10 Article Headline Examples That Got Us 10 Million Readers

Creating engaging headlines is the most important part of copywriting.

It’s also the most fun.

Don’t be afraid to put a significant amount of mental energy into your headlines…

Your title is what audiences recall, even more so than the content itself.

It’s what’s displayed in the search results and their bookmarks menu – setting the stage for the entire blog post.

I invite you to create a word document with about 100 headlines for inspiration and reference it anytime you’re creating new post titles. Alternatively, you could just use the 110 headline templates in Traffic Domination.

Straight up, if your headlines sucks, your posts won’t get viewed and your site won’t keep as many visitors.

10 Post Titles Guaranteed to Get YOU Results

1. Classic How-to

A lot of popular blogs and websites have discovered formulas that deliver results every time.

One headline formula that’s been incredibly effective for more than a century is the classic how to. This is a great way to increase engagement, just be sure to deliver on your promises.

They don’t even necessarily need to start with the words “how to” to be a how to headline.

“How to Have a Healthier and More Productive Home Office”

“10 Step To Successfully Outsourcing Your Online Business”

“21 Ways to Dominate Youtube: The Ultimate Guide”

2. Identify and Solve a Problem

One of best ways to get new readers is to Identify and solve a problem with trigger words.

The top companies use emotional triggers in nearly every headline – another classic style that’s withstood the test of time.

You’ll notice major companies like Cosmopolitan, DailyMail and Yahoo using this style often:

“6 Instant Confidence Boosters”

“Parenting Guru: From Chaos to Access”

“Gene Breakthrough Restores The Sight Of People With Inherited Eye Disease And Could Save Thousands From Blindness”

3. Make A Statement

Variety in driveway

Sometimes we get writers block and can’t think of a clever headline… This is where making a direct statement is the easiest and most effective way to engage your reader.

“Twitter Goes Public: 21 Things You Should Know”

“Tips That Show Anybody How To Make Money Online – Guaranteed”

“Thousands Already Make Millions Online And So Can You”

4. Strike A Note Of Controversy

Blog posts that have controversial titles grab more attention.

Riding the wave of controversy is good for blogs that want to pull audiences in, get them emotionally involved and commenting on your site.

“Why All Guys Cheat, Fresh Insight”

“Which One Deserves To Die?”

“10 Reasons Civilization May Collapse Because Of Organic Foods…”

It’s a very effective tool for generating attention. Just try not to land on the wrong side of an issue or be disrespectful.

You don’t want to offend your primary audience unless of course you’re trying to not make money.

Remember, you want to pull readers in not push them away.

5. Shorter Titles Are Great

Concentrate on keeping your headlines to the point.

People like short and sweet and have limited attention spans – especially online!

“No Cellphones – By Law”

“Rob Banks Legally”

“Fat Makes You Thin”

Try to avoid wordy headlines as they dilute your message and distract from the point of your post.

6. Ask Questions

Using a question as a title is an excellent opportunity to get people to click through to your post.

When people spot a question in a title, they’ll automatically think of a response. It’s natural…

“Are You Too Clever For Success?”

“Want To Immediately Reverse All Your Health Issues?”

“Six Types Of Investors – Which Group Are You In?”

Increase the chance the question resonates with your audience by being certain it’s relevant to your demographic.

An easy way to do this is by installing a survey plugin like YOP Poll or FluidSurveys and asking what type of posts your readers want to see more of.

7. Use Headlines That Offer Explanations

Explanatory headlines make things instantly clear to readers by doing exactly what the name suggests, explaining something…

“How I Doubled My Money With Facebook Ads”

“For At Risk Youths, Learning Digital Media Is A Luxury”

“New Shampoo Leaves Your Hair Smoother – Easier to Manage”

Sometimes it pays to have breaking news in the title itself.

When you turn your news into explanations, your audience knows exactly what they’re getting into before they ever start reading.

8. Go For An “Intrigue” Style

Write a headline that makes people do kind of a double take when they read it.

Make them wonder and ask if it’s even possible.

National Enquirer is notorious for this…

“Father Goes For Kidney Treatment – Leaves Hospital As A Women”

“How Jack The Weakling SLAUGHTERED THE DANCE FLOOR HOG!”

“Wall Street Getting Kicked In The Face By Asian Techs!”

9. Try A “Finality”

Another way to generate interest is by using finality style (power) words like ultimate, best, exclusive, only, guaranteed et cetera.

If you can deliver after somebody clicks the headline, you’ll almost certainly earn a new reader.

“The Ultimate Guide to Making Money Online”

“Every Internet Entrepreneur Regrets Not Doing This Sooner”

“This Blog Post Will Make You More Money Guaranteed”

10. Craft A “Top List”

This is one of the simplest formats to follow, and it’s ideal for SEO and getting ranked in the search engines for the more competitive terms.

Put the topic first, ideally optimized for popular search terms, and then use a “emotion-provoking” description.

Numbers grab attention and tell your audience you’re an authority. It lets them know you have something specific, concrete and real to offer them.

“24 Rules I Follow When Creating Successful Websites”

“5 Ways to Make More Money Online – Even If You’re Just Starting Out”

“Top 10 Facebook Advertising Mistakes To Avoid”

These types of posts get us over 100,000 visitors to this website every month, click here to learn how.

Headlines are a critical element because they’re what draw the reader into the body of your post.

Recognize what posts captivate you and start a list of the headlines that compelled you to click – I bet you’ll notice something strikingly similar about each.

Identify that “something” and use it to your advantage.

If you want to learn more about how we get millions of visitors to our sites every year, I recommend you read the following posts: