Writing headlines that draw people in rather than turn them away can seem like quite a daunting task. That being said, we are here to help! We’ve put together some helpful tips on how to write great headlines that not only get people to stay but convert users into leads.

The first thing you need to know is the key features of most landing pages.

Headline – The headline (normally at the top) needs to be catchy, attention holding and enticing so people read on.
The copy – This is the bit that you want people to stay for. The information that you provide for the user clicking through to your landing page.
Testimonials / Reviews – Your success but measured by other people’s experience of you
Lead Capture form – Collect visitor information as they explore your pages.
Call to Action – Aids in the conversion of the user

Once you have a handle on the flow of your page, it might be tempting to take your time perfecting which information you gather from your user, or making your copy sing. However, if you do not spend some of that energy making your headlines catchy, no one is going to stay to see your hard work.

Overall, more people read headlines than they do the content. This is why it’s important to get it right.

So how do you write headlines that are going to stand out?

There are 3 steps in writing the best headlines.

Be Clear and Concise

Don’t waffle in your headlines. If people aren’t sure what you’re going to be talking about they most likely will skip past your link and go onto one that IS what they are looking for. Making sure you’re not misleading your users will also help to drive people through and potentially have them returning for information from you in the future.

Be Relevant

If your headline is something along the lines of “10 most affordable areas” and yet the post contains the highest valued properties in London, you’re going to quickly find you won’t develop trust with people. Make sure your heading is a true representation of what the reader will find inside the link.

Be Empathetic

Most of the time, the user will have a ‘problem’ that you are hopefully going to fix for them. Being able to relate to the user, is going to be something that will stand you in good stead for readers to look on through your site.

Where to use these headlines on your landing page

When you’re posting properties with the street name to identify them as the headline, you don’t need to worry so much about a catchy headline. If you’re looking to attract new landlords and want them to exchange their email addresses for a guide to investment property in your local area via a landing page, that needs a stand-out headline!

If it’s a link to a page with new properties, write the headline within the link. Eg. “Don’t miss out: 10 must-see properties for less than £300,000” Something like this is clear and straight to the point, whilst also being in tune with your potential buyer urging them not to ‘miss out’.

Some final tips for your media team:

#1 – don’t rely on clickbait.

People will find this extremely annoying and withholding information can have people actively avoiding your links or getting frustrated that they haven’t found what they thought they were going to.

#2 – Be as straight-talking as possible.

With many Internet users being starved of time, being clear and straight to the point can mean more and have more of an effect than being humorous or clever.

So there we are, now you know how to write kick-ass headlines take a look at your content and see where you can make some improvements. You never know you might just see a rise in your engagement!

If you need any help with writing your website landing pages or would like a chat with our friendly team about your content get in touch here.

Katie Gillingham

Katie is a Freelance Copywriter living in rural Dorset with her daft old Labrador. She first started writing content for the property industry back in 2015, and loves nothing more than bringing brand voices to life!