Free Assessment: How does your sales & marketing measure up?

Get Started
Close

Free Assessment:

How does your sales & marketing measure up?
Take this free, 5-minute assessment and learn what you can start doing today to boost traffic, leads, and sales.
Get Started
John Bonini

By John Bonini

Jul 15, 2014

Topics:

Content Marketing
Content Marketing

How to Avoid Writing Terrible Blog Titles

John Bonini

By John Bonini

Jul 15, 2014

How to Avoid Writing Terrible Blog Titles

how-to-avoid-writing-terrible-blog-titlesYou and I have something in common. 

Sure, we're unique in many, many ways, but there is one thing I'm certain of that we have in common: we use beauty in order to find contrast from the average.

In fact, everyone does. It's a natural defense mechanism when we're posed with too many choices.

Think about it: when you go apple picking, do you blindly pick from the rows upon rows of trees until your bag is full? Of course not. Instead, you carefully select – by sight and touch – the perfect apples to place into your bag. 

Finding reading material online elicits similar behavior. 

There's so much content getting shared that we naturally throw up a defense mechanism and click only the most interesting titles.

(We even have a tool that helps bloggers write more interesting titles.)

Are your titles worthy?

Writing a great title for your blog post

Marketing expert Marcus Sheridan often uses what he refers to as CSI – Content Saturation Index – to convey the importance of carefully choosing blog titles your audience is actually looking for.

The idea behind CSI is that there’s so much content out there in the form of blog posts, that you simply can’t afford to write terrible ones.

Typically, marketers fall into two traps when coming brainstorming blog titles. Getting Cutesy – Sure, witty blog post titles are fun to come up with, but they’re completely self-serving, and unless you have a large audience no one is ever going to find it.

Compromising the behavior of your audience as well as SEO best practices for a cutesy title is extremely risky, and a common downfall for many blogs not getting read. Over-Optimized – Keyword optimization is a catch-22, as while you can’t ignore it altogether, over-optimizing your post based on search engine data can be a slippery slope toward turning off your audience.

Instead, optimize for your ideal persona or reader based on the questions they need answers to. Chances are they’re not searching for “pool installation in CT,” but rather, “what do I need to know before installing a pool?”

Knowing the difference is critical. With the proper techniques and a clear understanding of what your audience is searching for, it’s entirely possible to rank high for the specific keywords and queries you know your readers are interested in.

There’s already tons of cutesy, uninspired blog posts circulating the web. Don’t add to the mix by falling into the two traps outlined above, as that market is already saturated.

Besides, terrible blog post titles is not a market your business wants to find itself in. Focus on solving problems, answering questions, and less on being witty, cute, and funny. Focus more on the problems your readers are having, and align the language of your blog titles with it.

For instance, consider the manner in which you ask questions.

“How do I…..”

“What’s the best way to….”

“What type of…….”

Generally this is how we ask questions when we’re searching for solutions. Rather than get cutesy with pop culture references, focus on helping to solve the problems of your readers.

They’re counting on you.

Free Assessment:

How does your sales & marketing measure up?
Take this free, 5-minute assessment and learn what you can start doing today to boost traffic, leads, and sales.

Related Articles

Authentic Video Marketing in The Age of Deepfake Technology

September 27, 2023
John Becker John Becker

What Should a 2024 Content Marketing Strategy Include?

September 21, 2023
Mandy York Mandy York

What Is a 'Learning Center' and Why Does My Website Need One?

September 14, 2023
John Becker John Becker

HubSpot Update September 2023: What’s New from INBOUND

September 13, 2023
Jessica Palmeri Jessica Palmeri

How to Humanize Your Content While Using AI

September 11, 2023
Mandy York Mandy York

How To Create Sales Enablement Content Your Sales Team Will Love

August 17, 2023
John Becker John Becker

How to Create a Content Map To Solve Your Marketing Guesswork

July 6, 2023
Brian Casey Brian Casey

Marketing Without a Map: Why You Need A Content Mapping Strategy

July 5, 2023
Brian Casey Brian Casey

Inbound Marketing vs. Content Marketing: What's the Difference? 

July 3, 2023
Brian Casey Brian Casey

LinkedIn Could Become Your Most Powerful Distribution Channel

June 22, 2023
John Becker John Becker

Your B2B Content Strategy Is Going to Need More Social

June 21, 2023
Nick Bennett Nick Bennett

How to Write a Persuasive Case Study That Converts (w/ free template)

June 1, 2023
John Becker John Becker

Top 10 Must-Have Qualities To Look For in a Content Manager

April 20, 2023
Marcus Sheridan Marcus Sheridan

Why You Need a Content Manager (and How to Hire the Right One)

April 13, 2023
Marcus Sheridan Marcus Sheridan

Your Content Initiative Can't Succeed Without Help From The Sales Team

March 22, 2023
Zach Basner Zach Basner

How to Ghostwrite Content for a Subject Matter Expert

March 20, 2023
John Becker John Becker

5 Smart Ways to Combat Common Buyer Questions With Content

February 27, 2023
Ramona Sukhraj Ramona Sukhraj

How To Skillfully Write About Competitors On Your Blog

February 20, 2023
Ramona Sukhraj Ramona Sukhraj

4 Ways Marketing Can Help Buyers 'Sell' Themselves

February 9, 2023
Ramona Sukhraj Ramona Sukhraj

6 Signs You're Being Neglected by Your Marketing Agency

February 1, 2023
Chris Marr Chris Marr

Never Chase Trends At the Expense of Your Brand

January 12, 2023
Ramona Sukhraj Ramona Sukhraj

Insourcing vs. Outsourcing Content: Which is Better for Your Business?

January 9, 2023
Tom DiScipio Tom DiScipio

Content Marketing in 2023: Principles, Platforms, and Content Distribution

January 4, 2023
Marcus Sheridan Marcus Sheridan

7 Content Marketing Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2023

January 2, 2023
Ramona Sukhraj Ramona Sukhraj

How To Set Content Marketing Goals for Growth

December 29, 2022
Brian Casey Brian Casey