SEO for website headlines

A great headline can be hard to achieve. But when you also need to think about search engine optimisation (SEO), optimal headline length, the effect on design and the need for fresh and unique content, it can sometimes seem impossible.

Chris Lake has written an interesting post on the benefits of short headlines over long ones. His arguments cover Twitter functionality, email subject lines, and of course Google.

In the post, Chris has devised a steadfast plan to conquer most of the issues mentioned above: The 65 Character Rule.

It’s often the case that your webpage headline is used as your Title Tag (it will appear underneath your page link on a Google search). So in order to maximise your use of space on Google, you may want to stick to 65 characters or less to ensure the entire description shows up at a glance.

So, you know how much space you should ideally use. But you still need some creative inspiration to fill it!

Whenever you’re writing a headline you need to put yourself in your audience’s shoes. What do they want to know… what matters to them most? However, when writing a web page headline and your Title Tag this is even more important. What is your audience actually going to type into their Google search bar when they are looking for a product or service like yours? It’s probably much simpler than you’d think to do this and it’s crucial that you incorporate your conclusions in your headlines.

There are plenty of other reasons why short headlines are better than long ones, and Chris Lake has taken a unique but very true angle on the argument. His post is definitely worth a look!