple audiences. It’s not just about ranking in search engines. We also need to serve our website visitors well. And, you also want the headline to be catchy on social media.
In the SEO world of headline writing, you will be trying to rank well for different search terms as well as earn a high click-through rate, you need to earn links, and you want engagement. On the social media side, you are using a headline to earn amplification, which can mean trying to tell as much of a story as possible. You’re looking for clicks, comments and engagement on the post.
For the site itself, you are trying to drive the right visitors. You want to deliver on your promise and convert readers to clients. You don’t want people to associate your content with clickbait that doesn’t lead to valuable content.
Keywords for SEO can be really boring for social media headlines. If you try to keyword stuff, then your social media engagement and re-sharing may go down, even if the headline earns you more traffic from organic search traffic.
Your first step is to determine what platform your primary traffic driver is. If your primary traffic driver is social media, then you need to create a sense of mystery and focus on writing a more compelling heading than you would if your primary traffic driver is Google traffic. Experimenting with different headings and keyword variations, while committing to keeping your headlines honest, engaging and fun, is the best way to go.
Need help with your content marketing or social media strategy? Then contact WSI OMS today.