21 Powerful Headline Examples (+ How to Write Ones That Actually Get Read)
You just spent 2.7 hours writing your latest blog post.
Now it’s time to come up with a catchy title.
Uh, I’ll just call it whatever so I can be done with it. I’ve already been at it for hours, and besides, there’s a frosty glass of rosé waiting for me.
Ack! Give your blog headline the love it deserves! If you give your blog title a MEH headline, you could be doing it a disservice because who’s going to read it?
The job of a killer headline is to tempt readers to click and read the rest.
It’s like putting a 40-year bottle of tawny port inside a generic sparkling grape juice bottle. Bleh. No one is going to know what grapey goodness is sitting inside.
Good news: You can learn how to write click-worthy headlines.
And yes, of course, you can run your article through GPT, Claude, or Gemini and see what it suggests. If you do this, though, make sure you first know what actually makes a good headline.
Also, just because a headline is “good” or gets a solid SEO score doesn’t mean it’s the right headline for you. Always take a curious approach with your audience, test out headlines, and see what works.
Here are some headline-writing tips I use with my coaching clients:
1. Write the headline after you write the article
Between the ghostwriting and editing I used to do for clients, plus writing online for 15 years, I’ve written thousands of blog posts, essays, and articles. Start out with a topic in mind, then write the headline last. This is because once you dive in and start exploring a topic, you might do a U-turn and write in an entirely different direction. Write the article first, then go back and write headlines. List them out as they come to you; you’ll refine later. Occasionally, a headline idea might come to you before you begin writing — that’s fine too. Sometimes it’s helpful to have this to keep your article from meandering too much.
2. You’re going to go through a bunch of iterations
And that’s cool! Write as many that come to mind. If you can’t decide which one to use, try this free headline checker. It’ll score your headline and give you pointers on length, ordinary, and power words. Make your list, and walk away. Come back to it with fresh eyes.
3. WIIFM
That is, “what’s in it for me?” As your reader, how will their life be better after reading your article? Tell them in the headline.
4. Keep it unreasonably simple
Never sacrifice clarity in an attempt to be clever. While you might think that writing the sophisticated word makes you look smart, it actually confuses your reader. A confused reader is one who doesn’t click. As long as you’re addressing a specific problem or benefit, you have permission to keep it simple and readable. Use the actual words your readers or clients would use when they’re searching for you.
5. Start with a photo
If a picture is worth a thousand words, you can get away with using eight or so words in your headline when standing next to a telling photo. This, of course, depends on where you’re publishing. Sometimes only a word or two is perfect to spark curiosity.
6. Add some power to grab your reader
Once you have some drafts, play with versions using different emotional or sensory words. Power words add a dose of persuasion and prompt your readers to engage by sparking feelings and helping them see, hear, and even smell your copy. To come up with power words, think about how you want your readers to feel when they read your blog post. Do you want them to feel happy, excited, inspired? Once you have these feeling words, you can explore some words that pop. My favorite tool is Power Thesaurus.
7. Create a swipe file of titles and headlines that grab your attention
Stand in line at the supermarket and see which headlines stand out. When you’re scrolling on social media or going through your inbox, make a habit of noting any headlines that tug at your eyeballs or your heartstrings. Keep this list in a Google Docs file, a Word doc, or a notebook, and come back to it when you’re looking to create your own.
The more you pay attention to great headlines, the more you’ll be able to pull fantastic ones out of thin air!
Here are 21 click-worthy headlines to inspire you:
11 Raw Cacao and Artisanal Tea Pairings
11 Signs You’re Not Eating Enough Chocolate
11 Surprising Ways to Dazzle Your Guests with Chocolate
11 Unexpected Chocolate and Fruit Pairings
11 Completely Acceptable Reasons to Drink Cacao Every Day
11 Easy Ways to Ruin an Expensive Bag of Ceremonial Raw Cacao
11 Easy Ways to Make Raw Cacao Deliciously Sippable
11 Ways to Delight Your Dinner Guests with a Chocolate Tasting
The Smart Way to Build Your Chocolate Collection
11 Important Lessons after 11 Bars of Dark Chocolate
11 Sure-Fire Ways to Pick a Winning Bar of Chocolate
11 Little-Known Facts about Chocolate
11 Mistakes That Make You Look Like a Chocolate Amateur
11 Inspiring Quotes about Enjoying Chocolate
11 Ways to Seduce Your Guests with Chocolate-Infused Desserts
11 Ways to Impress Your Guests with Your Chocolate Know-How
11 Ways to Get Your Followers to Fall Head-Over-Heels in Love with Chocolate
11 Happy Endings: How to End a Meal with the Perfect Chocolate
11 Reasons to Stop Saving the Good Chocolate for a Special Occasion
How to Eat Vegetables When You’d Rather Be Eating Chocolate
Think This Souffle Is Chocolate? It Has a Surprise Ingredient!
Chocolate as Healer
The secret to writing great headlines is that there is no secret. You only need to play. The more you practice crafting compelling headlines, the better you’ll get.
And if you’re stuck trying to come up with crafty headlines, get your buns over to The Intuitive Writing Studio, where you’ll find a growing library of writing and editing resources, swipe files, templates, and the accountability you need to get the writing done — the intuitive, body-first way.
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