Headlines that Hook – Writing “How To” Headlines

For our first post in the writing headlines that hook series we’ll take a look at the ever popular "How To" article. The old saying "you can’t tell a book by its cover" is completely lost on internet readers.

Most users aren’t just surfing the web, they’re looking for information and they don’t slow down to ponder things.

Why “How To” Works

Users search for particular subjects and information at a speed that should appall all those writers who painstakingly perfect their articles and posts. That’s where the headline comes in to hook them. A “How To” headline immediate conveys that there’s knowledge to be gained just a click away.

In our busy world people want easy access to quick information that will give them something for their time. You can maximize the affects of a “How To” headline if you focus on this quick and easy mentality.

How to Improve Search Rankings Within a Month

This also means that headlines which clearly state the benefit to the reader will likely fair better than those that only imply benefits. For that reason “How To” headlines tend to be easier to write because the benefit is already set up in the “How To” you’ve just got to drive the benefit home at that point.

One last trick for “How To” headlines – put an “and” in their for double the benefits.

How to Work Less and Make More

Just remember, you worked hard to get the click through so make the most of it by producing what you promise in your headline and you’ll get a satified reader that’s more likely to share your work with others.