{"id":20979,"date":"2020-10-03T11:42:57","date_gmt":"2020-10-03T15:42:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/?p=20979"},"modified":"2024-01-17T10:01:52","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T14:01:52","slug":"steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/","title":{"rendered":"Steal tricks from the world\u2019s best online headlines"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>BBC\u2019s heads are short, clear, front-loaded and context-free<\/h2>\n<p>Who writes the world\u2019s best web heads?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27842\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27842\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"27842\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/bbc-world-news\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news.png\" data-orig-size=\"300,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"bbc-world-news\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The world at a glance&lt;\/strong&gt; The BBC\u2019s headlines encapsulate the world\u2019s news in an average of 34 characters each.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news-300x300.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news.png\" alt=\"best online headlines\" title=\"best online headlines\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-27842 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news-100x100.png 100w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/300;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"27842\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/bbc-world-news\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news.png\" data-orig-size=\"300,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"bbc-world-news\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The world at a glance&lt;\/strong&gt; The BBC\u2019s headlines encapsulate the world\u2019s news in an average of 34 characters each.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news-300x300.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news.png\" alt=\"best online headlines\" title=\"best online headlines\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-27842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bbc-world-news-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27842\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>The world at a glance<\/strong> The BBC\u2019s headlines encapsulate the world\u2019s news in an average of 34 characters each.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The folks at BBC News, according to usability expert Jakob Nielsen. Nielsen points to these effective headlines:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Italy buries first quake victims<\/h5>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Romania blamed over Moldova riots<\/h5>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Iran accuses journalist of spying<\/h5>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Ten arrested in UK anti-terrorism raids<\/h5>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Villagers hurt in West Bank clash<\/h5>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Mass Thai protest over leadership<\/h5>\n<p>\u201cAround the world in 38 words,\u201d Nielsen says.<\/p>\n<p>How can you write great headlines like the BBC\u2019s? Make sure your blog-post, content-marketing, social-media and other digital-marketing headlines are:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Context-free.<\/h3>\n<p>Microcontent moves: Web headlines are likely to show up alone in indexes, on social media and in search engine results.<\/p>\n<h5>\u201cIf there is a choice between boring and useless, I suggest going for boring.\u201d<\/h5>\n<h6>\u2014 Steffen Fjaervik, contributing writer for Poynter Online<\/h6>\n<p>That means your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/micro-content\/\">headlines and other online display copy \u2014 aka microcontent<\/a> \u2014 must be clear regardless of whether the reader sees them within the context of the original page.<\/p>\n<p>Take this headline:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">On the move<\/h5>\n<p>In print, readers would get a clue about what that means from, say, mugshots of successful employees, images of a moving van or a picture of a shiny new skyscraper. But on a Google search results page or another index, readers might not be able to figure out whether this piece of content is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A story about employee promotions<\/li>\n<li>A piece on your company\u2019s relocation benefits<\/li>\n<li>Or an article about the new headquarters building<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Can readers understand your headlines \u2014 without the supporting text, illustrations and other microcontent that appeared on the original web page? If they can\u2019t tell, chances are, they won\u2019t click.<\/p>\n<p>Good microcontent is easy to understand wherever it shows up, in or out of context. So write web headlines that are ready to move.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Clear.<\/h3>\n<p>One job of the headline is to get web visitors to read your web page. But even the most catchy headline rarely gets that job done.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s because few web visitors read online paragraphs in detail. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/writing-for-the-web-and-mobile\/skimmability-for-content-marketing\/\">Mostly, web visitors skim and scan<\/a> the headlines and other display copy. So if you want them to know something, put it in the display copy.<\/p>\n<p>So tell the story \u2014 don\u2019t tell <strong><em>about<\/em><\/strong> the story \u2014 in the headline.<\/p>\n<p>Some types of headlines tell <strong><em>about<\/em><\/strong> the story. Here\u2019s one:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Moves and milestones<\/h5>\n<p>Who\u2019s moving? What milestones?<\/p>\n<p>This headline tells the story:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Phil Smith named product manager, Program Development<\/h5>\n<p>This online business headline tells <strong><em>about<\/em><\/strong> the story:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Benefits changes announced<\/h5>\n<p>What\u2019s changed?<\/p>\n<p>This headline tells the story:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">Hallmark doubles profit sharing contribution<\/h5>\n<p>This headline tells <strong><em>about<\/em><\/strong> the story:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">\u00a0New survey tracks industry trends<\/h5>\n<p>What did you learn in the survey?<\/p>\n<p>This headline tells the story:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\">More communicators measuring ROI, survey says<\/h5>\n<h3>3. Not clever.<\/h3>\n<p>I love clever headlines in print. But funny headlines don\u2019t work well online.<\/p>\n<p>Why? See context-free, above. And because <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2011\/05\/google-doesnt-laugh-saving-witty-headlines-in-the-age-of-seo\/238656\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google never laughs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, make your headlines and other microcontent explanatory.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_20982\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20982\" style=\"width: 358px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"20982\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/the-wrong-stuff\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff.png\" data-orig-size=\"358,261\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"the-wrong-stuff\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The wrong stuff&lt;\/strong&gt; If you\u2019re writing about conferences, phones and jobs, those words should appear in the microcontent.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff-300x219.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff.png\" alt=\"The wrong stuff\" title=\"The wrong stuff\" width=\"358\" height=\"261\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20982 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff.png 358w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff-300x219.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 358px) 100vw, 358px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 358px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 358\/261;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"20982\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/the-wrong-stuff\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff.png\" data-orig-size=\"358,261\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"the-wrong-stuff\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The wrong stuff&lt;\/strong&gt; If you\u2019re writing about conferences, phones and jobs, those words should appear in the microcontent.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff-300x219.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff.png\" alt=\"The wrong stuff\" title=\"The wrong stuff\" width=\"358\" height=\"261\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff.png 358w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-wrong-stuff-300x219.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 358px) 100vw, 358px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-20982\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>The wrong stuff<\/strong> If you\u2019re writing about conferences, phones and jobs, those words should appear in the microcontent.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One huge telecomm company\u2019s website features marketing headlines such as:<\/p>\n<h5>Openness \u2014 the road to success<\/h5>\n<h6>(a conference)<\/h6>\n<h5>A sign of attitude<\/h5>\n<h6>(cool phones)<\/h6>\n<h5>Change your perspectives<\/h5>\n<h6>( IT jobs)<\/h6>\n<p>If you\u2019re writing about conferences, phones and jobs, the words <em>conference, phone<\/em> and <em>job<\/em> should appear in good headlines.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"20983\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/the-poynter-institute\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute.png\" data-orig-size=\"419,235\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"the-poynter-institute\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute-300x168.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute.png\" alt=\"The Poynter Institute\" title=\"The Poynter Institute\" width=\"419\" height=\"235\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-20983 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute.png 419w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute-300x168.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 419px) 100vw, 419px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 419px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 419\/235;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"20983\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/the-poynter-institute\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute.png\" data-orig-size=\"419,235\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"the-poynter-institute\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute-300x168.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute.png\" alt=\"The Poynter Institute\" title=\"The Poynter Institute\" width=\"419\" height=\"235\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-20983\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute.png 419w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-poynter-institute-300x168.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 419px) 100vw, 419px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf the story is about the dangers of salmonella in tomatoes in California, by golly, the headline probably needs to have California, bacteria and tomatoes in it,\u201d writes Sara Dickenson Quinn, visual journalism guru at The Poynter Institute.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe salmonella, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The point here is to communicate, not to intrigue. So strive for clarity instead of creativity. Help visitors find what they\u2019re looking for with headlines that explain rather than entertain.<\/p>\n<p>As the BBC writes: <em>Italy buries first quake victims.<\/em> Any questions?<\/p>\n<h3>4. Front-loaded.<\/h3>\n<p>When viewing a list of articles on a search engine results page or an index page, web visitors spend less than one second looking at headlines. That\u2019s according to Eyetrack III, a study of online behavior by The Poynter Institute.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_20984\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20984\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"20984\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/headlines-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1.png\" data-orig-size=\"480,286\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"headlines-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Web visitors spend less than 1 second looking at headlines on index pages. In that time, they can read about 11 characters. What do your first 11 characters say about your story? &lt;em&gt;Image by Wylie Communications&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1-300x179.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"286\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20984 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1.png 480w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1-300x179.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 480px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 480\/286;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"20984\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/headlines-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1.png\" data-orig-size=\"480,286\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"headlines-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Web visitors spend less than 1 second looking at headlines on index pages. In that time, they can read about 11 characters. What do your first 11 characters say about your story? &lt;em&gt;Image by Wylie Communications&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1-300x179.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"286\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20984\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1.png 480w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-1-300x179.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-20984\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Web visitors spend less than 1 second looking at headlines on index pages. In that time, they can read about 11 characters. What do your first 11 characters say about your story? <em>Image by Wylie Communications<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_20985\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20985\" style=\"width: 439px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"20985\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/headlines-2-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2.png\" data-orig-size=\"439,246\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"headlines-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Web visitors read only the first 2 or 3 words of a headline on a content page. What are you communicating in that space? &lt;em&gt;Image by Wylie Communications&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2-300x168.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"439\" height=\"246\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20985 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2.png 439w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2-300x168.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 439px) 100vw, 439px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 439px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 439\/246;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"20985\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/headlines-2-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2.png\" data-orig-size=\"439,246\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"headlines-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Web visitors read only the first 2 or 3 words of a headline on a content page. What are you communicating in that space? &lt;em&gt;Image by Wylie Communications&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2-300x168.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"439\" height=\"246\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20985\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2.png 439w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/headlines-2-300x168.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 439px) 100vw, 439px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-20985\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Web visitors read only the first 2 or 3 words of a headline on a content page. What are you communicating in that space? <em>Image by Wylie Communications<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So focus on the front, or on the first 2 words \u2014 11 characters \u2014 of the headline.<\/p>\n<p>To do so:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Make it a mullet <\/strong>\u2014 business upfront, party in the back. Just slide the topic word to the front and put a colon after it.\n<p>No (first 11 characters highlighted):<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\"><span style=\"color:#980000;\">Use drop-do<\/span>wn menus sparingly<\/h5>\n<p>Yes:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\"><span style=\"color:#980000;\">Drop-down m<\/span>enus: Use sparingly<\/h5>\n<p>Bonus: <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/2015\/08\/headlines-tips-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Adding a colon or hyphen to your headline can boost results by 9%<\/a>, according to the Content Marketing Institute.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use numerals<\/strong> to say more with fewer characters.\n<p>Instead of:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\"><span style=\"color:#980000;\">First two w<\/span>ords: A signal for the scanning eye<\/h5>\n<p>Nielsen recommends that you make it:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\"><span style=\"color:#980000;\">First 2 wor<\/span>ds: A signal for the scanning eye<\/h5>\n<p>Remember, it\u2019s long been AP style to use numerals for all numbers, even 1 through 9, in headlines.<\/p>\n<p>Bonus: <a href=\"https:\/\/conversionxl.com\/blog\/5-characteristics-high-converting-headlines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">36% of people prefer list-based headlines<\/a>, according to ConversionXL. So make numbers count.<\/p>\n<p>Oddly, <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/2015\/08\/headlines-tips-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">list posts with odd numbers<\/a> in the headlines outperformed those with even ones by 20%, according to the Content Marketing Institute. So <em>7 steps <\/em>is better than <em>10 tips<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Move your organization\u2019s name to the end<\/strong>. Check your newsroom: When you scan the list of news release headlines and links, what\u2019s the first word in each item?\n<p>Is it the topic word? Or do you have a list of items that each begins \u201cXYZ Organization announces \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\"><span style=\"color:#980000;\">Drake Unive<\/span>rsity campus life<\/h5>\n<p>Yes:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"standalone\"><span style=\"color:#980000;\">Campus lif<\/span>e at Drake University<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Front-load like the BBC<\/strong>. How do the BBC\u2019s headlines stack up? Here are the first 2 words from each headline on Nielsen\u2019s list:<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"color:#980000;\">Italy burie<\/span>s<\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color:#980000;\">Romania bla<\/span>med<\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color:#980000;\">Ten arreste<\/span>d<\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color:#980000;\">Villagers h<\/span>urt<\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color:#980000;\">Mass Thai<\/span><\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color:#980000;\">Iran accuse<\/span>s<\/h5>\n<p>Any questions?<\/p>\n<h3>5. Short.<\/h3>\n<p>Not everyone wants to play, \u201cWhat\u2019s the last word in the headline?\u201d says Andy Bechtel, associate professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill.<\/p>\n<p>So <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2019\/07\/online-headlines\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">write web heads that don\u2019t get truncated<\/a> by Google, social media channels, mobile apps \u2014 or your reader\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t get your head cut off by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>To avoid having your headline truncated on search engine results pages, keep headlines to <strong>55 characters or fewer<\/strong><em>.<\/em> For SEO, Google prefers that you write <strong>headlines with at least 5 words<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Social media<\/strong>. How will your headline look when it shows up on Facebook, Twitter and other social sharing sites? To avoid getting your head cut off on social media, <strong>aim for 55 characters or less<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mobile<\/strong>. Mobile apps and websites often truncate long headlines. To avoid getting your head cut off on mobile apps, follow the Associated Press\u2019s guideline and <strong>limit headlines to fewer than 40 characters<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your web head to <strong>8 words or fewer, or about 40 characters<\/strong>. That\u2019s the length readers can understand at a glance, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/revvingupreadership.com\/2022\/07\/why-use-short-sentences\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">research by The American Press Institute<\/a>. Bonus: Editing down your headline to <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/2015\/08\/headlines-tips-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">8 words can result in a 21% boost in clickthrough<\/a> rates, according to the Content Marketing Institute.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But online, shorter\u2019s better. My personal preference is for web heads of <strong>6 words or less, or about 30 characters<\/strong>. The average BBC head that made Nielsen\u2019s list weighs in at <strong>five words, or 34 characters<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>However, note that <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/news-trends\/compounding-blog-posts-what-they-are-and-why-they-matter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">headlines that work for blog posts tend to be longer<\/a>, according to Hubspot. Once you write a great post, top it with a <strong>headline of 6 to 13 words<\/strong> for the most consistent boost in traffic and hits.<\/p>\n<h3>Consider BBC style<\/h3>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/academy\/en\/articles\/art20141202144618106\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BBC itself offers these suggestions for headlines<\/a> that make readers feel compelled to click:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Write two headlines<\/strong>: a short one for search engine results pages and other indexes and a longer line for search engine optimization. No doubt about it: Google rules online headlines.<\/li>\n<li><strong> Think news style<\/strong>. Follow these do\u2019s and don\u2019ts:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>DO include a verb<\/strong>, most of the time: \u201cBritain\u2019s top policeman resigns.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>DON\u2019T use journalese<\/strong>: \u201cCave yields marsupial fossil haul.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>DON\u2019T be ambiguous<\/strong>: \u201cQueen sells pirate music to fans\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong> Tell the story<\/strong>. \u201cYou need a short header that is factual and gives understanding,\u201d writes BBC mobile editor Nathalie Malinarich. \u201cOtherwise it just becomes click bait.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Tweak those headlines.<\/h3>\n<p>I once talked to a VP of communications for Humana who asked his communicators to spend 90% of their time and effort on the headlines and other display copy and 10% on the paragraphs.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not sure about the proportions, but I agree with the sentiment. The investment you make in polishing the headline will pay off: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.marketingexperiments.com\/marketing-optimization\/optimizing-headlines.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Headline tweaks can boost clicks by 10%,<\/a> according to a study by MarketingExperiments.<\/p>\n<p>As the great adman David Ogilvy wrote: \u201cBy the time you\u2019ve written your headline, you\u2019ve spent 90 cents of your advertising dollar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Are you investing it well?<\/p>\n[sc name=&#8221;mc-cyr-liotp&#8221;]\n<p>____<\/p>\n<p>Sources: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/academy\/en\/articles\/art20141202144618106\">Writing for mobile: Bite-size basics<\/a>,\u201d BBC Academy, Dec. 2, 2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/academy\/en\/articles\/art20130702112133610\">Writing for the web<\/a>,\u201d BBC Academy, July 2, 2013<\/p>\n<p>Jakob Nielsen, \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.useit.com\/alertbox\/headlines-bbc.html\">World\u2019s Best Headlines: BBC News<\/a>,\u201d Alertbox, April 27, 2009 <a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Jodi Harris, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/2015\/08\/headlines-tips-tools\/\">Increase Content Marketing Success With Helpful Headline Tips &amp; Tools<\/a>,&#8221; Content Marketing Institute,\u00a0 Aug. 18, 2015<\/p>\n<p>Neil Patel, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/conversionxl.com\/blog\/5-characteristics-high-converting-headlines\/\">5 Characteristics Of High Converting Headlines<\/a>,&#8221; Conversion XL, July 8, 2014<\/p>\n<p>Mimi An, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/news-trends\/compounding-blog-posts-what-they-are-and-why-they-matter\">Compounding Blog Posts: What They Are and Why They Matter<\/a>,\u201d Hubspot, Jan. 28, 2016<\/p>\n<p>Hi Lovers! Sorry, but we know nothing about dating profile headlines. We wish you the best with online dating and hope you are traveling the world with a new love on June 26, but we can\u2019t help you with that. Thanks for looking!<\/p>\n<div id='MMC-Display' class='widgets_on_page wop_tiny1  wop_small1  wop_medium1  wop_large1  wop_wide1'>\n\t\t\t<ul><li id=\"custom_html-87\" class=\"widget_text widget widget_custom_html\"><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\"><a title=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/mini-master-classes-home\/display-copy-writing-workshop\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/display-copy-writing-training-mmc.png\" alt=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" title=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" border=\"0\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 250px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 250\/250;float:left; text-align:left; margin: 0 auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 2px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 18x; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; color: #FFFFFF; max-width:100%; max-height:100%;\" class=\"img-max lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/display-copy-writing-training-mmc.png\" alt=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" title=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" border=\"0\" style=\"float:left; text-align:left; margin: 0 auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 2px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 18x; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; color: #FFFFFF; max-width:100%; max-height:100%;\" class=\"img-max\"><\/noscript><\/a><h3>Get the word out with display copy<\/h3>\r\n\t\r\n<p>\u201cReaders\u201d don\u2019t read. Even highly educated web visitors read fewer than 20% of the words on a webpage.<\/p>\r\n\t\r\n<p>So how do you reach \u201creaders\u201d who won\u2019t read your paragraphs?<\/p>\r\n\t\r\n<p>Learn how to put your messages where your readers\u2019 eyes really are \u2014 in links, lists and CTAs \u2014 at our <a title=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/mini-master-classes-home\/display-copy-writing-workshop\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>display copy-writing workshop<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"btn btn--depth\" style=\"text-align: center;  margin: 10px 0 20px; width:100%;\"><a id=\"btnTT\" style=\"\" title=\"BOOK NOW\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/mini-master-classes-home\/display-copy-writing-workshop\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-width=\"91\">BOOK NOW<\/a>\r\n<!-- [if mso]>\r\n<p 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context-free<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":27842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[240,237],"class_list":{"0":"post-20979","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-microcontent","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-microcontent","10":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.4 (Yoast SEO v23.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Steal tricks from the world\u2019s best online headlines<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The world at a glance: The BBC\u2019s headlines encapsulate the world\u2019s news in an average of 34 characters each.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Steal tricks from the world\u2019s best online headlines\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The world at a glance: The BBC\u2019s headlines encapsulate the world\u2019s news in an average of 34 characters each.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2020\/10\/steal-tricks-from-the-worlds-best-online-headlines\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Wylie Communications, Inc.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" 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