Creating a captivating headline is crucial to the success of any blog post. It is the first thing that readers will see and it can make or break their decision to click through and read the rest of your content.

However, it’s important to remember that while you want your headline to be clickable, you don’t want to resort to clickbait tactics that can ultimately damage your credibility. In this article, we will go through a 9-step formula for writing highly clickable (but not clickbait) blog headlines.

From understanding your audience to using action words and numbers, we will cover the essential elements of crafting headlines that will capture the attention of your readers and encourage them to click through to your post.

Understand your audience: Before you start writing your headline, it’s important to understand who your target audience is and what they are looking for. This will help you to create a headline that is relevant and appealing to them.

Use action words: Action words like “discover,” “learn,” “uncover,” and “reveal” is highly clickable and can make your headline more interesting and engaging.

Be specific: Be specific about the topic of your blog post in your headline. This will help your readers understand what they can expect to read in your post.

Keep it short and sweet: Keep your headline short and sweet. It should be no longer than 10-12 words, as this is the maximum number of words that are visible in most search engine results.

Use numbers: Using numbers in your headline can make it more interesting and engaging. For example, “9 Secrets to Boosting Your Productivity” or “7 Tips for Mastering Social Media Marketing.”

Use questions: Using questions in your headline can make it more engaging and can encourage readers to click through to your post. For example, “Are You Making These Common SEO Mistakes?”

Use emotional words: Use emotional words to make your headline more engaging and interesting. For example, “How to Overcome Fear and Achieve Your Goals” or “The Surprising Benefits of Gratitude.”

Avoid clickbait: While you want your headline to be clickable, you should avoid using clickbait tactics. This includes using misleading or sensationalized language that doesn’t accurately reflect the content of your post.

Test and refine: Test different headlines and see which ones perform the best. This can help you to refine your headline writing skills and create headlines that are highly clickable and effective.

In conclusion, by understanding the target audience, using action words, being specific, keeping it short and sweet, using numbers, questions, emotional words and avoiding clickbait, and testing and refining the headlines, one can write highly clickable headlines that are not clickbait but engaging and informative.